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Mouth sores
Jun 11, 1999
Would herpes in your mouth not on the outside be a sign of HIV? I had a possible exposure about 7 months ago and have tested - so far but had a recent mouth sores the doctor said taht it is herpes, he gave me some medicine, it went away, now a few days later it is back, just like before? Should I continue to test for HIV? Please answer my questions. Thank you for your time.
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Response from Dr. Reznik
The answer to your question is no. Herpetic lesions inside the oral cavity are not signs of HIV exposure, rather they are a sign of exposure to HSV, the virus that causes these lesions. To insure that you have an accurate diagnosis of these lesions, a HSV culture should be performed.
Herpetic lesions inside the oral cavity normally appear on keratinized tissue such as the gingiva
http://www.hivdent.org/slides/herpes_simplex_virus_hsv_gingival_tissue.htm
and hard palate http://www.hivdent.org/slides/herpes_simplex_virus_hsv_hard_palate.htm.
It is not uncommon for these lesions to recur. Treatment involves 1 gram a day of acyclovir for 7 to 10 days. Actually since acyclovir is now generic and available in a 400 mg dose, I usually write 400 mg three times a day for the 7 to 10 days. If recurrence continues to be a problem, it is acceptable for your provider to write a prophylactic dose of 400 mg twice a day.
Whether or not you continue to test for HIV depends on how long since your last exposure.
I hope this helps!
DR
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