138 Sexual History, Is it Important?

Oral candidiasis (OC) is the most common opportunistic infection seen in patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and remains the second AIDS-defining illness in Europe, as it has previously been reported in 11-51% of cases. We present a case of a 70-year-old male who attended the Oral and maxillofacial surgery department with refractory OC and was later diagnosed with HIV after multiple visits to various departments in hospital. Sadly, the patient declined medically and died of multi-organ failure one month following this diagnosis. On reflection, it was found that the patient suffered from the medical conditions and opportunistic infections which can be associated with HIV, but as no sexual history was ascertained this diagnosis was missed. It is prudent that we, as clinicians, take a step back and look at each patient as a whole, in order to ensure complete and holistic care. We argue that sexual history is sometimes vital in achieving a complete history of a patients’ condition, especially in cases of refractory OC where it can be a key piece in the diagnostic puzzle.