Love Bite and Hiv

[dj022]

Hello doctor,
I am from north India (low hiv prevalence region of India) and always indulge in safe sex (i.e. negative before this encounter), however what happened was out of my control.

On 10 April , I had sex with a CSW (protected).After 15-20 minutes, when I came home I saw a love bite (blood collected under skin) just below my right jaw on my neck(I didn’t notice it while having sex with her). I immediately washed it with antibacterial soap. I didn’t see any blood near bite or on my neck, also it didn’t look like a wound that would have bled at all, also it was not painful, i wouldn’t have noticed it if I wouldn’t have seen it.

There was no deep cut in the skin. However, on noticing closely I saw a minute rupture of the skin (upper layer), just like teeth getting dragged against the skin (not more than 1 mm) and was not deep.

Few days later I called her and enquired about the bite. She said 1-2 drops of blood came out from the rupture and her mouth was clean (no bleeding gums, cuts etc.).Also I enquired about her hiv status she said she gets tested at every 3 months and her test of previous month was negative and she always uses protection.
Also while kissing her I didn’t taste any blood.

1. What is my risk considering her to be positive and her having bleeding   gums?

2. Can this small rupture with little bleeding on my side cause blood transfusion?

3. Members at community forum told me it is no risk and no need to test, do you agree with them?

4. How assuring is negative p24 antigen test at 15 days? Do I need more testing?

5. In the above scenario can I continue to have unprotected sex with my regular partner?

My interactions with the community members,

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Prevention/Love-bite-and-hiv/show/1507645

Thank you.

[dj022]

Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No risk, as I said. EWH

[dj022]

Thank you doctor for your reply.

I duly respect your advice and I am ready to move on.

But just one follow up question which i hope you will answer,

1. I said 1-2 drops of blood came out,i mean her saliva was in direct contact with the fresh rupture,  still no risk?

Just conforming.

Thanking you in antipication,

dj022

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I did look at your interactions on the HIV Prevention Community and agree with the advice that you were give there. This "love bite" did not put you at risk for HIV.  Even if your partner had HIV which, as you note, is unlikely, HIV is not spread through oral secretions.  In infected persons concentrations of HIV in oral secretions are small and the antibodies, enzymes and other components of saliva act to make saliva non-infectious.  I would not worry about this exposure and see no need for testing.  In answer to your specific questions:

1.  See above.  No risk.
2.  No, the broken blood vessels were under your skin. Still no risk.
3.  I agree, no need for testing.
4.  You just asked if you needed testing and I said no.  why ask what to do if the test is negative.  I really don't care if you test at 15 days, 15 weeks or 15 moths, this was still a no risk event.
5.  Obviously, since I said there was no risk and no need for testing, there is also no reason to worry about your partner.

Finally, I note that you used a different name of the HIV Community site.  Please do not do this.  We ask that members use only 1 pseudonym and respect MedHelp rules and guidelines.  EWH