Unsure of possible exposure.
I had an experience this past Saturday that I’m confused as to the extent in which I have been exposed. We engaged in oral, frotting, and kissing.
After we were done I noticed a very small blotch on his upper lip. This wasn’t there when we began. After he left I noticed this small red blotch on the tip of my nose. I immediately assumed it was blood based on the color.
At no point was this visible to me during our interaction. He says he is negative and on prep and testing again this week as part of the prep protocol. However, I can’t seem to shake the idea of exposure and I only have one day left of the 72 hour PEP window. To what extent is this exposure considered necessary for PEP?
Hi
. It is clear that this event has you concerned. I need to note that we are not medical professionals and, for your protection cannot provide medical advice or diagnostics. I do want to share with you this article on transmission risks: https://h-i-v.net/transmission-risks. You will notice that the risks for both oral sex and biting are quite low. These are, of course, averages and individual circumstances can vary. it sounds like you are familiar with PEP and PREP, but this article gives an overview: https://h-i-v.net/prophylaxis. Another question to ask is what, beyond statistics, would give you peace of mind. If doing PEP would help than you might want to go that route, but only you can make that decision. Hope this information helps and wishing you the best. Richard (Team Member) Thank you for your response and the related articles.
I know there are side effects that come with PEP and would not want to take it unless absolutely necessary (rather than peace of mind).
My question remains, with consideration to not being medical experts, is with the details provided, as well as the person who I engaged with stating that they are on prep, is there a likelihood of transmission that should require PEP?
Hi
, thanks for reaching out. Aside from the articles that Richard shared, we, for your safety, can not give medical advice. It really is a personal decision on whether or not the piece of mind from PEP is worth any potential side effects. As noted in the article (I'll share it again here), https://h-i-v.net/transmission-risks, the transmission risk for kissing and biting are low.
We aren't medical professionals, so your best bet, if you still have concerns or questions that aren't addressed by the information shared, is to reach out to your doctor. I know that I might not be giving you the piece of mind or answer you might hope for, but, only you can determine what course of action you feel most comfortable with.
Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
