POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: worriedsgguy on November 29, 2006, 06:55:41 am
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Dear All. I am from Singapore, a male age 27. Last saturaday - 25/11/2006, i made the most silly mistake of my life and visited a prositute for the first time. I am a virgin prior to that.
The lady is a street walker and we started with protected sex. A few times during sex, my penis came out from her virginal and i pushed it back in. After a while, she told me the condom broke. I withdrew and true enough, the condom broke. She then use a new condom over me and we continued. The whole sex lasted about 10 minute. I think the duration of the condom being broken and i am exposed unprotected inside her was about less than a minute - but i could not be sure. I think she was quite dry in her virginal as my penis seems dry when i withdrew.
Today is the 4th day and i am worried sick that i could contract HIV or STD. I called a AIDs helpline and was told that i can only go for my first blood test 1 month after exposure. I could not do anything striaght and in my mind, i kept thinking i am infected and am dirty. Can anyone advise on my risk?
I read in the internet that condom broke issues are low risk but i could not be assured.
I swore to GOD that i will never touch another girl again other than my wife - If i am lucky enough to escape this time and get married.
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Your risk is lower than not using a condom at all. To calm your worries, test at 12/13 weeks post possible exposure. You should also have an STD panel done also. Just because she is a sw doesn't mean she is hiv positive. Trasmitting hiv from female to male is harder than male to male.
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Worried, how about taking a couple of good deep and slow breaths in and out, right now? I mean it. You'll find it relieves tension and whenever you're getting tense over this incident or anything, remember to do the breathing again.
OK, now that you're breathing, let's get to your incident.
It's very good that you wore a condom. They provide excellent protection. The fact that it broke is of some concern, but until it broke the condom protected you. You do need to get tested in relation to this incident, just as a precaution. The CDC recommends doing a final test at 13 weeks for a conclusive result. Given that all but the smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after an exposure to the virus, you can if you are very anxious for an answer test at 6 weeks. A negative at that point pretty much insures you will continue to test negative.
Further, you need to know that HIV is not an easy virus to transmit. It's significantly harder to accomplish from female to male. So in a single, brief incident such as you have described in which for a part of the time you had a condom on, the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that you will test negative.
Make sure in the future that you are wearing latex condoms which fit you comfortably. Always use a water-based lube. That will help to avoid having condoms tear and be more comfortable for both you and your partner. By the way, it doesn't matter if you are with a professional or a civilian in the future. Condoms do the job effectively no matter whom you are with. Right now you are thinking you aren't going to have sex again before marriage. That may change so just be sure you're always wearing a condom for intercourse.
Also, as you are becoming sexually active, it's a good idea to regularly have a full STD panel done at least annually. There are other STDs out there and some are easier to get than HIV, including by skin-to-skin contact.
By the way, you used the term "dirty" in reference to how you felt. Terms like "clean" and "dirty" have no place here. Give yourself a break. We're just talking sex and STDs.
This time out I expect you to come through this ok.
Cheers,
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Dear Friends,
Thanks for the wonderful re-assuring replies that you gave. Although I am still worried and this issue kept popping into my head, I know that it does no good to me. I am planning to have a test at the 4th week, 8th week and 13th week. It is a long wait i would say.
Another question, I have tight foreskin, meaning the foreskin could not be pulled back fully to expose the whole penis head. I remember when i withdrew from her, only half of the penis head is exposed. Will that put me in lower of higher risk? Someone told me tight foreskin could have splitted and bleed during sex but apparently that did not happen after the condom broke. Also, what are the chances i will be infected with STDs other than HIV?
Thanks folks.