POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: sid1234 on March 26, 2013, 06:01:16 am
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Hello to all of u there,i am from india and i had unprotected sex with an woman who is not an sex worker but sleeps with people for money.Hence after that incident i had fever the same night and had some sensation in my penis some days later which was coming and going.(i thought it was not ars since i did not have any othr major symptoms and ars does not start the same night after exposure).many of my friends too had the fever and same problems as me.so i thought it was an common cold or flu.The fever and all other stuff ended and i was completely relieved by one month.
TO MENTION THIS WAS MY FIRST REAL SEXUAL ENCOUNTER!!!!any how i thought this might be a good time to test and so i tested. the tests i took after the exposure are
1.Hiv spot/rapid test- 7.3 weeks negative/non reactive
2.Hiv spot/rapid test-11.5 weeks negative/non reactive
I have had no problems with my health after that initial one month(except mentally i am very distressed and confused eventhough many people have said i am hiv negative and my tests prove it)
Dear friends CAN I MOVE ON????
I would love to have your reassurances which may make my life go back on a normal track!!!!and thanks in advance for your kindness and for your answers!!!!
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Sid,
Yes, you can move on. While the window period is officially twelve weeks, the few days short of twelve weeks when you tested isn't going to make a difference and here's why:
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.
As six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change. Your 11.5 week negative is NOT going to change.
You did the right thing when you tested, not because of symptoms, but because you had a risk. Neither symptoms nor even the lack of symptoms will ever tell you a single thing about your hiv status. ONLY testing at the appropriate time will.
You need to learn from this and stop having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. It's not only sex workers or women who accept money in return for sexual favours who may be hiv positive, it is ANYONE you have intercourse with. You need to keep this in mind and use condoms every time.
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 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
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Dear friend,
Thank you for your reply. but i need to ask you a question is it normal to think like me(i think like i am the unlucky one,i will be punished for my mistake with hiv,etc)and i am not able to get hiv out of my mind.will i be okay?do you reccomend me a visit to a psychiatrist?
and finally ann one last question
AM I HIV NEGATIVE?CAN I MOVE ON WITHOUT ANY HIV WORRY?TESTS ARE ENOUGH RITE? THANK YOU DEAR FRIEND!!!!!
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Sid,
Hiv is NOT a punishment. It's a virus that any human being can become infected with while having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. This includes pretty much every one on the planet - most adults have had unprotected intercourse at some point in their lives. If people weren't having unprotected intercourse, the human race would die out because there would be no babies being born.
Stop beating yourself up over one mistake. Just learn from that mistake and don't make the same mistake again. OK?
While you did have a risk, you were unlikely to become infected from this one incident.
Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is more difficult to transmit to the insertive partner (that's you) from the receptive partner (her).
You do not have hiv, but if it's going to continue to weigh on your mind, get one last test that is at twelve or thirteen weeks. While your negative result is NOT going to change, perhaps one more test at the "official" end of the window period will give you closure.
If you still cannot accept your negative status and believe you should be "punished" with hiv for having sex, then yes, please do seek counselling. We cannot help you with mental health issues here.
You ARE hiv negative. You do NOT have hiv!
Remember to always use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will remain hiv negative. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE!!!
Ann
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Thank you Ann, I Will believe in my results and move on if i cant then i will take anothr test and if i cant move on still i will go for a counselling.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND BEST WISHES TO YOU MY DEAR FRIEND!!!!
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Sid,
You're welcome. That's what we're here for.
Remember to always use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will remain hiv negative. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE!!!
Please make sure you read through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use them correctly and with confidence. A correctly used condom rarely breaks, so get reading!
Ann