POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: bsouth on March 04, 2013, 12:08:53 pm
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I’ve been concerned because I have an immigration-required HIV test scheduled in two weeks from now because I got into medical school overseas and it is their requirement. I have this awful fear of testing positive because of choices I’ve made and could really use other opinions to either ease my mind or help me prepare myself in the meantime while I wait out this long week.
I am a 22 year old woman and have never have had sexual intercourse, but have been involved in a few oral activities:
Back in December, I gave head to a guy friend of mine who I have known for 4 years (his HIV status unknown). He didn’t cum in my mouth but I tasted pre-cum. Never had any concerns then.
However, I gave head to him again in January with the same result-I tasted a lot of pre-cum and he didn’t cum. In the month of January I was also involved with another woman (HIV status unknown) who I have been friends with this year. We both performed cunnilingus on each other and that was it. The part that scares me is that me and this gal were kissing and she claimed she had a sore on her lip from a gal who kissed her the night before very roughly. I had no sores on or in my mouth that I was aware of unless they were micro sized. This woman I was with is honest but I’m scared she caught something from her and didn’t know it. She has appeared healthy ever since.
Roughly one to two weeks following this activity in late January, I developed a swollen tonsil on my right side. It went away after about a day. Then it returned a week later and progressed each day to severe pain and further swelling. The left side was slightly swollen but nothing compared to the right.
I ended up going to the doctor after this swelling went on for about 5 days. I tested negative for strep throat and mono. The doctor and his assistant were both very baffled as to why I had no other symptoms going on other than this severely swollen tonsil lacking pus on it.
Though lacking a definitive diagnosis, the doctor put me on an 10 day antibiotic – Augmentin, with the possibility of it being tonsillitis.
My tonsil pain went away and the swelling went down after about two days on this antibiotic. Knock on wood, I have not had any other symptoms and it has not returned ever since. I kissed that same gal during this time and she never caught whatever I had going on with my throat.
Does this sound like I am at any sort of a risk given my activity and swollen tonsil in that amount of time? How about the time frame, given that I will be testing for HIV in two weeks?
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I would not think an HIV test is in order over this specific incident.
Of course, you should know that other, more robust STDs can (though it is rare) be transmitted this way. This is why I recommend every sexually active adult outside of a committed monogamous relationship have a full STD panel twice a year, including an HIV test.
But for the situation you described? No need to test.
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Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns. I will have to have the test regardless but you have helped put my mind at ease, though I will also appreciate any additional opinions or thoughts from others
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Hi South . I wouldn't worry much about you upcoming HIV test and if I were doing a straight forward risk assessment I wouldn't advise that you need to test at all for the activity's you mentioned .
There have been no fewer than three separate serodiscordant couples studies (where one person is HIV positive, the other negative.) These couples were tracked for three. five and ten years. The couples used condoms for penetrative vaginal and anal sex, but NO BARRIER at all for oral sex. Any kind of oral sex. These studies yielded NO infections.
Kissing isn't a risk and here is what you need to know about how to avoid HIV exposure .
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.