Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 03:50:40 pm

Login with username, password and session length


Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772946
  • Total Topics: 66310
  • Online Today: 424
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 0
Guests: 374
Total: 374

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Welcome to Do I Have HIV?

Welcome to the "Do I Have HIV?" POZ forum.

This special section of the POZ forum is for individuals who have concerns about whether or not they are HIV positive. Individuals are permitted to post up to three questions or responses in this forum.

Ongoing participation in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum (posting more than three questions or responses) requires a paid subscription, with secure payments made via PayPal.

A seven-day subscription is $9.99, a 30-day subscription is $14.99 and a 90-day subscription is $24.99.

Anyone who needs to post more than three messages in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum -- including past, present and future POZ Forums members -- will need to subscribe, with secure payments made via PayPal.

There is no charge to read threads in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum, nor will there be a charge for participating in any of the other POZ forums. In addition, the POZ Basics "HIV Transmission and Risks" and "HIV Testing" basics, will remain accessible to all.

NOTE: HIV testing questions will still need to be posted in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum; attempts to post HIV symptoms or testing questions in any other forums will be considered violations of our rules of membership and subject to time-outs and permanent bans.

To learn how to upgrade your Forums account to participate beyond three posts in the "Do I Have HIV?" Forum, please click here.

Thank you for your understanding and future support of the best online support service for people living with, affected by and at risk for HIV.

Author Topic: Could it be HIV  (Read 4590 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline kimberizi

  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
Could it be HIV
« on: September 26, 2006, 11:00:32 pm »
HI,

I recently returned from a trip to Thailand where I ran a marathon.  I also participated in some of the naughty nightlife in Bangkok.  One woman I met I guess she was a hooker, well we were both drunk and whether incorrectly applied or not the condom fell off.  I ejaculated inside her after about 5 minutes.  I am very concerned and when I returned home I got checked out right away.  I was tested for everything including HIV which came back negative. It was only 2 weeks after the exposure so it really didn't count for much.  At about 3 weeks I began to experience some symptoms;
Sore throat, muscle fatigue, and I developed a reactivation of some old insect bites that I had gotten a few years ago from a trip to Cuba.  These were on the inner aspect of my thigh, which I thought was quite strange.  I then developed a strange small skin blotch if you will on my calf which is still there.  The other symptoms abated after about 2 weeks.  O and I had enlarged inguinal lymph nodes.  I did some reading about HIV and freaked out and sort of played that losing mind game with myself that you describe repeatedly in these forums. 

Anyway its now been 8 weeks since exposure and I think I will get tested again.  Is this a good idea and I recognize that I will also need to get tested again at 12 weeks.  What are my chances of being HIV positive.  The thought is preoccupying my mind on a daily basis.  I have certainly learned a valuable lesson about condom use, and by the way if anyone from the west travels to Thailand make sure you bring western purchased condoms with you.  The condoms that they sell in Thailand are way too small for the average individual.   

By the way I washed my genital area with soap and water immediately following the exposure including the foreskin and urethral meatus.   couldn't see any tears but who knows.  Thanks in advance I will check back to see if there is any response.  I just hope I haven't seroconverted
« Last Edit: September 26, 2006, 11:03:52 pm by kimberizi »

Offline RapidRod

  • Member
  • Posts: 15,288
Re: Could it be HIV
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2006, 11:15:49 pm »
First you need to know excessive drinking and sex don't mix. Symptoms or lack of symptoms is no way of diagnosing HIV. HIV has no specific symptoms. You did have a risk, but it is harder for a man to become infected from a woman. You will need to test at 13 weeks past you last unprotected sex.

Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Could it be HIV
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2006, 06:38:14 am »
Kim

Hiv is a fragile, difficult virus to transmit and more so from a woman to a man. While your chances of testing negative are good, you have had a risk and you do need to test.

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. If you test negative at eight weeks, it will be an excellent indication of your true hiv status, but must be confirmed at the three month point.

While you tested at a good time for the other STIs, you need to know that syphilis shares a three month window with hiv and you would be wise to test again for syphilis as well.

Don't obsess over any symptoms, because symptoms or the lack of symptoms mean nothing when it comes to hiv infection. Only the tests will reliably reveal your hiv status. Get tested and feel free to let us know what your results are.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline kimberizi

  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
Re: Could it be HIV
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2006, 10:39:01 pm »
Ann,

Thanks for your response it did provide me with some comfort.  I did get a 60 day check for both HIV and Syphillis as per your suggestion.  It came back negative for both, so now I stil have the 90 day test to come.  I feel good about it and Im optimistic that I will end up in the clear.  This entire xperience has impacted my sexual behavious in a major way. 

Warmest regards,


Kimber

Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Could it be HIV
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2006, 05:19:23 am »
Kim,

I'm optimistic too. Your 60 day negative is unlikely to change.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline Andy Velez

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 34,126
Re: Could it be HIV
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2006, 08:24:41 am »
I agree with Ann and I expect you will continue to test negative.

But you do need to learn from this experience. As long as you always use a condom for intercourse you can have all the sex you want with as many partners as you like and you will still be ok as far as HIV is concerned. Latex condoms provide very effective protection.

Also, keep in mind there are other STDs out there which are actually much easier to acquire than HIV. So if you are sexually active it's a good idea to regularly do a full STD panel -- at least annually and every six months is even better.

This time out I expect you will come out of this ok as far as HIV is concerned.

Cheers,
Andy Velez

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.