POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: apprentice1 on January 22, 2013, 08:47:41 am
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Good morning. I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to reassure and inform the countless people that turn to this website afraid and seeking information.
Last night, I hosted a gay escort at my apartment. I don't know his status. Because I have been suffering from HIV anxiety, I refused to have penetrative sex with him (oral or anal) or even kiss him. I had him use a toy on himself, and then we engaged in frottage and mutual masturbation. I wouldn't be worried, except that we were both precumming, and we went back and forth between touching ourselves and one another. When he was touching my penis, he would rub the tip of the urethra quite vigorously, possible introducing his own secretions into the area. I wouldn't be worried about this, because I know the risk from mutual masturbation is essentially nil, but I'm worried I might already have an STD because my inguinal lymph nodes have been swollen the past couple weeks, and I know that existing STDs increase the risk of HIV transmission. I haven't had the nodes looked at yet by my PCP because I haven't had any obvious symptoms (as far as I know), except for an intermittent pain/discomfort in my groin and testicles. I was wondering what your assessment was on the situation. Is PEP warranted in this situation?
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apprentice,
No, you do not need PEP over this no risk situation.
Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse where the virus never leaves the confines of the two bodies.
Once outside the body, small changes in temperature, and pH and moisture levels all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to infect. This is why cum/precum that is outside the body does not pose a risk.
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.
ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST FOR HIV SPECIFICALLY OVER FROTTAGE OR MUTUAL MASTURBATION, 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
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Good morning,
On Monday morning (approximately 48 hours ago), I had sex with a gay escort (who doubles as a gay porn star) while I was visiting New York city. We engaged in protected anal intercourse, during which I was the receptive partner. I didn't feel the condom break, and I think I remember seeing him take it off whole, but I didn't have a chance to check it properly before he flushed it down the toilet. We also had unprotected oral sex, and I rimmed him. I should also mention that he didn't ejaculate into my mouth or into the condom. He ejaculated on himself after the fact. I know that protected anal sex doesn't pose a risk for HIV transmission. My main concern here is the unprotected receptive oral sex, because I had some small sores in my mouth at the time that look like surface abrasions. I've had these sores on and off for a couple months. (I've been tested multiple times, and they're not herpes.) They don't usually bleed, but you can sometimes see small specks of blood right on their surface. I also have receding gums. I wasn't so worried right afterward, but that night, my mind went into high gear, and the anxiety kicked in. I texted him the next morning, and he assured me that he is HIV negative, and that oral sex poses almost zero risk for transmission. I just wanted to turn to you to ask your advice. Is PEP warranted in this situation?
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Hi Apprentice , the receptive oral sex you described was not a risk for HIV and there is nothing in your post that warrants HIV testing and you most certainly do NOT need PEP.
The specks in or on your mouth are of no consequence in this situation so you can put your mind at ease because you didn't have a risk .
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Thank you for answering me so soon the last time. I was able to get in touch with my infectious disease doctor that day, and she agreed that PEP was not indicated, and that my behaviors were low risk. I was able to put my mind to rest for a little while, but then less than three days after the incident I got a really bad sore throat that has yet to go away. It's already been four days since it started. It gets worse at night. Aside from the sore throat, I have also developed a pretty severe dry cough. I haven't yet had a fever above 99.5, but my body temperature has been climbing to about 99.2 and then dropping to 98.6 or lower regularly throughout the day. I don't see a rash anywhere, and my lymph nodes don't feel any more swollen than they usually do, but I'm beginning to worry that I'm showing signs and symptoms of ARS. Can ARS present so soon after a potential exposure?
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You didn't have an exposure and the issues with your health have nothing to do with HIV . Its flu season and people get sick all the time so you must realize that you cant keep thinking every sniffle and cough is HIV . Put this behind you and know the facts about what is and isn't a risk for HIV , use condoms for vaginal and anal sex and you will never have to worry about a possible exposure in the future .