Hello and thank you for easing the fears of all of us who get a little worked up. My question relates to insertive oral sex. Last night I received oral sex for about 20 minutes from someone I learned was HIV + at a bathhouse. I did not go down on this person or do anything else with him. I was actually warned AFTER the fact by someone else who knew this person. I have read that insertive oral sex is very low risk (0.5 for 10 000 exposures) unless there are "extenuating circumstances". Of course I am one of those people who freaks out and thinks of the possibilities. I am uncircumsized, the skin was stretched back by this person (did this create tiny perforations in the skin??). Also, there were some moments of discomfort with teeth to skin contact and some deep throating. I am concerned about this person's oral hygiene.... what IF they had an open sore with some blood due to another STD or something else? Would their saliva enzymes potentially break down the infectious blood or could it enter my bloodstream by the described "injuries"? I realize that there are countless posts on insertive oral sex but I probably need to hear some reassurance for my own personal situation! Sorry to ask you to answer something you probably are rolling your eyes at! Bath House Bandit

Hello Bath House Bandit,

Yep, there are indeed "countless posts on insertive oral sex." In fact we have an entire chapter devoted to oral sex in the archives of this forum. (Check it out!). I see little point in addressing all the hypothetical "what ifs" related to this topic. The bottom line is that insertive oral sex carries only a very low risk for HIV acquisition. Why are you freaking out only after you found out after the fact your penis popsicle-sucking buddy was positively charged? Dr. Bob's number one rule is that we need to consider that all our sex partners could be HIV infected and therefore take all the necessary precautions to prevent transmission of the virus. After all, you were in a gay bathhouse, frevinsakes!!!

I would recommend you get an HIV-antibody test at the three-month mark. The statistical odds are all in your favor that you did not contract HIV from your bathhouse banditting.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob