POZ Community Forums

HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Stupidegg on October 10, 2013, 10:25:12 am

Title: Not sure if at risk (very worried)
Post by: Stupidegg on October 10, 2013, 10:25:12 am
Thank you for the time to read this I see you get constant messages so must be hard work.

I was on holiday in Thailand and whilst very drunk met a girl at a bar, she wasn't a sex worker but was a Thai local an I have heard there is a high HIV rate but I am very worried about the risk of HIV. We had unprotected vaginal and anal sex I was very drunk but do not remember any blood afterwards but it was in te shower so may have washed away. I did not ejaculate either.

I was wondering what the chances are of catching anything from a one of encounter with no blood seen and if there is any point me getting tested yet as it has only been one month and I am showing no symptoms (except sore throat but I smoke a lot so probably unrelated)

Any help or advice you could give would be much appreciate I am going out my mind with worry.

Thanks
Title: Re: Not sure if at risk (very worried)
Post by: Joe K on October 10, 2013, 10:35:53 am
You did have a risk and you should test at 6 weeks after your last possible exposure and 3 months after that test to confirm your results.  Nobody can determine your risk from one exposure and only testing can give you a definitive answer.

Joe
Title: Re: Not sure if at risk (very worried)
Post by: Andy Velez on October 10, 2013, 12:36:22 pm
Joe is spot on with what you need to do. If you get a negative at 6 weeks it augurs well for a conclusive negative result at 3 months.

There is also a big red flag in your story that you need to avoid for the future. Mixing excessive drinking with casual sex is dangerous and is something you need to stay aware about.

It is in your favor against transmission that HIV is harder to transmit from female to male than the other way around. But unprotected intercourse is definitely a risk. Hopefully you will scoot by safely this time. Good luck.
Title: Re: Not sure if at risk (very worried)
Post by: Stupidegg on October 15, 2013, 02:53:47 pm
Hi

I had a test the other week (just over four weeks from exposure) the doctor said if comes back negative on results (tomorrow) I should be 99% fine it would be very unlikley not to show seeing as I have had no symptons (except sore throat but expected as was chain smoking non stop for three weeks) is this incorrect as both of you have said six weeks?????

Thanks for your help I have never been so worried this site is a great help, I would love to know how at risk I am but obviously each individual case is different just so annoyed that I initially used a condom then when broke stupidly asked if she had HIV and in my drunken state decided as she looked in good health and wasnt a sex worker and took so long to pull her she was clean.....SO ANNOYING

Thanks for your help
Title: Re: Not sure if at risk (very worried)
Post by: Jeff G on October 15, 2013, 03:06:41 pm
The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. Most who are infected will test positive by 6 weeks. For various reasons a small number will take longer and that is why we follow the CDC recommendation to test at 3 months for a conclusive negative result.

It a very good sign that your test is negative but it must be confirmed at 3 months for a conclusive result . 
Title: Re: Not sure if at risk (very worried)
Post by: Stupidegg on October 16, 2013, 04:31:38 pm
RESULTS

So good and bad news for me as my results came back negative for HIV but positive for Chlamydia.

I had a chat with the doctor who was extremely helpful we discussed me taking the test again today as I got tested 5 weeks to the day from exposure but she said it would be pointless as if showing neg 5 week will also be 6 week she did mention in her career she had never so far (touch wood for me) seen someone who was negative at this stage from a blood test taken from the arm come back positive at the three months but could no guarantee this but it was reassuring to hear.

I was wondering if I could pick at all of your brains some more if possible, in your times monitoring the forum or in your personal life's have you seen or heard of anyone test negative at 6 weeks then later have a positive? (I will 100% be going to the 3 month test no matter what) and if you catch one STD during one sexual encounter does it make it more likely to also catch other STD's during the same encounter? Just a bit of curiousity I am a LOT more relaxed today even with some bad news and feeling more calm honestly I have been losing sleep since the initial risk.

I would like to thank all of you on this forum, from what I have seen you all do a fantastic job and from what I can gather the majority of you are HIV positive and I have the greatest respect for all of you listening to peoples (including mine) constant whining,questions and badgering whilst also putting up with some very ignorant comments about peoples "clean" status whilst dealing with HIV in your own life's. I am not in the USA so can not make a donation to this site (I believe please correct me if I am wrong) but when this is all over I will make a donation to the Terrence Higgins Trust a Brighton UK based HIV/AIDS charity with a thanks to the guys and girls on here.

Thank You
Title: Re: Not sure if at risk (very worried)
Post by: Jeff G on October 16, 2013, 05:20:03 pm
I agree with your doctor that your negative HIV test results are not likely to change . I haven't seen a 6 week negative result go on to be positive in 3 months .

Many Stds are much more easily transmitted than HIV , so if they are present they are easily acquired but even then every incident doesn't automatically result in an infection .

The responsible answer to your std question is to reply that the only way to know your sexual health status is to test for all stds at the appropriate time .