stupid me!!

[dia]

Hi, first i must thank you guys for having a great website with soooo much information! It's very helpful and has provided me with great information and now would like to post my question.

In october last year i got really STUPID and had sex with a female that i have known for a while but it was one of those drunk nights!! Very stupid I know... and we did not use protection! God forgive me for both mistakes I have done..
Around 11 weeks later I went for a test as I heard that one of her boyfriend had tested HIV+ and my results came back NEGATIVE. I am shit scared as a few weeks after that I have been sleeping with my girlfriend and I had no clue about all this... I must also say that I live in a islamic country where this kind of knowledge is very little. I hear many people being infected but i never thought that one day it could be people around me or in my town.

I am having sleepless nights as most sites I have been reading say that you should test 3 months after possible exposure!!! I am not feeling sick but SCARED is giving me fever.

I know that she does not know about her ex being infected... thought of telling her but i dont think it is my business as we live in a small town.

thx

[Matty the Damned]

Dia,

Your 11 week test result is all but conclusive. Technically you should've been tested at 13 weeks to confirm, but in reality you'll be ok if you decide to leave it.

From now on you should be using latex condoms and water based lube whenever you have anal or vaginal sex -- no exceptions. As you've learned HIV can be closer than you might think and whilst it's difficult to transmit (especially from female to male) it's not something you want to risk.

You might also want to have yourself tested for other STD's like chlamydia and gonorrhoea if you haven't already.

I know that she does not know about her ex being infected... thought of telling her but i dont think it is my business as we live in a small town.

In my view, this is probably the wisest decision. It's your friend's job to look after her own health.

MtD

[Andy Velez]

A big red flag in what you've reported is that you were drinking excessively when you had casual sex. Mixing those two elements is very dangerous. So you need to stay awake to not drinking excessively and then having intercourse. Too many I have known to become infected when they couldn't negotiate safer sex because they were drunk or drugged out.

The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. All but the smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after an exposure to the virus. It's also significantly more difficult to transmit HIV from female to male. Given yours was a single incident and you've tested negative at 11 weeks, I certainly expect you will continue to test negative at 13 weeks.

Just remember the warning for the future and keep your condoms handy. Use one everytime you have intercourse. No exceptions.

[dia]

Thank you sooooo much guys! I feel much better. I know i really screwed up and i am not only going to keep this in mind that i need to be careful but i have also joined a local hiv/aids group that i want to help spread the word. Informations is sooo limited here and people ignore it completely and some sheikhs in the mosque are aganst sex education in schools.

Andy, what is the meaning of seroconversion and how does it work?

Is there a percantage in people that test positive after 3/6  months even though they were negative a month earlier?

I am wondering all that....still!! I am travelling outside the country in a two weeks and i will have the test again!!!

[Andy Velez]

Seroconversion is when your body develops detectable antibodies to HIV in the blood as a result of infection. The average time to seroconversion is 22 days after an exposure. All but the smallest number of those who will seroconvert do so with 4-6 weeks after an exposure. When antibodies appear in the blood a person will test positive.

A very, very small number of people may take up to 6 months to seroconvert. IV drug users and those being treated for cancer or someone with a severely collapsed immune system may take that longer time. A severely impaired immune system is not a subtle event. Everything is pretty much collapsing at that point. Anyone who's going to test positive will do so by 6 months.

[dia]

Hi Andy,
I have a few more questions..
Since i tasted negative at 11 weeks and was feeling fine but a few days ago I started a toothache which would probably need a root canal surgery.. This toth was a problem before and then it stopped paining and now itstarted again!! It is giving me soar throat as well as a fever!! Should i be worrid that this might have something to do more with my stupid sexual act that I had... it's really freaking me out!! I read online that soar throat could be be a sign of seroconversion.
I am also feeling tiered mentally from all the thoughts going through my mind...

[RapidRod]

No, a toothache has nothing to do with HIV.

[dia]

Thanks.. but how about the fever and soar throat? I am worried if I keep asking questions I might get myself more worried!

[Andy Velez]

Your re-testing at 13 weeks is only a formality. Having tested negative at 11 weeks over a very low level risk makes a negative at 13 weeks a slam dunk.

If you are going to get worked up over every single physical thing that occurs to you, you will drive yourself nutz for sure. We can't help you with that. So if you persist with that syndrome then I suggest getting some professional help with a counselor or therapist.

And if you have physical concerns you need to consult your doctor. They have nothing to do with HIV.

[dia]

thanks Andy.
You are god man and I thank you for the good work you are doing into his society.

See, I had to get myself workedout.... I never get sick (thanks to God) but today i woke up with a fever, toothache, tiered and soar throat!!!
You say that "Having tested negative at 11 weeks over a very low level risk makes a negative at 13 weeks a slam dunk.".... I know i tastd negative but.... HOW IS THAT A SLAM DUNK? I would just like to understand more about it not that i mean to question you!!
I am going to be around here for a long time and not on this thread.... If all is as good as it looks!!! Inshalah.

[dia]

Hi Guys.. I need some advice from you guys!
After my 10 week test I never checked again at 13 weeks but two weeks ago I had a full medical check up where they did not leave anything.. except HIV. But they did check me for any STD's. Everything was good and in one place it even read that my red blood cells and white blood cells were "Normal". Now 3 days ago I developed rashes on my both of my arms and my legs. Shoul I take this as an alarm and start worrying? Very confused and recently even a pimple scares me!

[RapidRod]

If you are asking if you RBC or WBC or CBC would tell you if you have HIV the answer is NO. Only the specific HIV test will tell you.

[Andy Velez]

No, as you have been told before symptoms mean nothing at all about HIV status. Having tested negative at 11 weeks you are virtually home free. Just to be technical about it, re-test and collect what I expect will be another negative result. I also urge you to do that simply for peace of mind since obviously getting a rash or other so-called symptoms has stirred up your anxiety again. So why not just re-test, get it over with, collect a negative result and finally put an end to worrying is how I see it.