Site of initial infection:
- Mouth
- Genital Area
- Anus
- Rectum
Symptoms: Often there are no initial symptoms; however, after first being infected some people experience flu-like symptoms. HIV damages the body by destroying specific blood cells that help the body fight disease. HIV infection can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Treatment: There is no cure for HIV or AIDS, although anti-HIV medications can slow the progression of HIV infection and can help keep an HIV infected person healthy.
Note: Certain things have been suggested to increase a person’s chances of getting HIV during oral sex, if exposed to an infected partner, such as having poor oral health, having bleeding gums or gum disease, having sores in the mouth or on the genitals, or being exposed to the “pre-cum” or “cum” (also known as pre-ejaculate or ejaculate) of an infected partner. However, no scientific studies have been done to show whether or not these factors actually do increase the risk of getting HIV or STI from oral sex.