Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 8/31/2004

Question
One more quick question.  Is it true that the mouth contains antibodies in which to counteract the virus?  Is this encounter as serious as lets say getting pricked with a needle or having unprotected sexual intercourse with someone that is positive?  How much blood is required to transmit the virus?

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Followup To
Question -
Last week a friend of mine bit a man that is HIV positive.  She bit him so hard that it drew blood.  What are the chances of HIV transmission through this type of encounter and how long of a gestation period until HIV virus would show up on a test and how soon should she be tested?
Answer -
If his blood entered her mouth, then yes, transmission is possible. Testing depends on where you live. The traditional test is the ELISA which has a 1-6 month window period associated with it. This means that it can take the body anywhere from one to six months to produce enough HIV antibodies to be detected by the test. Testing too soon could produce a false positive for someone infected. However, there is another test used that tests for the virus itself that has only a 2 week window period associated with it. As far as I know, it is only being used in conjunction with the ELISA in North Carolina.  

Answer
No, the mouth does not contain anything to counteract the virus. Biting probably is not as risky as unprotected sex or sharing needles, but it would all depend on the amount of blood and the infected person. The amount of blood required to transmit depends on different things. For example, if the person was on medication, then there might not be much virus in his blood, which reduces the likelihood of transmission. The amount of fluid required varies for every person.