Got questions? This is where you can ask a reliable, informed source all of your HIV/AIDS, sexual health and relationship questions. All you have to do is ask, and we'll keep it confidential. E-mail us at AskLIFEbeat@lifebeat.org and get the answers you seek. Or read below for previous questions.
Newest Topic: HIV and Viral Load
Previous Topics:
Terms of Use: Information provided on AskLIFEbeat is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease, or relied upon as legal or other professional advice. This information is not a substitute for professional advice or care. If you have or suspect you may have a health or legal problem, you should consult your own health care provider or attorney.
HIV and viral load
Q: My current boyfriend has a very low strain of the HIV virus. What are the chances of him transmitting the disease via oral sex?
A: It's not clear exactly what you mean by "low strain" of the virus, but what you are probably referring to is his "viral load" (the amount of virus present in his bloodstream). Your boyfriend's health care provider may have determined, after testing, that the amount of HIV virus in his blood is low or even too low to be detected. You and your boyfriend should speak with his doctor about ways to protect yourself while continuing to enjoy a fulfilling sex life.
Having a low viral load does decrease the risk of HIV transmission, but does not eliminate it. Transmission is still possible. Also, the amount of HIV in his semen or pre-cum could differ than the amount in his blood, and his viral load could increase without either of you knowing.
Overall, oral sex carries a lower risk for HIV transmission than vaginal or anal sex, but the risk increases if you have cuts, sores or abrasions in the mouth or gums, an infection of the mouth or throat, or have brushed or flossed your teeth before oral sex.
To best protect yourself, you should use a condom every time you have sex. There are flavored condoms made specifically for oral sex, or you can use a regular unlubricated condom.
You should also have regular HIV tests to monitor your status. You can find the location of the HIV testing site nearest to you by visiting the National HIV Testing Resources Web site at http://www.hivtest.org or call the CDC-INFO hotline 24 hours/day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636). Both of these resources are confidential.
Best of luck!
- LIFEbeat
HIV confidentiality
Q: Is there a list of hiv+ people out there? Or is there any way you can find out info on if a person is?
A: There is no "list" of HIV+ people. A person's HIV status is confidential and protected by federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) law, as well as many individual state laws.
Thanks for your question,
- LIFEbeat
Oral and anal sex
Q: I think I have made a big mistake. I was about to have unprotected anal sex with someone but wasn't erect enough to penetrate, tried to force it in for a sec but never penetrated. Tried oral but still wasn't erect. Is there any chance of HIV from that?
A: It is difficult to say without knowing more details whether your actions put you at risk. You should definitely speak with your health care provider about any concerns you may have about your sexual history and health.
In general, for transmission of HIV to occur, there needs to be transfer of a bodily fluid containing a sufficient amount of the virus (such as blood or semen) to another person's bloodstream (such as through a cut or open sore).
Unprotected anal sex with someone who is HIV+ carries a higher risk of HIV transmission because of the potential for cuts and tears. The person receiving the semen is generally at greater risk of getting HIV because the lining of the rectum is thin and may tear during anal sex. However, a person who inserts his penis into an infected partner also is at risk because HIV can enter through the urethra (the opening at the tip of the penis) or through small cuts, abrasions, or open sores on the penis.
Oral sex is less risky than anal or vaginal sex, but still carries some risk of HIV infection, especially if there are sores on the penis or in the person's mouth.
If you are worried that you may have engaged in risky behavior with an HIV+ person, you should get an HIV test, about a month after your last incident of risky behavior, and again in 3 and 6 months, to be absolutely sure of the result. You can talk to your health care provider or you can find the location of the HIV testing site nearest to you by visiting the National HIV Testing Resources Web site at http://www.hivtest.org or call the CDC-INFO hotline 24 hours/day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636). Both of these resources are confidential.
To best protect yourself in the future, always use barrier protection when having oral or anal sex. Sex will be much more pleasurable when you aren't worrying that you are putting yourself at risk!
Best of luck,
- LIFEbeat
Bleeding in a swimming pool
Q: If an HIV positive person is swimming in a pool and cut themselves, are other people at risk of contracting HIV?
A: HIV cannot be spread by swimming in the same pool with an HIV-infected person. Even if an HIV-infected person bled into the pool, the virus would be diluted by the large volume of water, making it non-infectious. In addition, the chlorine or other disinfective agents found in most pools would kill the virus instantly.
Your question is a timely one. In recent news, a 2-year old boy was banned from a public swimming pool because he was HIV-positive, which shows that many people are still not adequately informed about how HIV is transmitted.
