Broken condom

[lafort]

I had an episode with a CSW 5 and a half months ago, where the condom broke. She said she had been tested negativ 3 months ago, so I did,nt worry to much about it, although there was a small scratch to seen under the penis head. Apart from a slight sore throat, I felt nothing that could ressemble ARS symptoms (and since the sore throat lasted 3 monts, it could not have been ARS related).

But two weeks ago, I developed athletes foot for the first time in my life (I am 45). And even though I went to a public shower area 2 weeks prior to that, I started to worry if the athletes foot could be an early marker of HIV.

Have you ever heard of athletes foot be a sign of HIV in a person just 5 months after infection?
 

[Ann]

lafort,

Athlete's foot has nothing to do with hiv - and public showers are great places to pick AF up, even if you've never had it before.

Neither symptoms nor the lack of symptoms will ever tell you a single thing about your hiv status. Only testing at the appropriate time will.

You did have a risk and you do need to test, although the risk level is very much on the low end of the scale. However, your hiv status is not something to guess about and you cannot know your own hiv status going by what someone else tells you about theirs.

You can test now for a conclusive negative result. Just go do it.

Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together.

To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

[lafort]

Thank you for your quick reply.

I will get tested next week

You say that the risk is very much at the low level of the scale. On a scale from 1 to 100 (with one being the low) how would you rate the risk? After all a broken condom equals unprotected sex, and is was with a CSW, so I am a little scared that the test might turn out positive - even though she stated that she had been tested 3 months ago

[Ann]

lafort,

We don't do the "on a scale of..." pseudoscience here.

I will, however, tell you that I've yet to see the insertive partner end up hiv positive following a condom break. I don't expect you to be the first, but you must test to make sure.

You need to understand that unprotected intercourse is a risk regardless of who you are with. Not one of the positive women I know are sex workers. We're all people who could be - and might well be - living right next door to you. Positive people come from all walks of life and live in every neighbourhood. We're everywhere. Get used to it and protect yourself with condoms.

Ann

[lafort]

Finally I got my act together and tested - negative.

I had
Sore throat for 4 month
Burning lips
Excema
Athletes foot
Dry cough
Tingling in legs
Jock itsch

during the 6 months I thought I was infected.

So I will be leaving you guys for the time being, and (no offence) I hope not to be back. In a funny way I`m kind of sad about this, because I grew to like you very much, and I am VERY appreciativ of the fantastic work you do

[Andy Velez]

Good. That's certainly happy if not unexpected news.

Now, on with your life!