OK people, this is driving me crazy - I am having difficulty to know whether this is a sensible worry or a paranoia. I will rephrase my original question and am hoping to receive more thoughts on this.

A close friend bites you on your cheek while giving you a goodbye kiss. It is an unintentionally hard bite because the guy is drunk. You can see teeth marks on your cheek - red sores like pimples that go away in exactly five days. You are not sure if the skin stayed intact, but you wipe the area with a napkin a few seconds after the bite and there is no blood. You go home and look closely at the bite in the mirror and the skin looks very flat where the teeth marks are.

Would you go get tested for this incidence?

I vote no.

Ask your friend if he has HIV.

Ask a doctor in real life if you still worry.

If you can't get past it, seek some kind of counseling or therapy.

I also vote no, don't get tested and don't worry. You are asking if it's a sensible worry or a paranoia and really it's a paranoia. If you don't believe so, think back to how this has worried you since it happened. So much so that you're back here asking again. Really, it's a non incident.

HIV isn't lurking in every corner just waiting to attack. It's not easy to catch. Even with full on positive exposure, it's pretty remote. Relax and move on.

Thanks a lot for the replies. I am feeling much better. You probably have realized that this incident has happened after two negative HIV tests, and I guess I am still living in fear of HIV and that I would not have minded this incident were it happened last year.

I also have a mild cough two weeks after the incident which got me all panicky. But I guess it is nothing. Geez, it is really incredible how HIV awareness gets into your life and you start thinking everything in terms of this stupid virus. How does one forget about it now?

Linderella.... not to start a riot or offend you, but how can you say hiv isn't easy to catch, even with full exposure? if thats the case why do so many people have it? why do they tell you to stay away from unprotected sex, not to use needles after people, not to get an infected persons blood on a wound? you are giving people false information and its not right. no you won't catch this disease by walking out your front door, but if you come in contact with an infected person, and sleep with, share a needle, or get any of their fluids (blood, secretion) in you or on a wound.... guess what, chances are you now share something in common.... that disease. it is not fair for you to com in here and mislead so many people. i am not an expert on this disease, but i have researched it, and i have spoken to over a dozen doctors and none of them share your opinion about this virus. it is VERY easy to catch if you come across someone with the disease and do one of the following to contact it: have sex, have oral sex, share needles, have anal sex, get blood or secretions on a wound, or in a membrane, (rare, but can happen with blood transfusions). please don't misinform these people. i have been reading alot of your post and you are giving them misleading information.

Sibelius,
Please don't stop worrying about 'catching' the virus, but DO stop obsessing about it. FatandDepressed is giving out the right info, and if you read...you only have risk when you exchange body fluids somehow. Also, if this helps...saliva has the smallest percentage of virus so, it is the least likely mode of infection. I have been exchanging kisses for 10 years with hiv+ family and am still negative. (In case anyone is wondering...I'm just here to give support) http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif I know it is scary to feel 'exposed' to it, but unless you're engaging in the high risk behaviors F&D outlined you are really at no risk. Keep asking questions....that's how we learn!! Good Luck

Thanks for your opinion ohmyachingback. But are you trying to say that I should not get tested at all for this incidence? Am I really obsessed with this thing?

FatandDepressed: This virus is indeed hard to catch. If it was easy, a much higher number of people would be infected in Western countries. But of course this fact is not enough to convince people like me that a very low risk encounter has no chance in resulting in infection. I know the facts, I can say that I am with 99.9% probability not infected, but still I cannot keep it out of my mind. It is just overwhelming.

Sibelius,
I would NEVER suggest you shouldn't get tested. I think it's very responsible of you to do so. However, from what you've described...I honestly don't feel it's very likely at all, you said it was 'red, but NOT bleeding'.....that's THE most important thing. If your bodily fluids did NOT mix, it is NOT possible for you to be infected in that instance. And again, saliva is the least likely transmission medium. I know it's scary and I feel for you....I just hate to see you constantly worry about it, that's all. I hope I didn't offend...it was certainly not my intent. Oh~ http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/bouncing.gif

[This message has been edited by ohmyachingback (edited 07-20-2002).]

sibelius, i was't saying its "easy" to catch as in walking outside and boom, you have it, i was saying its not as "hard" as i have read in some peoples post. yes there are some people with "full exposure" that are very lucky and don't get it, but there are ALOT who aren't so lucky. i have yet to talk to a doctor that agrees it is easier not to catch it than it is to catch it, if you are subjected to the virus. (by subjected i mean, fluid exchange, sharing needles with an infected person, having unprotected sex with an infected person) i know its not the easiest thing to catch, but its not the hardest either. that was my only point. just wanted to clear that up so it couldn't be misunderstood again. God bless!

[This message has been edited by FatAndDepressed (edited 07-27-2002).]