-LIFEbeat
Unprotected sex when already HIV+
Q: Me and my boyfriend are both HIV positive and we just found out. I'm still not on meds or getting treatment because I don't have health insurance. Every time we have sex he still cums in me. Is that still unsafe if we are only sleeping with each other?
A: First of all, there are programs for HIV+ people to get proper medical care without insurance, which you should definitely look into in order to remain healthy. You may be eligible for programs such as Medicaid and ADAP, Patient Assistance Programs, or may be able to participate in free clinical trials. Contact the Network at the Access Project at 800-734-7104 for more information about qualifying for these programs.
Second of all, even though both of you are HIV+, it is very important to still practice safe sex, even if you are monogamous. The reason is that your partner may be infected with a different or mutated strain of HIV, and if you continue to have unprotected sex you may "reinfect" or "super-infect" one another, which will make staying healthy more difficult, and treatment more complex and potentially ineffective.
Even though you have been practicing unprotected sex so far, don’t assume the damage has already been done and continue to have unprotected sex. Make condoms a regular part of your sex life. While it may feel different, it will feel good to know that you are both safer and protected. There are many different kinds of condoms and many can enhance the sexual experience.
-LIFEbeat
Contact with cuts or open sores
Q: Can a HIV infected person transmit the disease by touching an open sore or cut on another persons body even if they do not have any blood or other body fluids on their hand?
A: Transmission can only happen when a sufficient amount of HIV enters the bloodstream through cuts, open sores or mucous membranes.
The blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk of an HIV-positive person all contain enough of the virus to transmit it to others, whereas saliva, tears, sweat, feces, and urine do not. These fluids either contain no HIV or it exists in a quantity too small to result in transmission.
It is probably a good idea to be careful with cuts and open sores, to prevent bacterial infection if nothing else, but this kind of casual contact with an HIV+ person does NOT put you at risk for HIV infection.
Thanks for your question!
-LIFEbeat
HIV in bodily fluids
Q: Can HIV be transmitted/contracted by kissing or in saliva, sputum, snot, sweat, tears and all those other body fluids? I am 15 and not sexually active and do not want this disease but I find myself scared to think of doing anything.
A: You are doing the right thing by thinking about your own sexual health before you become sexually active. It is important to make sure you are ready, emotionally as well as physically, to have sex, and part of that is learning what actions you can take to protect yourself from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
HIV is transmitted from person to person through the exchange of certain bodily fluids. While the HIV virus can be found in all bodily fluids of an infected person, only blood, semen (including pre-cum), vaginal secretions, and breast milk contain a high enough concentration of HIV to transmit the virus. HIV has NOT been proven transmittable by saliva, urine, feces, sweat, tears, vomit or mucus.
Abstinence from sex is the surest way to protect yourself, and you shouldn't feel pressured to have sex if you aren't ready.
If you and your partner decide that you are both ready to get intimate, you can engage in activities with very low risk such as hugging, kissing, cuddling, massage, and mutual masturbation (fingering and touching each other's genitals but avoiding getting cum or vaginal fluid on broken skin).
If you decide you are ready to have sex, make sure you ALWAYS use barrier protection such as a latex condom (for intercourse or oral sex) or a dental dam (for oral sex) to protect yourselves against pregnancy and/or the transmittal of infection or disease.
For more information, take a look at these other sites for teens:
www.teenwire.org - Planned Parenthood's teen sexual health site with information on young men's and women's bodies, how not to have sex if you don't want it, safer sex, and dealing with breaking up. It also gives referrals to local clinics.
www.itsyoursexlife.com - It's Your (Sex) Life, created by the Kaiser Family Foundation, was created for young people to learn about STDs, birth control, and other sexual health issues.
www.iwannaknow.org - A teen STD site by American Social Health Association, a non-profit dedicated to education and information on STDs.
Good luck!
-LIFEbeat
Contact with blood and HIV testing
Q: I was at a concert this weekend and became involved in an incident with another concert goer. The concert goer was crowd surfing, or moshing, and fell on his head. He blacked out, and everyone around him just continued to mosh around him (even stepping on him at times). My friends and I carried him out of the club and called for help. Later I realized that there was blood on my hands, and immediately went to the bathroom and washed my hands with soap and water. Now I'm afraid my good intentions might have put me in a predicament. How high are the risks of this kind of exposure, and is getting tested for HIV this week too soon for an accurate result?
A: LIFEbeat commends you for helping someone in need, and you can rest assured that unless your hands were chapped or have open cuts or sores, the blood on your hands did not put you at significant risk for HIV infection. However, if blood came into contact with your mouth, nose, or eyes, there is a greater risk of HIV transmittal. To put yourself at ease, you should get an HIV test.
