Am I at risk after this brief exposure?

[roseredrapunzel]

A little over three months ago, I was exposed to a man I didn't know very well. The encounter was brief. He rubbed his penis against my vagina without a condom and tried to enter me, but I was too dry (not very aroused) for him to achieve penetration. At this point, we stopped.

What is the chance that I could have acquired HIV from him? I have an appointment with my doctor to be tested next week, but I'm a little worried.

[jkinatl2]

A little over three months ago, I was exposed to a man I didn't know very well. The encounter was brief. He rubbed his penis against my vagina without a condom and tried to enter me, but I was too dry (not very aroused) for him to achieve penetration. At this point, we stopped.

What is the chance that I could have acquired HIV from him? I have an appointment with my doctor to be tested next week, but I'm a little worried.

What you seem to be describing is called frottage. It is NOT a risk for HIV.

[roseredrapunzel]

Thanks, jkinatl2. Would it make any difference if I thought there was pre-cum present? I worry if the presence of pre-cum would make it possible for HIV to infect me when he was trying to put his penis inside of me.

Again, thank you for your help.

[jkinatl2]

Thanks, jkinatl2. Would it make any difference if I thought there was pre-cum present? I worry if the presence of pre-cum would make it possible for HIV to infect me when he was trying to put his penis inside of me.

Again, thank you for your help.

Since HIV is so fragile, even if there was precum, any HIV would be rendered inactive when it hit the air. HIV needs careful and controlled circumstances in order to infect. Temperature, pH balance, lack of oxygen. You were absolutely not at risk.

*Modified to add:

You certainly did the right thing by insisting on condoms. Way to go!

[roseredrapunzel]

Thanks again, jkinatl2. This will be my final post on the topic (I don't want to waste anyone's time by being redundant), but I want to make sure that I understood you clearly. If there was any pre-cum on the tip of his penis, it would have been rendered inactive by the time he pressed it against my vagina and tried to enter me?

I'll still be getting tested at the three month mark, but I appreciate the information found here very much.

[jkinatl2]

Thanks again, jkinatl2. This will be my final post on the topic (I don't want to waste anyone's time by being redundant), but I want to make sure that I understood you clearly. If there was any pre-cum on the tip of his penis, it would have been rendered inactive by the time he pressed it against my vagina and tried to enter me?

I'll still be getting tested at the three month mark, but I appreciate the information found here very much.

Yes, you understood me perfectly. As a matter of fact, frottage is considered safer sex insofar as HIV is concerned. True, other pathogens are far more hardy, but HIV is one of the most fragile ones around (which is a good omen for the human race.)

As long as you insist on a condom for penetrative sex, you will avoid HIV.

And as Ann says, having a regular STD panel done twice a year is a really good idea for any sexually active person. Putting an HIV test in the mix will go far towards making it less of a high-pressure event.

[Ann]

Rose,

I agree with JK - no risk here. Provided you have never had unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with anyone of positive or unknown hiv status, then you're sure to test negative.

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. As a woman, you can make sure your fella is using them properly - or you could put it on for him. With a little bit of thought and imagination, you can make the act of putting a condom on part of your foreplay. Condoms can be made sexy if you put your mind to it. Good sex is 90% in the mind anyway.

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.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

[roseredrapunzel]

Thanks to both of you for your input. Currently, I am waiting on the results on my blood tests (14 weeks after possible exposure). The waiting period is a little difficult, so a few more questions have come to mind. I hope the staff here won't mind me expressing these concerns.

Although I was too dry for the man to push his penis inside of me, I worry a little that the contact with my vaginal opening was enough to transmit the virus if he produced more pre-cum during that time. He was pushing and grinding repeatedly, so I'm also a little worried that the pressure could have caused some microabrasions that could transmit the virus.

Also, when I asked the doctor who ordered the blood tests about the window period, he said that he would only consider a test conclusive if it took place between 4-4.5 months after exposure. Is this at all valid? I was originally led to believe that three months was considered conclusive for people with good immune systems.

