Hello, I'm now 30 years old and just started exploring my sexually with men. But every time I have a sexual encounter I always feel guilty and I have anxiety that I have contracted HIV. Also, i feel like every symptom that is outbof the ordinary is ARS symptoms. For example, I received unprotected oral sex and we engaged in French kissing. What gets me worried is that I had a cut on my gum and I feel as though this put me at high risk even though there wasn't any blood encoded, that I know of. With this act alone, I feel as though my life is doomed. Did I put myself at risk for HIV transmission with my actions? I feel so lost. Please help and answer my question.

Hi there:

Receiving unprotected oral sex and french kissing are both low-risk activities. In theory, the cut on your gum could have made you more susceptible to infection, but it's unlikely. As you being to explore your sexuality, it will be helpful to know your boundaries, and to know how to protect yourself. I would suggest looking through our Prevention section at length. Hopefully the knowledge of how to protect yourself will help ease the anxiety that you are feeling.

When we are talking about HIV transmission, we focus on the probability of it happening, not the possibility of it happening. For example. Is it possible, that transmission could have occurred through that cut in your gumline? Yes. Is it probable? No. The likelihood is very low to not at all.

You should be testing for HIV and other STD's twice a year. Either your doctor or a local health clinic can perform these tests. Visit www.hivtest.org to locate a testing facility in your area.

Bottom line: You did not put yourself at risk during this incident.

In health,

Richard