had exposure, have symptoms, will testing be conclusive?

[terrifried]

I've been reading forums and i have to say, you guys have the patients of saints!

Basically, home from vacation about 3 weeks, have an earache that got worse, headache and white spots on back of my throat. Also seem to have a sinus infection now. Nothing else really of note, im sleeping a lot but im staying up late biting my nails   

Basically, as I'm broke after my trip and cant afford doctor til i get paid, i went on Internet to find what it was/how i could get rid of it. First thing that came up was HIV, which sent me into a panic and so began my compulsive googling.

The only reason im concerned is that, one night on vacation, fairly drunk, my friends and I went to a brothel. I had totally protected oral and vaginal sex with a girl there. Comdom may have slipped, maximum, an inch or 2 down, largely due to my being wasted and unable to maintain an erection . Condom did not appear broken, and as far as i can tell, it would have to be seriously botched to put me as the insertive partner at risk right?

This is my first ever CSW experience, and coupled with symptoms I googled when i was blisfully unaware of HIV symptoms im now shitting myself!

Am i at risk or am I yet another hypocondriac  . One way or another, i can safely say I will NOT be repeating the incident.

Thanks for your time!

[Ann]

terri,

If your condom broke, you would have known about it. It doesn't matter if it slipped down a bit - as long as the head of your penis remained covered, you were protected from hiv infection.

You have not had a risk for hiv infection.

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 SPECIFICALLY OVER GETTING A BLOWJOB OR PROTECTED INTERCOURSE, 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

[terrifried]

Thanks for the quick reply. Based on my symptoms and my experience, is there anything else I need to look be tested for, or likely just a coincidental strep throat? Would I be insane for getting tested at 6 weeks for reassurance?? Also, I noticed you guys have a 3 post rule, It would be pretty cool if you guys could allow users to update the status of their "am I infected" thread with a test status, so that even if they've used their posts, they can still let people following their case know.

I know from my own browsing that seeing people with similar symptoms test neg is very reassuring, and while I know you guys aren't in the reassurance business, I think you'd be helping a lot of people out (which as far as I can see, you ARE in the business of!).

You could even just move all the tested negative ones to a diff forum!
Just a thought!!
Again, cant say how appreciative I am that a site like this exists at all.That you guys are on call to help people is truly decent!

[Ann]

terri,

This is most likely coincidental. If your vacation included trips on airplanes, well, airplanes are little incubators of germs of all sorts and you could very likely have picked up a cold or flu virus while traveling. It's not uncommon for people to come down with bugs after traveling by plane. Don't forget we're entering into cold and flu season.

Whatever it is, it is NOT a virus for which you had no risk. Getting a blowjob, with or without a condom, is NOT a risk for hiv infection. Protected anal or vaginal intercourse is just that - protected. Condoms have been proven to prevent hiv infection.

There have been three long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.

You could even just move all the tested negative ones to a diff forum!

Yeah, and if we did that, there would be no threads in this forum. I've been answering questions here for over ten years and in all that time, there have only been a handful - if that - of people who went on to test hiv positive following their incident. ALL of those who tested positive were the receptive partner in UNPROTECTED anal or vaginal intercourse. YOU were the insertive partner, not receptive.

You didn't have a risk. What you have is something totally unrelated to hiv and I hope you feel better soon. 

Ann



edited because it's one of those days....

[terrifried]

Hi Guys,

Really appreciate the service. Long story short a condom slipped off during vaginal sex with a girl who may well be infection free, I really have no way of knowing. I was the insertive partner and understand I've had a risk. I know you guys don't put much stock in symptoms but since I have them and they're keeping me awake, I'm wondering if I was to go for a 4th gen combo test now (even though my exposure was only 2 weeks ago) would it be fair to say that if these symptoms were caused by HIV that the test would be positive? Even ruling out the symptoms as related would be a huge relief for me while I wait for something conclusive.

I know it must be hard to deal with all the "I once saw a man with HIV on the train, am I infected" posts, I think its hugely compassionate of you guys to deal with us!!

Thanks in advance

[Jim Allen]

Hmm

Not totally sure what you mean with slipped off, but as long as the head of your penis remained covered during the intercourse it was not a risk.

If the condom came off completely and resulted in you penetrating her without a condom than its a risk.  Even with a 4th gen test, test at 6 weeks past the incident and then at 13 weeks to confirm the result, remember to also test for easier to transmit STI's whilst you are at it.

Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, every time, no exceptions.

Keep in mind that some sexual practices which may be described as ‘safe’ in terms of HIV transmission might still pose a risk for transmission of other STI's, so please do get fully tested regularly and at least yearly for all STI's including but not limited to HIV and test more frequently if unprotected intercourse occurs

Also note that it is possible to have an STI and show no signs or symptoms and the only way of knowing is by testing.

More information on HIV Basics, PEP, TaSP and Transmission can be found through the links in my signature to our POZ pages, this includes information on HIV Testing

Kind regards

Jim

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