Scared I have had a risk

[maskedcoon]

I had sex with a CSW and during the sex I felt what was like the condom broke and also the sex felt a little better.  After withdrawing I glanced down and seen what appeared to be a intact condom so I just removed and flushed it.  I guess it was dark and it could have torn or tore on the sides or bottom where I did not inspect or could have missed the hole or tear due to low lighting.  So anyways starting around the 2 week period i have had almost all the ARS symptoms and a few still going on.  I read that you are to test at the 6 week mark and then confirm it at 12 weeks but I did not read that till around the 9th week so I tested with Oraquick oral swab test and got a negative.  I have been concerned and spoke to a nurse about what test i have taken and symptoms as she said symptoms are what someone may experience during a recent infection of HIV and but here she caught me off guard is she stated that the oral test should be positive escepically at 9 weeks if what I had was ARS beging at two weeks.  She stated most people should test positive within a week after symptoms if they were infected but that was with a blood test but she felt that oral should only be a couple days behind blood.  She also stated that the test I took was really conclusive and should not give it another thought.  I have read so much conflicting data and I asked her of her experience in HIV and she worked with a ID doctor a few years ago but she also stated it would be hard to get infected from short exposures but not impossible.  What do you think.....should I be concerned?  I know i screwed up and had sex outside my marriage and I am so afraid that I will infect my wife.  I just wanted to experience another person as I have on been with my wife and man how I wish I never had done it!!

[Joe K]

Protected sex is not a risk for infection.  An intact condom means no risk and you would have known if the condom had failed.  Condoms are designed so that when they fail, there is no doubt as they shred.  Condoms do not get tears or small holes, so your condom was intact and that is confirmed by your negative result at 9 weeks.

Most people will seroconvert within 22 days with some taking a little longer.  If you were poz, your test at 9 weeks would have been positive, but it was negative, as you never had a risk.  You may want to test for STDs, as some are much easier to contract than HIV.  You are reliably negative for HIV.

Joe

[maskedcoon]

Thank you for the reply.  Please excuse my ignorance but I must ask.....is there a way it broke and upon withdrawing it recovered my head?  I feeling changes and the pop was like something I heard so I just cant help to think it broke.  Plus with all these symptoms I am freaked out!  I dont really understand the differences in the test taken but I dont want to either as this is my last time doing anything stupid as this.  When will people start seeing positives on Oraquick?  All I can get people to say is 12/13 weeks it is conclusive.....just doesnt make sense to me as the test doesnt know what week it is?

[Joe K]

A failed condom looks like a hula skirt on your penis.  The ring at the bottom and the rest of the condom is shredded and it would be impossible for it to "recover" the head of your penis.  That's why an intact condom means it was protected sex and not a risk.

The reason we say that a 12 week result is conclusive is we know the average time it takes for someone to become positive.  We know most people will become positive within 4 weeks of infection, so the earliest we suggest testing is at 6 weeks, well past the time it takes to become infected.  A negative result at 6 weeks or 9 weeks, means you are NOT infected.

You have tested negative, 9 weeks after this incident, so you are reliably negative.  It is safe for you to move on, you are negative.

Joe