POZ Community Forums

HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 07:19:15 am

Title: trouble getting tested again
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 07:19:15 am
I made a stupid mistake and had sex with a prostitute. This girl seemed really smart so she made me feel comfortable. I received oral with the condom on and we had vaginal sex with the condom on until it broke. I did not notice it was broken until the end (which lasted maybe 5-8) minutes and could have broke anytime in between. She asked if I came inside of her and I said no because I pulled out at the point of orgasm. I asked her if she had any STD she said NO she worked at a hospital and she gets tested every 6 months. I don't trust her because of her lifestyle and I am very worried.

I visited 2 hospitals the same week to get more information (they were congested) I took 1 dosage of PEP and decided that my risk was somewhat low after talking to people at the hospital. However, I have loss appetite and even had a panic attack all in one week. I have vomited and have diarrhea I'm not sure if this is from my exposure or if I maybe caught the flu at the congested emergency waiting rooms... At how much risk am I? (by the way I will never sleep with a prostitute again)

Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: RapidRod on February 12, 2008, 08:29:25 am
Test at 3 months post exposure to be on the safe side.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 08:31:26 am
3 months is such a long time I am freaking out.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: RapidRod on February 12, 2008, 08:32:26 am
Sorry, that is when one can collect their conclusive negative result.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 08:36:55 am
What is the likelihood that I was infected?

How accurate would a test at 6 weeks be?
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: Andy Velez on February 12, 2008, 09:38:55 am
A few important facts that should be reassuring: HIV is fragile virus and not easy to transmit. It's significantly harder to accomplish from female to male. Given this was a single and brief incident during which you were protected for part of the time, the likelihood of transmission if the woman was HIV+ is very low.

The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. All but the very smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after an exposure to the virus. So a negative at 6 weeks points the way pretty securely to continuing to be negative again when you re-test at 13 weeks.

I expect you to come out of this ok.

Cheers,
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 09:56:34 am
Andy,

thanks for your reply do you have any statistics in heterosexual males becoming infected due to condom failure?
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: Ann on February 12, 2008, 12:02:00 pm
very,

I've been answering questions on this forum for six years now and 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.

Ann
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 12:55:27 pm
very,

I've been answering questions on this forum for six years now and 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.

Ann


Ann,

This makes me feel a lot better thank you. The woman I was with agreed to take an HIV test for my piece of mind she assured me she was negative, Should I even bother ?
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: Ann on February 12, 2008, 01:07:33 pm
very,

As a sexually active adult, you should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year - twice if you're very active. If you've ever had unprotected intercourse with ANYONE (it's not just sex workers who might be positive, you know) for all you know you could already be hiv  positive yourself.

Yes, you should test. If this is your only unprotected incident, then I fully expect you to test negative. The ONLY way to know is to test.

Ann
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 01:09:33 pm
Ann,

I tested a couple days after this incident and I was negative, I meant should I bother to go with this woman so she can get tested? She said she did not mind and I'm not forcing her in anyway.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: Ann on February 12, 2008, 01:16:55 pm
very,

Unless you're in a committed relationship with this woman, it's really not your place to take her for hiv testing. That's her business and responsibility, not yours. Your sexual health is your responsibility and hers is hers.

Make sure you read through all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can avoid breakages in future.

Ann
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on February 12, 2008, 01:19:10 pm
Thank you Ann

you have been of much help
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on March 08, 2008, 04:19:52 pm
Hi,

It has been 4 weeks since my incident and I am starting to worry again would testing now be pretty point-less?
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: Andy Velez on March 08, 2008, 07:14:04 pm
We've already told you when you need to get tested: 13 weeks after your incident.

Right now the best thing you can do for yourself is to get productively busy with other things in your life. That may seem impossible to you at this moment, but it's really not. Otherwise you're just going to continue working up a lot of useless drama in the remaining waiting time.

