POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Livefullest31 on September 07, 2013, 11:32:08 pm
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First of all I want thank everyone who contributes to this forum. Here is my situation:
Approximately 18 days ago I a received an erotic massage. Things got heated and I made a few massive mistakes that will likely change my life forever. I was laying on the massage table and she was on top of me kissing my neck. While this was happening she was moving her body back and forth and inserted my penis inside of her vagina a few times. I cannot say for sure how many penetrations there were. i had her stop, but if I had to estimate I would say there were between 6-10 thrusts.
After the session was over I noticed dried menstrual blood on my fingers. I did finger her and I had large open cuts on one of my fingers. (I have a terrible habit of biting and opening cuts on my fingers/nails). It was likely bleeding while the finger was inserted and made contact with the menstrual blood. I am well aware that fingering is only a 'theoretical' risk and there have been no documented cases of infection via this method. Therefore I believe this can dismissed, even with the blood on blood contact, correct?
After the incident I debating going to take PeP due to the unprotected vaginal sex. I was at legitimate risk but I STUPIDLY decided not to take PeP. This was the second massive mistake I made. After the incident was over I moved on. What ensued the following couple weeks has me absolutely terrified.
Approximately 8 days after the incident I came down with a fever. I didnt think anything of it at first. However the fever lasted for 8-9days!!! I had to take Advil keep the fever down on a daily basis. I also felt general fatigue and had headaches. The fever has finally subsided, but Ive now developed thrush in my mouth. I AM NOT making this up. I have thrush that began about 5-6 days ago and has gotten progressively worse. If I could post a picture I would.
The long 8-9 day fever is what terrifies me. I've never had a fever last that long in my life. The timetable in which it occurred leads me to believe that it absolutely has to be ARS. The thrush is also extremely worrisome, for obvious reasons.
I understand symptoms are generally not indicative of infection. In fact, Im sure many people come on these boards and greatly exaggerate or simply imagine symptoms that aren't present. However my symptoms are 100% real and not imagined. To completely ignore a 8-9 day fever and thrush after a legitimate exposure would be naive and irresponsible in my opinion. To say Im scared is an understatement.
If I am infected, it's from this incident. I was tested about 3 weeks prior to this exposure, and this is the only sexual encounter Ive had since. Im planning on getting tested on Monday morning. I already know what the results will be, but I have to move forward with my life as an HIV positive individual. I am just grateful that there have been so many advances in treatment over the last 20 years.
Does having intercourse during a woman's menstrual cycle increase the risk of exposure? I've heard differing opinions on this and I cannot find a definitive answer. Please give me advice on my situation. It's nearly 100% certain I am infected given everything that's happened, correct? Please advise.
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Its not 100 % certain you have HIV . Your symptoms are not specific to HIV and that's why we don't discuss them .
If you were not using a condom then you did have a risk and you can test as early as 6 weeks past the unprotected sex and again at 3 months to confirm the results .
Remember to get checked for all stds because they can be present and not show symptoms for a long while and are much easier to transmit HIV .
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Does having sex during a woman's menstrual cycle increase the risk of infection?
So essentially, you always 100% completely disregard all symptoms? That seems irresponsible and extreme. According to the CDC, my symptoms are absolutely ARS specific.
I know it's not 100% I have HIV, but given everything I have explained, its extremely likely. Correct?
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Does having sex during a woman's menstrual cycle increase the risk of infection?
So essentially, you always 100% completely disregard all symptoms? That seems irresponsible and extreme. According to the CDC, my symptoms are absolutely ARS specific.
I know it's not 100% I have HIV, but given everything I have explained, its extremely likely. Correct?
As ARS symptoms vary from zero to hospitalization, it is irresponsible in the extreme to use symptoms as a guide insofar as HIV diagnosis is concerned.
There ARE NO ARS SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS.
ARS is NOT a direct effect of HIV. It is the indirect effect of your body's immune system beginning to mount an initial defense against HIV. As such, the symptoms vary tremendously from one person to another, from one strain of HIV to another, from one immune system to another.
If you had unprotected penetrative vaginal sex, which it appears that you did, then you did indeed have a legitimate risk and need to test at six weeks, then at three months past your incident to confirm your status.
Please also understand that HIV is significantly more difficult to transmit from female to male, so that is in your favor.
Please test at the appropriate time, and do not plan on being HIV positive until or unless that situation develops. In which case you would be monitored roughly every three months and take a pill a day and never develop anything further than that. Because that is where HIV is today, for those with access to treatment and meds.
