5 months later

[tamedwoman]

HI All, Just a question, I was with a man 5 months ago unproted sex,I then started to worry about hiv though i never had any syptoms until now. swollen   glands in the back of my neck , i k now you may get sick with in a few weeks of infection but is it possible to have any hiv syptoms 5 months later. Thanks alot yall

[RapidRod]

You don't get symptoms five months later. If you had unprotected sex, get test 13 weeks post your last unprotected sex.

[Ann]

tamed,

Symptoms, or even the LACK of symptoms, means nothing when it comes to hiv infection. ONLY the appropriate test at the appropriate time will reliably inform you of your hiv status. As this incident happened five months ago, you can test now for a conclusive result. As Rodney says, the window period is three months.

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 STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can make sure your fella is using them properly. While you're on either of those pages, have a look through the bottom three links in the left-hand column. They discuss ways that you, as a woman, can protect yourself. I recommend the female condom as they are also excellent barriers against hiv infection, and importantly, they give YOU the control over condom use.

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.

You have had a risk and you do need to test. Please test - hiv is nothing to guess about.

Ann

[tamedwoman]

Thank you so much Ann and Rod, I am just so damm scared to go and get tested not so much of being positive its work finding out through insurance that scares me, I am afraid i will be fired cux meds are so expensive,  you know how insurance companys are. My brother is hiv pos and had been for 10 years been off his meds for 7 years and doing great, he also a good insurance by being in the army so he never had that worry like i do. I just know i will be fired,

[RapidRod]

They won't make the mistake of letting you go if you had HIV. They would find another reason.

[Andy Velez]

Tamed, your fears are understandable.

But since you have had unprotected intercourse you and I both know you need to get tested. You're of course assuming that you're going to test positive. And you might. But if it was only a single incident with that guy the odds are in your favor against transmission having occured. Howevre, HIV status is never something to guess about.

Do the right thing for yourself. Feel scared and get tested anyway. Either way everything will get sorted out. No kidding.

Keep us posted and good luck with your result.

Cheers,