POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Kyle on March 06, 2013, 09:36:56 pm
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Hello, Ann!
First, i have to say that this forum and your help are amazing. Thank you!
Second, here is my question (and thank you very much for your answer): 37 hours ago i had a sex with a hiv + guy. I was topping but my condom broke. i noticed it in less than 1 minute. He was not on meds. There were no wounds or blood on my penis head but i am not circumcised. He also said that i was not at risk because i was topping...
I have been reading a lot in this forum since yesterday and accoding to other posts, i would not need PEP and my risk was VERY low...
i am sorry for repeating the same questions, but what do you think? I woke up today with stuffy nose and coughing... I am very scared. Sould i do PEP? In terms of effectiveness, is PEP good after 48 hours? The studies i have read said that the cut-off at 48 hours is the ideal one (studies from Brazil, San Francisco, France...)... However, as iīve already told you, the sex with the broken condom was very brief, letīs say, one minute. As it was an one time occurrence and there were no wounds... will i be infected? If this cough is a cold, could my imune system respond badly to the posible infection?
Thanks,
Kyle
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Kyle,
The window period for PEP is 72 hours, although the earlier, the better.
However, I wouldn't expect you to test positive over this brief incident, PEP or no PEP, so it's entirely up to you whether or not you pursue this course of action.
I've yet to see the insertive partner test positive over a condom break and I would not expect you to be the first, again, PEP or no PEP.
Saying that, you should test to make sure. The earliest you should test is at six weeks following the incident. The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days.
A six week or more negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change.
Taking PEP extends the window period by four weeks (that's how long PEP is taken). This means that the earliest you should test, if you take PEP, is at six weeks following your last dose of PEP.
But you really don't need PEP.
Please make sure you read through the condom and lube links in my signature line. A correctly used condom rarely breaks.
BTW, your head cold will have no bearing on any of this. It's just a coincidence.
Ann