Hey Doc,

My wife is a nurse and was splashed last week with HIV positive blood, with a few drops to the face - one landing on her eye and one landing on her lips. It was cleaned right away and she was put on medicine - Kaletra and one of the others. She will be on those meds for 4 weeks and then tested after 3 months.

Although the risk is very small that she is positive, I am worried. I know you have said safe sex is fine, but I am worried about still getting HIV while using a condom. Should I wait this month out and let the medication do its thing? Or will there be just a good chance to get it from her after the medication as there would be to get it now? She doesn't want to give up her sex life, but I don't want to get HIV either.

Help needed!!

Thanks -

Dale

Hello, Dale.

When, if and how you have sex with your wife while she's on PEP is up to you, not me. Her HIV-acquisition risk is extremely low based on the information provided. Post-PEP testing guidelines recommend HIV-antibody testing at four-to-six weeks, three months and six months from the date of exposure.

HIV cannot permeate intact latex. No way. No how. Consequently using latex condoms for insertive sex would carry an essentially nonexistent risk, assuming the latex condoms were used properly and didn't fail. If insertive sex is too anxiety provoking for you, despite my reassurance, you could continue to have a satisfying sex life with massage, frottage, masturbation, oral sex, etc. Finally it's worthing remembering the chance your of your wife being HIV infected is a quantum leap beyond remote. You should be supporting her through her ordeal of taking PEP with extra TLC, not treating her like a biohazard.

Dr. Bob