Expert: Terry B - 6/17/2007

Question
A girl took a drink of alcohol and then directly from her mouth spit it into mine. My concern is if she was HIV  pos and somehow had blood in her mouth.

1) Do I have a risk?

2) What is the very soonest initial symptoms (ARS) can appear. As early as 4 days?

Thanks

Answer
Dear Joe:

The situation you describe may have risk for other sexually transmitted diseases and infections but little or none for HIV transmission.  

First, the amount of blood (or semen, vaginal secretions) would be at best minute; secondly, your risk as receptive to this possible fluid/alcohol mix is low as well.  

Trying to gauge HIV infection from symptoms is problematic.  At time of first infection, many people do not have symptoms; those who do sometimes report a flu-like illness with rash.  

Given the probability that you will contract colds and flu several times in a given year, there is no way to track whether this might be due to infection, short of a long-standing and pretty reliable array of tests available to you.

Answering your questions, I see very little risk in what you describe, and symptoms of initial HIV infection could present but are more likely symptoms of other viral or bacterial infections.

Hope this helps.

Terry