Do I still need to go for HIV screening if my STD screening test is non-reactive?

Dr Theng has given a wonderful answer. Oral sex is generally considered safe but there is a low risk of transmission if there are some open wounds which may not be obvious.

A regular HIV screening is recommended (minimum 12 monthly) but more frequently IF there are frequent sexual encounters

Thanks for the question. I assume your initial STD screen included an HIV test and was negative.

There is a window period for the HIV test of 1 to 3 months. So if the HIV screening was done within this period from the last high risk exposure encounter, then you may need to consider repeating the test.

In general, mutual masturbation (with hands) should be safe but oral sex does carry a low risk of transmission.

This is particularly if there are ulcers or cuts in the mouth or genitalia, bleeding gums and contact with blood and in individuals with a high HIV viral load.

In such situations, you should consider repeated screening for HIV.

Remember that prevention is always the key, so it is important to use condoms and have a monogamous relationship with a single partner to limit the risk.

HIV and STD screening should be tailored to the type of sexual activity. If you had a high-risk exposure, HIV screening is still recommended even though the STD screening was negative.

The chances of a person getting HIV via oral sex with a HIV positive partner is extremely low. The type of oral sex that may be the riskiest is mouth-to-penis oral sex, but with that in mind the risk is still very low and is much lower than with vaginal or anal sex.

There are also several factors that may increase your risk of getting HIV via oral sex, such as:

• Sores in the mouth or vagina or on the penis
• Bleeding gums
• oral contact with menstrual blood
• presence of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

There is no risk of HIV when it comes to mutual masturbation.