Is it possible to get HIV without penetration?
HIV transmission occurs when infected body fluids like blood semen and vaginal fluids from an infected person gain access to the blood stream of an uninfected individual. <br>
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti
Dear doctor,
I was having a romance with my boyfriend recently and he ejaculated on my thighs. We cleaned the area immediately and when I went for an HIV test the next day, it was negative. I am a virgin but now I fear I may have got infected with HIV because someone has just told me that my boyfriend lost a wife to HIV two years ago. Is it possible for one to be infected with HIV without penetration? What duration does it take for the machines to detect this virus in one’s blood after infection? Please help. I am so terrified!
Ed
HIV transmission occurs when infected body fluids like blood semen and vaginal fluids from an infected person gain access to the blood stream of an uninfected individual.
An intact skin and mucous membrane in areas like the mouth and vagina can act as a barrier to HIV entering your body and so these qualify to be referred to as part of the immune system.
So, it is possible for one to be infected with HIV without penetrative sex. If there was no cut or bruise in the area where the semen was spilled, you may be okay.
Usually, after infection, the antibody tests used in testing for HIV infection takes up to three months to become positive. So, you need to have the test repeated after three months from the incident.
Remember, it is not the virus we look for when we test for HIV infection using these antibody tests but the antibodies produced by the body against the virus that we try to detect.
These take some time to form, during a process known as sero-conversion. So, you need to have the test repeated after three months.
Lastly, it is important that you avoid behaviour such as romancing with someone whose HIV sero-status you do not know because often what starts as a low-risk exercise like kissing and fondling ends up in unplanned, unprotected sex with the risk of being infected with HIV or an unplanned pregnancy.
Romancing should be part of foreplay for adults who have agreed to have sex and are willing to handle the consequences.
Send your questions on HIV to Health Editor, The New Vision. P.O Box 9815Kampala or health@newvision.co.ug
Dear doctor,
I was having a romance with my boyfriend recently and he ejaculated on my thighs. We cleaned the area immediately and when I went for an HIV test the next day, it was negative. I am a virgin but now I fear I may have got infected with HIV because someone has just told me that my boyfriend lost a wife to HIV two years ago. Is it possible for one to be infected with HIV without penetration? What duration does it take for the machines to detect this virus in one’s blood after infection? Please help. I am so terrified!
Ed
HIV transmission occurs when infected body fluids like blood semen and vaginal fluids from an infected person gain access to the blood stream of an uninfected individual.
An intact skin and mucous membrane in areas like the mouth and vagina can act as a barrier to HIV entering your body and so these qualify to be referred to as part of the immune system.
So, it is possible for one to be infected with HIV without penetrative sex. If there was no cut or bruise in the area where the semen was spilled, you may be okay.
Usually, after infection, the antibody tests used in testing for HIV infection takes up to three months to become positive. So, you need to have the test repeated after three months from the incident.
Remember, it is not the virus we look for when we test for HIV infection using these antibody tests but the antibodies produced by the body against the virus that we try to detect.
These take some time to form, during a process known as sero-conversion. So, you need to have the test repeated after three months.
Lastly, it is important that you avoid behaviour such as romancing with someone whose HIV sero-status you do not know because often what starts as a low-risk exercise like kissing and fondling ends up in unplanned, unprotected sex with the risk of being infected with HIV or an unplanned pregnancy.
Romancing should be part of foreplay for adults who have agreed to have sex and are willing to handle the consequences.
Send your questions on HIV to Health Editor, The New Vision. P.O Box 9815Kampala or health@newvision.co.ug