How quickly a test can detect HIV detection depends on the type of HIV test. There are two main types of HIV tests: an antibody test or an RNA test. Most HIV tests are antibody tests that measure the antibodies your body makes against HIV. It can take some time for the immune system to produce enough antibodies for the antibody test to detect, and this time period can vary from person to person. This time period is commonly referred to as the "window period." Most people will develop detectable antibodies within 2 to 8 weeks (the average is 25 days).
In very rare cases, it can take up to six months to develop detectable antibodies. To be on the safe side, if the initial negative HIV test was conducted within the first 3 months after possible exposure, repeat testing should be considered more than 3 months after the exposure occurred to account for the possibility of a false-negative result.
Another type of test is an RNA test, which detects the HIV virus directly. The time between HIV infection and RNA detection is 9–11 days. These tests are more costly and used much less often than antibody tests, and are only available in some parts of the United States.
For more information about types of HIV tests, visit http://www.lifebeat.org/just_the_facts.htm#testtype.
For information on getting an HIV test, you can talk to your health care provider or you can find the location of the HIV testing site nearest to you by visiting the National HIV Testing Resources Web site at http://www.hivtest.org or call the CDC-INFO hotline 24 hours/day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636). Both of these resources are confidential.
Best of luck!
-LIFEbeat
HIV transmittal in nursing homes
Q: Is a person in a nursing home able to catch AIDS in any way at all? If so is there some web site I can go to, to get info?
A: Both patients and health care workers can potentially contract HIV in a nursing home. Besides the more common transmission methods like unprotected sex, there are potential hazards in a healthcare facility such as direct contact with cuts and broken skin or accidental needlesticks.
The best way to protect yourself from these hazards is to always use barrier protection (such as latex or polyurethane gloves), and to use care in the disposal of needles and other sharp instruments. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a website and can provide you with more detailed information regarding safety, specifically in nursing homes.
Links:
HIV hazards in nursing homes, from the OSHA website:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/bbp/bbp.html
How to prevent needlestick injuries, from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2000-135/
Thanks for your question!
-LIFEbeat
HIV Transmittal while taking medication
Q: Hello, I was wondering if the risk for HIV transmittal is lessened if a person is well controlled with medication. I realize the risk is still there and all precautions need to be taken.
A: HIV medication, usually in the form of antiretroviral therapy, acts to lower your “viral load” (the amount of the HIV virus in your body). However, treatment can never eliminate the virus completely, so even someone with a low viral load can transmit HIV.
Studies have shown that the lower your viral load, the less likely you are to transmit the virus to others. That being said, your viral load can change on a daily basis, so you can never be positive of the count at a specific time. Also, the tests that show your viral load only show the amount of the virus in your blood, which does not necessarily equal the amount of virus in your other bodily fluids like semen or vaginal fluid.
Studies have also shown that persons undergoing HIV medication can transmit a drug-resistant strain of the virus.
Bottom line: you should always use barrier protection when having sex or engaging in other activities that put you at risk.
I hope this helped! If you have any further questions regarding this issue or any other issues, please feel free to contact us again. Remember to respect yourself, protect yourself, and get tested.
-LIFEbeat
HIV Virus living on an object?
Q: My friend was stuck by a knife that had been in the evidence room for a year. How long can the aids virus live on an object like that? If the person who was stabbed by that knife had aids, could he still get it after it has been packed away for a year? Thanks
A: HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, does not live on surfaces for very long, most often only a matter of seconds. If the knife had gotten blood on it, but the blood had been dried for a year, there is absolutely no way that the virus could have been spread that way.
In general, though, it’s a good idea to get regular HIV tests. There are many places that you can get tested for free, if you visit www.hivtest.org you can type in your zip code and find out places to get tested. If your friend is worried that he contracted HIV, the only way you can find out is by getting an HIV test.
-LIFEbeat
The withdrawal method
Q: Instead of using condoms, my boyfriend and I use the withdrawal method (removing penis before ejaculation). How safe and effective is this method?
A: The withdrawal method is not a safe or effective method in preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy. There may be pre-ejaculate fluid (pre-cum) before withdrawal occurs. This fluid can contain HIV, and if the fluid contains sperm pregnancy is also possible. Also, some STIs can be transmitted without any seminal fluid. Condoms are an effective method in lowering your risk of contracting and STI or becoming pregnant. Free condoms are available through most state and county health departments as well as all LIFEbeat events and outreaches.
We hope this helps! Please feel free to e-mail with any further questions or concerns.
- LIFEbeat