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Ill ask again. Does having sex during a woman's menstrual cycle increase the risk of infection?
In which case you would be monitored roughly every three months and take a pill a day and never develop anything further than that. Because that is where HIV is today, for those with access to treatment and meds.
Someone extremely close to me is HIV positive, and this statement is very irresponsible, almost disgusting.
HIV is MUCH MUCH more serious than just 'taking a pill a day and then never develop anything further'. Yes, Im well aware of the advances in treatment. But to downplay the virus is downright dangerous and really upsetting to many.
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Ill ask again. Does having sex during a woman's menstrual cycle increase the risk of infection?
Someone extremely close to me is HIV positive, and this statement is very irresponsible, almost disgusting.
HIV is MUCH MUCH more serious than just 'taking a pill a day and then never develop anything further'. Yes, Im well aware of the advances in treatment. But to downplay the virus is downright dangerous and really upsetting to many.
I have been HIV positive for over twenty years. What I said reflects the current state of treatment for the newly infected.
As was my assessment of your risk.
You throw the word "irresponsible" around an awful lot. I think we have different ideas of our respective responsibilities.
*modified to add: Of course I was referring to the medical state of the art, not the social climate and stigma which surrounds HIV, to which a heightened sense of alarmism regarding the unlikely event of one's positive diagnosis contributes, I think.
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Ill ask again. Does having sex during a woman's menstrual cycle increase the risk of infection?
Yes, depending on the viral load, menstrual blood can be a highly infectious fluid, a risk that is tempered with the very small area of vulnerability on a male (the glans/head of penis in uncircumsized men and the urethra).
I am not aware of a relevant study that determines the amount of increased risk that does not rely on patient report or simian extrapolation.
As was said earlier, you have had a risk and need to test.
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But to downplay the virus is downright dangerous and really upsetting to many.
In my over ten years giving risk assessment on this forum, I have yet to see any "downplaying" of HIV on the part of those who post questions here. What I provide are facts regarding HIV transmission, and when I can, assure people that even the "worst case scenario" is far from apocalyptic - depending, as I have said, on one's access to treatment.
It would be far less repsonsible to present HIV as something more than it is; a virus, not a label nor judgment.
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Im certainly not here to argue with you or anybody else. It was just my opinion that your comment was insensitive to the many people who deal with the virus on a daily basis. Not just medically speaking but also emotionally and socially. It wasn't my intention to come here and cause any sort of disagreement. I was just stating my opinion.
Im here to access my risk. Yes, I do think there is an extremely high chance I was infected based on the series of events that took place following my exposure. Im a very logical person and I know the symptoms I am experiencing correlate directly with infection.
Regarding my exposure, I am circumcised. I don't know how big of an impact that will have on the riskiness of the exposure with the menstrual blood.
Just to double check. The open wound (that was bleeding) I had on my finger that made direct contact with the menstrual blood was not a risk, correct?
I know that Im still far from the 3 month window period, but I will begin testing on Monday.
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Correct, the open "wound" on your finger is not a risk. HIV is a fragile virus and not easily passed. Your being circumcised reduces the level of risk to you.
But we're not going to guess about your HIV status. And as you have already been told more than once, neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms will ever tell you anything accurately about your HIV status.
The ONLY way to accurately know your HIV status is through testing for HIV. You can do that initially at 6 weeks. If the result is negative at that point then the likelihood is you will continue to test negative for a conclusive result at 3 months. (The average time to seroconversion is 22 days.)
While waiting to test you can do yourself a big favor by making a real attempt to focus on other matters in your life. Please don't reply by saying you're too worried to do that. That response won't fly here. Just do it. It will make the waiting time pass more easily than you may imagine is possible.
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Im definitely trying my best to focus on other matters in my life.
It's just extremely difficult when I still have a fever. And have had one now for going on close to 2 weeks straight! I thougt it had gone away but that was only for a brief time. Over the past few days its only been low grade (99.3-.99.8), but its a constant reminder that Im almost certainly seroconverting :(. For someone with a history of clinical depression, this is a difficult time.
I am beginning the testing process tomorrow.
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It's too early for a conclusive result. Hopefully you will get the negative result I expect and that will be somewhat reassuring.
Good luck.
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Hi Live . I removed your post from another members thread , please post all of your questions in this thread only .