When a person suffers from HIV, there would be a lot of stigmas that can surround the condition. This can greatly affect the person suffering from the disease. Many people do not understand what having HIV entails, and there are many misconceptions and wrong notions about HIV. Many people ask “Can I get HIV from kissing?” This article will focus on how kissing, dental surgery, and other activities can affect the transmission of HIV.
How is HIV transmitted?
There are many ways in which HIV can be transmitted. They can be transferred to another person by having sexual relations with that person, or by the use of an infected syringe or needle. It is also possible to get HIV from dental surgery if the needles and other equipment were not cleaned properly after dental surgery was done to a person with HIV. Because it is not only transmitted sexually, many people suffer from HIV that are living their lives unaware that they have already contracted the disease.
Can it be transmitted through kissing?
From what is known about the disease, it would not be transmittable just by the mere kissing of a couple. If one of the people has HIV, just merely kissing, our touching lips would not be enough to transfer the disease to the uninfected person.
A person who does not have HIV will need to drink 2 gallons of saliva from the infected person to contract the disease. However, since HIV patients are more prone to mouth diseases, they might be at risk for bleeding gums and this may transfer the disease to another person through kissing. Although rare, patients who have HIV and have canker sores, bleeding gums and other types of oral diseases may risk transferring the disease to a person through the act of open mouth or French Kissing.
Prevention techniques
If you suffer from HIV, and you are afraid of putting your partner at risk, avoid open-mouth kissing while you have bleeding gums and mouth sores. You can love with the disease and you will not need to live your life missing out on these things for long.
To prevent any gum diseases or mouth sores from developing, you should go for regular visits to your dentist. They can be able to tell you how to prevent gum diseases. You might think that you are practicing good oral habits, but you might be doing something wrong. You might be brushing too hard, thus causing the canker sores and bleeding gums. Your dentist can tell you if you and what you are doing wrong. Remember that prevention I always better than cure.
In a nutshell, if you can have a healthy mouth, you would not need to fear that kissing would transmit the disease to your partner. If you take the necessary precautions, you will be able to successfully avoid infecting your partner with HIV. Although there would be a slight danger to getting HIV from kissing, the risk would be lower than of transmitting it through sexual activities. You can still live your life normally, even if you have HIV. Consult your doctor regularly and make sure you practice good oral habits so you can make the most out of life.
