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Ask the Experts about Mental Health and HIV
scared to death
Aug 21, 2008
I had unprotected sex with 7 men in a 6 week period.I live in Idaho,and not sure what my chances are of contracting HIV in this area (small town 65 miles from Boise.(I am also male.)Also,I only had oral sex,no anal sex.Does "swallowing" raise your chances even more?It has been 1 month for all encounters execpt 1,which has been a week.The only symptoms have been skin flushing in the face and neck.Could those be more related to stress?My face feels hot,but no fever.I'm 42 years old,and hadn't had sex with anyone in years until recently,at which time I had all those encounters.Is it safe to say my risk living in Idaho is lower than in more populated areas?There are 4 small towns grouped together,but all 4 are small towns,with the largest being 10,000 or so.
Response from Dr. Horwath
There have been studies of the risk of HIV transmission among men who exclusively practice oral sex, and the risk of HIV transmission is extremely low. Swallowing does not appear to change the risk. The risk is unlikely to be different in Idaho.
Even though the risk is low with oral sex, it would be better for you to practice safe sex and use condoms. That would help to reduce the risk further and would help you to avoid all these symptoms, which are undoubtedly related to anxiety and fears of having HIV.
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