Need reassurance

[curiouslou]

Hi,

4 weeks ago I went to an adult theater and gave hand jobs to 2 or 3 men for no more than a few minutes each.  This was the only sexual contact and at no point was semen in contact with my hand.  However, pre-ejaculate did come in contact with my hand.

I realize this activity would normally be no risk but I am worried about some potential breaks in my skin that could have led to exposure.  I suffer from extremely dry hands which sometimes is bad enough to crack my skin.  Blisters also form when my hands are really dry.  At the time of this activity my hands were very dry, cracked and there were some small blisters.

Is this a potential path for HIV infection?  That is pre-ejaculate coming in direct contact with dry, cracked, blistered hands?

I honestly wasn't worried about it but yesterday, almost 4 weeks since the potential exposure I started to run a fever, felt light headed and weak.

What do you think, am I worried for nothing over this non-exposure?

[RapidRod]

You never had a risk of contracting HIV with masturbation, cut or no cuts.

[curiouslou]

That's what I thought. 

So I can attribute my sore throat, fever, light headedness, weakness and swollen/sore testicles 4 weeks since the activity as just pure coincidence?

[jkinatl2]

That's what I thought. 

So I can attribute my sore throat, fever, light headedness, weakness and swollen/sore testicles 4 weeks since the activity as just pure coincidence?

Most assuredly, HIV is not the cause.

[curiouslou]

I recently had 2 separate encounters with gay men of which I don't know their status.  I just received my test results from a HIV 1 DNA/Qualitative PCR & HIV 1/2 Antibody EIA and they were both negative.  The first encounter was 66 days before blood was drawn for the tests and the second was 39 days before. 

I am at really no risk based on what happened during these encounters.  There was mutual masturbation and oral with condoms.  The only theoretical chance of transmission could have been precum rubbed on my anus and urethra by his finger and his semen coming in contact with my penis when he ejaculated. 

I know that I have gone overboard with testing.  I also know that PCR is not supposed to be used for diagnosis and that I am within the window period for the antibody test.  However, do you think that considering my negligible risk and a negative pcr/dna test at 39 & 66 days past possible exposure is good enough for me to breath a sigh of relief and consider myself negative?

I assume the answer will be yes and retest just in case at the 3 month mark but don't expect a positive result. 

Out of curiosity would your answer change based on these test results if I had unprotected anal sex with a known HIV positive partner?

[Jeff G]

I merged your new thread into your older ones . Please return to this thread to ask all of your questions , its not necessary or permitted for you to start a diffrent thread every time you visit us . If you have trouble finding your thread select the show own post on your profile page and it will take you to your thread . Thanks .

I have read your concerns carefully and you never had a risk ... so there is no need to test over the incident you described .

If you insist on testing again for the no risk situation you will need to wait until 3 months has passed since the incident you are concerned about , at 3 months you can test again and you should expect a negative result based on the information you gave us .

If the person or people you had sex with were HIV positive I would give you the same advice and that is you simply did NOT have a risk and testing isn't necessary . 

[Jeff G]

Out of curiosity would your answer change based on these test results if I had unprotected anal sex with a known HIV positive partner?

The advice would be the same considering the test you have already had and that's to test again at 3 months post exposure for a conclusive result .

[Ann]

Lou,

The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks (42 days), with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days.

A six week negative is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point - when there has been a risk. You have NOT had a risk and you do NOT need further testing at this time.

You ARE hiv negative. You do NOT have hiv.

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.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED FURTHER HIV TESTING AT THIS TIME, 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