Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 6/4/2007

Question
QUESTION: hi there. there isn't alot of information on the internet regarding the risks a woman faces from receiving oral sex. everybody around me is telling me that my fears and not warranted and i have no reason to worry, however, i remain paranoid. im in desperate need of some medical advice. generally, my sex life has been very innocent because im well aware of the risks out there, however, this summer i had a few encounters. i received oral sex from a guy i didn't know very well. i know that he is reckless with his sex life. he fingered me first and then performed oral sex on me. i felt him cut me with his fingernail while fingering me before he went down on me. i felt his teeth while he was eating me out but i didn't see any visible blood in his mouth. his mouth was very moist and full of saliva. i DID NOT perform oral sex on him, i only received. two weeks later, i received oral sex from a guy friend on two separate occasions. he fingered me and performed oral sex on me. his dental hygiene wasn't great but i didn't see any visible blood in his mouth. i didn't think much of either encounter because i assumed it was fairly harmless. however, a month later i developed bronchitis and was very sick. this whole year, i haven't felt myself (chronic headaches, tingling in my feet and being very tired). i informed my gynecologist about my encounter and he told me that i was at no risk and to forget about it, however, i remained paranoid. he told me that no woman has ever contracted HIV from receiving cunnlingus. he stated that unless that guy had visible bleeding coming from his mouth that i shouldn't worry. this world is full of scare tactics and it's really hard to differentiate fact from fiction. i heard acquiring HIV from receiving cunnilingus is almost not possible. i would really like to finally put my fears at ease and get my life back but i am horrified. i truly regret what i did and still have nightmares about it. im suffering and your response would mean the world to me. i was also told that people who receive oral sex are concerned with the transmission of herpes rather than HIV. Are my fears warranted? I heard receiving oral sex is the same risk as french kissing because you're only being exposed to saliva? im absolutely terrified! please write back.


has a woman ever contracted HIV from RECEIVING oral sex?


ANSWER: You cannot contract HIV from receiving oral sex- saliva does not transmit the virus.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: what if he had a cut in his mouth? some sites said it's happened before. is it equivalent to the risk of french kissing? thanks.
ANSWER: There is no risk in kissing. There would have to be A LOT of blood, not just a miniscule amount-and even then it's unlikely.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: he is just so promiscuous it's disgusting. yeah & i have constant vaginal irritation so i was afraid that would make me more susceptible. i also felt his teeth. i don't know..im horrified. are you an HIV specialist? you seem very knowledgeable. does this warrant testing?
ANSWER: I am a health educator who has been trained in HIV-prevention counseling. No, this does not warrant testing.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hm why does everyone try to scare you into testing then? the clinic told me i was at risk. how does it work if he had blood in his mouth? would it have to be rubbed into a vaginal cut or could it enter my uretha? im so confused. what if there was a little blood? has a woman ever gotten it this way =/ ?

Answer
HIV can be transmitted when infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid and/or breast milk enter another person's body. That can be through a natural opening (vagina, anus, eyes etc) or an opening in the skin.

A lot of blood would have had to come out of his mouth and enter your body somehow...extremely unlikely. Stop worrying.