Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.



Answer provided by:

John Barrow, M.D.

Question: I know that people with AIDS often show spots on their skin. How are these spots, are they like a lump? How long after the infection occurs do these spots appear?

Answer: When AIDS first appeared, one of the common presenting illnesses was Kaposi's Sarcoma, a type of cancer. This disease is a growth of blood vessels, so they tend to be full of blood, giving them a red-brown color. They tend to be large, flat, and of irregular shapes. Over the last decade, the frequency of Kaposi's sarcoma has fallen dramatically, possibly having to do with the improvements in health due to HIV medications. It is not common anymore for AIDS/HIV disease to present with KS lesions. KS lesions usually occur some time after infection, probably years later.

Question: What are the chances of getting infected through a small cut on the finger with pre-seminal fluid? This happened to me before and I'm concerned, since I don't know if chances are big. And also I'm terrified about being tested and hearing a bad news.

Answer: Well, I don't know of any studies to give percentages on what your asking, but I would guess the odds are low. I have no reason from your note to suspect whether the test would be positive or negative, but when the question arises, you should be tested, if only to let you sleep better.

Hope this helps!



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Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

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