Ultimately we expect you to test negative. How much you torture yourself or not during the waiting time is strictly up to you. And no, there is no point to testing at 4 weeks. The negative result you are likely to get will not be definitive.   
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on March 08, 2008, 07:16:41 pm
We've already told you when you need to get tested: 13 weeks after your incident.

Right now the best thing you can do for yourself is to get productively busy with other things in your life. That may seem impossible to you at this moment, but it's really not. Otherwise you're just going to continue working up a lot of useless drama in the remaining waiting time.

Ultimately we expect you to test negative. How much you torture yourself or not during the waiting time is strictly up to you. And no, there is no point to testing at 4 weeks. The negative result you are likely to get will not be definitive.   


Thanks Andy I didn't think about it to much but as time gets closer it gets even harder.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on March 08, 2008, 10:52:39 pm
I can't believe what happen just after posting this comment. The girl in which I had the risky encounter with actually called me and told me she was worried about my status. She told me she tested afterwards and that she was negative. I told her the same but after talking she actually insisted that I go with her to get tested. Should we wait? This is really weird I did not expect to hear from her ever again.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on March 08, 2008, 11:08:52 pm
I miscalculated tomorrow will be 5 weeks.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: Ann on March 09, 2008, 05:01:44 am
very,

The earliest you should test is six weeks, as the vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by this time. However, six week negative result MUST be confirmed at the three month point.

This woman is probably concerned about your status because she was at far greater risk of infection than you were. As I've already told you, it's rare for the INSERTIVE partner to end up positive following a condom break.

You've already tested negative and I don't expect your result to change.

Ann
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on March 09, 2008, 11:30:01 am
I am so confused

First she calls me and says yes, I call her today to go and she backs down strong. I dont understand I am so confused..she is making me really worry know
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: Andy Velez on March 09, 2008, 01:22:26 pm
Get a grip on yourself and your feelings and leave the woman alone. You are the one who is responsible for your own health.

You need to focus on staying productively busy during the waiting period until you can test for a reliable result. And I want to remind you that we have repeatedly said that we expect you to test negative. Now, get busy with other things and the waiting time will pass more quickly and painlessly than you imagine is possible. Really.
Title: Re: very very scared help!
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on March 09, 2008, 01:24:02 pm
Andy,

she contacted me why would she play mind games like this I don't understand. Im just going to do my best to forget about it. Thanks
Title: trouble getting tested again
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on April 01, 2008, 10:49:47 am
After my exposure, I went to a local hospital and sat in emergency for 8 hours and eventually got an ELISA test

It has been 8 weeks since my exposure and I would like to have an elisa test done again but I dont want to sit in emegency for that long. I tried contacting the public health department but no one answers the phone just some automated message. A private clinic charges me $120 docs visit and $70 for orasure (saliva) exam.

I have called numerous places without any success. One place offered me a free orasure (saliva) but said I had to wait 2 weeks for results.

What is an easy way to get an ELISA fingerprick exam done?
Title: Re: trouble getting tested again
Post by: Ann on April 01, 2008, 10:55:29 am
very,

I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you've already tested negative over this incident once, you should not test again until the three month point. Your negative result is unlikely to change.

Engage in repetative posting over this low risk incident and you've be given a time out.

Ann
Title: Re: trouble getting tested again
Post by: veryveryscaredguy on April 01, 2008, 10:58:06 am
I tested negative at a baseline not over this incident
Title: Re: trouble getting tested again
Post by: Matty the Damned on April 01, 2008, 11:00:57 am
Well then get tested over "this incident". We look forward to hearing about your negative result.

MtD
Title: Re: trouble getting tested again
Post by: Ann on April 01, 2008, 11:01:55 am
very,

Regardless, you should just wait until the three month point as that is the only way to get a conclusive result. If you're having trouble testing, why go through it twice when once will suffice.

You are not at all likely to end up hiv positive following a condom break. Re-read your entire thread until it sinks in.

Ann