Paranoid, Anxious, What's the risk?

[tommy_rye]

Been reading a lot of threads on this subforum and did plenty of research on my own.
Had a few encounters with sex workers, only a few times unprotected oral, which I have researched to be negligent risk as well as all the mods on the forum asserting that it's no risk, so I'm not worried about that. However, I have HSV-2, but never really any significant breakouts. I have had a very small blister on the shaft of my penis, maybe 2 mm in diameter, and even so small it had like a miniature scab on it. I've always used condoms, and 90% of the time I made sure it was covered, however slightly over 6 weeks ago the condom wasn't fully over that part of my penis, and the girl was being really aggressive. I just feel like she seemed pretty risky. 3 weeks ago I had an extremely runny nose, swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Rashes as well, but I also have eczema, so I can't tell. Also recently I've had a stiff neck, and I feel like I have some slight meningitis symptoms, but that could be due to the stiff, cheap mattress I've been sleeping on. 4 days ago I had a unigold finger prick test, which was 6 weeks from that risky exposure. I'm thinking I have a pretty low risk, but with all the symptoms my mind is kind of going 50-50. Anyways, I have an HIV PCR test coming back within a couple days. I'm really worried.

[Jeff G]

Hi Tommy , you didn't have a risk in the situation you described . The secretions a woman makes when excited isn't infectious for HIV and the rest of your penis was covered . I am concerned you may have in infected her with herpes though .

If this was your only risk 3 months past your 6 weeks test then you are conclusively HIV negative .

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]

Tommy,

If you're having a herpes outbreak that a condom won't reliably cover, then you should wait to have intercourse until it's completely healed. While it will only really increase your risk for hiv if the outbreak is at the open blister stage, you will be transmitting your herpes to the other person.

You can transmit your herpes when the outbreak is first coming on, while the blister is intact, while the blister is open and also when the blister is starting to heal and scab over.

You need to stop putting others at risk for herpes. You should abstain from sex when you have an outbreak. Herpes is VERY easily transmitted, UNlike hiv. It only takes skin-to-skin contact in order to transmit herpes. Keep your herpes to yourself!

You might want to talk to your doctor about acyclovir - it's an inexpensive (available as a generic) drug that you can either take when you feel an outbreak coming on, or you can take it daily (it's called a prophylactic when taken daily) to avoid outbreaks completely.

If you take it when you feel an outbreak coming on, it will often stop it in its tracks, or it will at least make it heal and go away much more quickly. Taking acyclovir as a prophylactic would mean that you'd be much, much less likely to transmit your herpes to others.

Giving a woman genital herpes is a serious thing - it can have dire consequences for her future children. It can cause blindness in the baby, for a start. PLEASE start being more responsible and KEEP YOUR HERPES TO YOURSELF!!!


Your six week negative is highly unlikely to change when you confirm at the three month point. You absolutely did NOT need that expensive PCR test - what a waste of money and resources.

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. A six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change.

Unless your herpes was in the open blister stage when it wasn't covered during intercourse, then you did NOT have a risk to begin with.

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.

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