Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Can HIV Or Herpes Be Contracted Through Unprotected Oral Sex?
Question: I invited a girl from a strip club when I was in USA almost 11 weeks back. We never had penetrative sex, but I received an unprotected oral from her, though I did not give to her, but kissed. After this incident, I was very nervous of the diseases prevailing in USA like HIV and Herpes. I went for a HIV RNA test exactly 23 days after this incident and it came "Not detected".. However, for a reconfirmation, I took all the baseline STD tests including, HIV 1 and 2 antibody and HSV Igg test (Attached the report) which came negative too.. However, after this test, I got a small reddish cyst (9th week) in my inner thighs with blood on it and a reddish swollen area around it.. I applied an antibiotic ointment over it and t got broken and started healing after 3 days .. I am afraid now whether it is herpes.. Also my girlfriend complains of a mouth ulcer with dried and burning sensation on her lips and kind of sores inside her mouth after a sexual encounter with me.. Fyi.. The woman from strip club did not have any lesions in her body.. I am going crazy now.. Should i go for a retesting? I have mouth ulcer problem from my childhood and often get canker sores in my mouth...
Brief Answer:
Retest for Hsv type 1 & 2, IgG at 12 wks;thigh lesion does'nt appear Herpes
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I have gone through your query and I have also reviewed the attachments.
Unprotected receptive oral sex is definitely a risk factor for herpes though Hiv has a negligible risk through Oral sex.
What was the time lag between the sexual encounter and negative, Hsv type 1 and type 2, IgG test? A negative IgG for Hsv after just 4-6 weeks can be false negative and it is generally advisable to wait for 12-16 weeks for it to be taken as a conclusive result.
Hsv 1 & 2, IgM becomes positive early i.e as early as 3-4 weeks and if detected positive it suggests a new infection.
As far as the cyst is concerned it seems more like a bacterial infection to me i.e a furuncle rather than an STD. Moreover the lesion appeared on your inner thigh area and this area most likely did not came into direct contact with her oral mucosa and therefore unlikely to be genital herpes.
Genital herpes usually presents with grouped, discrete, fluid filled lesions/ sores rather than as a cyst. Therefore I don't think that the lesion that you had on your inner thigh was due to herpes
However, still I would suggest a retest at 12 weeks for Hsv type1 & 2 IgG to rule it out conclusively. Both you and your girlfriend should get tested.
Regards
Retest for Hsv type 1 & 2, IgG at 12 wks;thigh lesion does'nt appear Herpes
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I have gone through your query and I have also reviewed the attachments.
Unprotected receptive oral sex is definitely a risk factor for herpes though Hiv has a negligible risk through Oral sex.
What was the time lag between the sexual encounter and negative, Hsv type 1 and type 2, IgG test? A negative IgG for Hsv after just 4-6 weeks can be false negative and it is generally advisable to wait for 12-16 weeks for it to be taken as a conclusive result.
Hsv 1 & 2, IgM becomes positive early i.e as early as 3-4 weeks and if detected positive it suggests a new infection.
As far as the cyst is concerned it seems more like a bacterial infection to me i.e a furuncle rather than an STD. Moreover the lesion appeared on your inner thigh area and this area most likely did not came into direct contact with her oral mucosa and therefore unlikely to be genital herpes.
Genital herpes usually presents with grouped, discrete, fluid filled lesions/ sores rather than as a cyst. Therefore I don't think that the lesion that you had on your inner thigh was due to herpes
However, still I would suggest a retest at 12 weeks for Hsv type1 & 2 IgG to rule it out conclusively. Both you and your girlfriend should get tested.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
The timelag between the test and encounter is 8 weeks
Even though I did not have insertive sex, she rubbed her external labia on my penis.. How conclusive is my HIV test after 8 weeks? Also the hiv rna was negative, taken after 23 days
Even though I did not have insertive sex, she rubbed her external labia on my penis.. How conclusive is my HIV test after 8 weeks? Also the hiv rna was negative, taken after 23 days
Brief Answer:
You are safe as far as Hiv is concerned
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Though a negative Hiv antibody test at 8 weeks is very suggestive that a person would be negative but it cannot be taken as conclusive at 8 weeks.
An negative anti-Hiv antibody test at 12 weeks is taken as conclusive. This is because even though the majority of those infected with Hiv will develop ciculating anti-Hiv antibodies at 4 weeks onwards a small fraction may not have circulating anti-Hiv antibodies early on after infection, however, almost all will develop circualting anti-Hiv antibodies by 12 weeks. Thus a negative Anti-Hiv anobody based beyond this period of 12 weeks (i.e window period) is conclusive.
Unlike an antibody based test, PCR for HIV RNA has a shorter window period of about 2 weeks therefore a negative test for HIV RNA at 23 days alomost rules out Hiv.
Regards
You are safe as far as Hiv is concerned
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Though a negative Hiv antibody test at 8 weeks is very suggestive that a person would be negative but it cannot be taken as conclusive at 8 weeks.
An negative anti-Hiv antibody test at 12 weeks is taken as conclusive. This is because even though the majority of those infected with Hiv will develop ciculating anti-Hiv antibodies at 4 weeks onwards a small fraction may not have circulating anti-Hiv antibodies early on after infection, however, almost all will develop circualting anti-Hiv antibodies by 12 weeks. Thus a negative Anti-Hiv anobody based beyond this period of 12 weeks (i.e window period) is conclusive.
Unlike an antibody based test, PCR for HIV RNA has a shorter window period of about 2 weeks therefore a negative test for HIV RNA at 23 days alomost rules out Hiv.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Brief Answer:
I suggest you to repeat IgG test for Hsv at 12 weeks for conclusive result
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Hsv IgG can take 12-16 weeks to become positive. Therefore at 8 weeks Hsv IgG test it is not conclusive as yet.
HIV RNA PCR is not routinely used for screening but it is very sensitive and a negative PCR RNA rules out Hiv.
Though if I consider antibody test separately from PCR RNA it is more reliable at 12 weeks rather than 8 weeks.
Regards
I suggest you to repeat IgG test for Hsv at 12 weeks for conclusive result
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Hsv IgG can take 12-16 weeks to become positive. Therefore at 8 weeks Hsv IgG test it is not conclusive as yet.
HIV RNA PCR is not routinely used for screening but it is very sensitive and a negative PCR RNA rules out Hiv.
Though if I consider antibody test separately from PCR RNA it is more reliable at 12 weeks rather than 8 weeks.
Regards
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Sonia Raina
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
