Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 10/28/2006

Question
My boyfriend works security in a local nightclub. Last weekend he broke up a fight in which one man was cut open with a bottle. As the bleeding man was trying to explain himself, some of the blood that was dripping from his head was spattered onto my boyfriends face and lips.  (I guess it was kind of like when you take a shower and you blow the water and it spatters) He was bleeding bad. My boyfriend doesn't remember tasting the blood, he didn't even notice that there was blood on his mouth until another bouncer pointed it out. He had no visible/noticeable mouth sores, cuts, anything. My main concern is the possibility of my boyfriend contracting HIV through this contact and how long we have to wait to get an accurate HIV test result (I heard it takes up to 6 months after infection for HIV to show up in a test.) Any information you can give me would be very much appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Ingesting infected blood is one way that HIV can be transmitted. There do not need to be any cuts or sores because the mouth itself acts as one big "sore" or opening to the body. The mouth is a mucous membrane and permeable to HIV. The likelihood of transmission seems low here- accidental/environmental transmission itself is rare. However, I cannot say anything for certain and seeking a test may put both your minds at ease. Most people will seroconvert by 3 months meaning they will have an accurate result at that time. But you are right, a very small number of people take up to 6 months, which is why it is always recommended to test again at 6 months for a definitive result. You may want to contact a testing center in your area and just talk to a counselor there and get their advice. Let me know if you have more questions.