Dear Dr. Bob.

"Cunnilingus", what a word. Thanks to dictionary.com, now I know how to pronounce it.

I have read all your answers to people expressing their fear of getting infected from possible exposure from Cunnilingus. Even though you've almost made it clear, my worries are not fading away and my symptoms are my most faithful friend these days. They like to give me company everytime I feel lonely. I have tested myself after three months at a clinic using the Ab-EIA (HIV 1/2) test and came back negative. But being still in the "window period of 6 months" and knowing that I had cuts on my lips before the crazy vagina licking session, don't make things improbable.

Well, here is what I would like to tell you. The CDC states clearly that 97% of people seroconvert by 3 months. That implies that if I've been infected, that puts me in the 3% slot. Now considering the highest estimate I found on the web quantitating the number of people infected from oral sex, we see that it is 8% (your estimate is far much less than that) Assuming that this estimate is correct, then my chances of being infected would be 0.08*0.03=0.0024--> 0.24%. That is definitely very small number, but it's definitely nonzero. The good news is that I will be a "rare" case and Fox might be interest in interviewing me.

Two weeks left for my 6-month anniversary. Any thoughts on this?

PS. I'm very disappointed from people in Main for voting against gay marrage. For the longest time, I thought Jesus-freaks only exist in southern states. It's really sad news.

Hi,

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to use statistical risk estimates to calculate a specific risk of an individual sexual experience, as the estimates are based on large population studies and there can be may confounding variables when one considers a single sexual encounter. What we can clearly advise is that your HIV-acquisition risk is extremely minimal to negligible. I'm very confident a WOO-HOO is waiting for you on the other side of your six-month HIV-antibody test.

As for Maine, I really don't hold "Jesus" accountable. From all reports, Jesus, Buddha, Allah or whichever higher power one chooses to admire, these guys were loving, compassionate individuals who would have defended and supported the union between two loving consenting adults. The real problem in Maine was the Catholic Church, which poured money, time and effort into scaring people with lies and hate. Chances are the higher powers won't be pleased with their actions and payback karma can be a real bitch. It's amazing that the Catholic Church with its unnatural laws about priests being celibate and not marrying, forbidding contraception, etc. feels it has the moral authority to dictate how others should live and love. We all know how well that celibate priest idea has worked out, right? I remain confident that with time marriage between any two consenting loving adults will become law and we'll look back at all this folly with puzzlement as to what all the fuss was about. Steve (Dr. Steve, the expert for The Body's Tratamientos forum) and I have been legally married for one year and shockingly the entire State of California has not devolved into chaos as the marriage-equality haters had predicted. In essence Steve and I have been "married" for 16 years and I would welcome any marriage-equality-hating couple to go head to head with us in terms of integrity, intensity, compassion, love and any other parameter they might choose.

Don't fret. Marriage equality will someday be a reality. I'm wearing a t-shirt today that reads: "So many rightwing 'Christian' zealots; so few lions."

Dr. Bob