Thanks to all the helpful people here on the forums. I really appreciate it during this stressful time.

[Matty the Damned]

Thanks to both of you for your input. Currently, I am waiting on the results on my blood tests (14 weeks after possible exposure). The waiting period is a little difficult, so a few more questions have come to mind. I hope the staff here won't mind me expressing these concerns.

Although I was too dry for the man to push his penis inside of me, I worry a little that the contact with my vaginal opening was enough to transmit the virus if he produced more pre-cum during that time. He was pushing and grinding repeatedly, so I'm also a little worried that the pressure could have caused some microabrasions that could transmit the virus.

Also, when I asked the doctor who ordered the blood tests about the window period, he said that he would only consider a test conclusive if it took place between 4-4.5 months after exposure. Is this at all valid? I was originally led to believe that three months was considered conclusive for people with good immune systems.

Thanks to all the helpful people here on the forums. I really appreciate it during this stressful time.

Rapunzel,

How is this stressful? You've been told you were not at risk and you don't need to be tested for this specific encounter.

Ann and JK have explained what's happening here.

You need to stop with the "what ifs" -- we don't put up with that crap here. Please take the time to read our Welcome Thread and read up on the posting guidelines for this forum.

MtD

[roseredrapunzel]

Alright, MTD. Paranoia crept up on me a little bit, but I'll try not to ask the same questions repeatedly.

About the HIV antibody test, though, I'm a little confused. I had a test done at nine weeks and four days post exposure, but I was told by my doctor that the test could not be considered very reliable at that point. I'm still waiting on the results of my 14 week test, but again, my doctor told me that an antibody test done at 14 weeks would not be conclusive. He said that he would only consider a 4-4.5 month test conclusive. Is this true? I'm a little scared that I'll have to wait another month for a conclusive result.

After reading through the posting guidelines, I hope that asking this question will be acceptable. Thanks to anyone who can help me with this information.

[Ann]

Rose,

For a start, you could have tested the day after this frottage incident and you would have had a conclusive negative result. You did not have a risk!

I don't know where your doctor gets this 4-4.5 month window period - it has never been 4-4.5 months. It used to be six months, but it has been THREE months for years now.

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 (or more) negative is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point - where there has actually been a risk. You did NOT have a risk!

You're not  going to need any further testing over this NO RISK incident after you get your pending second negative result.

Ann

[roseredrapunzel]

Thanks, Ann. My blood test results finally came back today - negative, as everyone predicted. Going by the information I've received here, I can take this result as conclusive even if I did have a risk, right?

[Ann]

Rose,

Yes, even if you did have a risk, your fourteen week result is conclusive. You do not have hiv!

Make sure you remain hiv negative by insisting your partner uses condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse. Please read the condom and lube links in my signature line so you will know if he's using them correctly. If he's not using them correctly, you can show him how - and you can make it fun.

Ann

[roseredrapunzel]

I don't want to keep questioning a no risk situation or a negative result, but I was wondering if my having HPV (the strain that causes genital warts) would interfere with the production of HIV antibodies. I couldn't find any information on this, so I'm hoping the staff here will be able to tell me if my negative results have been compromised by HPV. The last thing I want is to think that my 14-week negative will suddenly turn into a positive.

[RapidRod]

■Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result,  or no-risk situation will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.

[Ann]

Rose,

No, hpv will not cause you to not create hiv antibodies. It's actually a bit of a crazy idea and that's why you're coming up empty handed when you search for info on it.

The only people who might take a little longer to seroconvert and test positive are those people on chemotherapy for cancer, anti-rejection drugs following organ transplant, or those who have been injecting street drugs, every day for years. Even these people will normally test positive by three months.

You do NOT have hiv. End of story.

You know, the fact that you have hpv tells me that you probably aren't always insisting on condoms. It doesn't matter how well you know the guy, you need to use condoms with him until you're in a securely monogamous relationship where you've tested negative together. Wise up before you end up hiv positive.

Make sure your fella is always using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will continue to avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!!!

Ann