POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Sylvia24 on October 01, 2006, 12:28:14 pm
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Hello. I was directed to this website by my boyfriend who had posted awhile back about HIV infection worries. After looking through the information it looks like his name was nh2006. He was concerned about receiving oral.
Well he is still a mess. He recently told me what happened and I'm trying to be supportive but I don't know all that much about HIV. From what I read, it seems that he was at no risk and therefore neither am I but he has been so upset about this which has raised my concerns.
He had a rapid HIV/p24 test 2 days short of 6 weeks which was negative but he's still concerned. Should I be concerned now as well? I'm pregnant and getting worried myself and he's been pretty despondent and on anti-anxiety meds. I understand you banned his account he was so bad.
Any information would really help as now I'm getting concerned. We've have unprotected sex. Should I consider getting tested for HIV myself. Thanks for any input you could provide.
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Do a search on nh2006. The information he was given there is not going to change. His problem is having sex with another guy. Now if he wants to be obsessed by it there is nothing we can do. He didn't have a risk and he at no time put you at risk.
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Thanks for the response. I did read through his post and also did a bit of web searching myself. I can see why he could have gotten upset because some sites say it is a risk with blood involved, etc. My biggest concern is my child at this point so I just don't want to take any chances you know?
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What part of the replies that we gave nh2006 is it, that you don't understand?
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I do understand I guess. Sorry for being confusing. I just don't understand the whole theoretical thing that is posted on some sites like the CDC and such. I've never looked up stuff like this ever so I guess it's all a bit confucsing to me. Sorry again.
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Maybe this will be of some help:
When scientists describe the risk of transmitting an infectious disease, like HIV, the term “theoretical risk” is often used. Very simple, “theoretical risk” means that passing an infection from one person to another is possible, even though there may not yet be any actual documented cases. “Theoretical risk” is not the same as likelihood. In other words, stating that HIV infection is “theoretically possible” does not necessarily mean it is likely to happen –only that it might. Documented risk, on the other hand, is used to describe transmission that has actually occurred, been investigated, and documented in the scientific literature.
In twenty five plus years of this pandemic, it has never happened.
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Sylvia,
Getting a blowjob is NOT a risk for hiv infection, no matter what sort of spin you want to put on it. Not one person, NOT ONE, has every been infected through getting their dick sucked and your boyfriend will not be the first. I can't get any clearer than that.
When you go surfing the internet for information, you have to remember that many sites have a moral and/or religious agenda, even the CDC. (to understand why, look no further than the current White House administration and their reliance on Abstinence Only policy instead of proper sex education) You only get the real deal on this website, with no agenda, other than a scientific one.
Your boyfriend did NOT have a risk of hiv infection. He's hiv negative.
However, as far as you are concerned, if you've ever had unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with anyone other than your current, negative boyfriend, you'd be wise to test. You cannot go by another person's test result to know your own status. If you've never tested, do it. Don't assume, test.
Ann
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We were both tested ages ago and were negative. The only thing that has happened since then was the incident my boyfriend had where someone gave him oral for a few seconds. I did recently get another HIV test as part of the routine pregnancy thing and haven't heard back anything bad.
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Sylvia,
In that case, you're both hiv negative, period, end of story.
Ann
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Thanks for your response Ann. This has been a hard time on both of us. Now if I can just convince him that we're ok everything will be back to normal. Thanks again.
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Hi Sylvia,
Just so you know for general information, although your bf is HIV negative, even IF he was HIV+ that would not pose a risk to your child. HIV is passed in very particular ways through bodily fluids. Those who are HIV negative and those who are positive can co-exist very safely.
Secondly, if your bf persists in being concerned without any basis in HIV science, it might be good for him to see a mental health professional to get some help in sorting out what is driving his unfounded concern.
This is not an HIV situation, period. But, HIV jitters can cause all kinds of upset.
Cheers,
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I have another question after something came up. My boyfriend had a hepatitis screen because he was worried from his encounter and his Hep C came back positive. He still needs a confirmatory test but he thinks he may have gotten it yeras ago from sharing one of his father's razor's. He then read that there have been cases where HIv testing has been delayed due to having hep c. Now he's worried that his 6 week test wasn't accurate. Could you clear this up for us. Thanks.
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Your boyfriend is incorrect about the transmission of HCV via razors. HCV will NOT affect his results, nor lengthen his window period because of HCV. The problem with HCV/HIV co-infection is the HAART medication. It is preferable to clear up the HCV, before continuing HAART due to the impact that HAART has on the hepatic system.
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Well we're confused about how he could have got HCV then. He has had no other risk factors like sharing needles, or receiving blood. His father has had Hep C for over 30 years and that would be the only area he could of got it unless it was a false positive test. We're very confused. The reason I had asked about the HCV is that we saw something about 1 case of hiv being delayed due to someone being infected with HIv and HCV at the same time. That wouldn't be the case with our issue.
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Sylvia,
How could ANYTHING possibly interfere with your boyfriend's hiv test when he never had a risk of infection in the first place? He is as hiv negative as you can get. You BOTH need to understand - getting a blowjob is NOT a risk for hiv infection!
It's believed to be possible to become infected with hep C through sharing straws to snort drugs, but many people never figure out where their hep C infection came from. Hep C is a much more robust virus and much more infectious than hiv and yes, it is possible to transmit it via razors, but the other person has to actually have hep C. Does your boyfriend's father actually have it? Hep C is also not transmitted through blowjobs as saliva is also not infectious for hep C.
Your boyfriend will need hep C viral load testing to find out if he has an active infection, or if he has been infected but his body cleared the infection. This happens to approximately 20% of those infected with hep C.
Ann
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Thanks Ann. His father has had Hep C for 30 years. He got it from a blood transfusion in the service.
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Sylvia,
I see you posted while I was writing my reply. As your boyfriend's father has hep C, it is possible he got it from sharing his razors. As I said, Hep C is a very robust virus, unlike hiv, and can remain viable and infectious outside the body for quite a while, especially in an environment such as in between the blades of a multi-bladed razor. It only takes a tiny, tiny amount of hep C to infect, again unlike hiv.
Ann
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What about hep b. Could you get hep b from receiving oral sex. I had a false positive on that test as part of my routine pregnancy. Or atleast the doctor thought it was but my boyfriend got tested for hep b almost 8 weeks after the incident and it was negative so it has to be a false positive.
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Sylvia,
He's not going to get hep B from getting a blowjob either.
Or atleast the doctor thought it was but my boyfriend got tested for hep b almost 8 weeks after the incident and it was negative so it has to be a false positive.
How do you reckon that? You can't know the status of your own health going by someone else's test results. Exposure to a pathogen does not always result in infection. Also, just like hep C, if a person has had hep B the body can sometime clear the virus. In fact the clear rate is higher for hep B - 80% of those infected will clear the virus, but they will always test positive on the antibody tests. Your doctor should have tested you further for hep B to see if you have an active infection or if you've only got the antibodies. This is something you need to be discussing with your doctor.
Ann
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It more possible that his father had HCV before his birth and he was infected during his mothers pregnancy. That would be more logical than a razor. If he is HCV positive at all.
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Rod,
I'm sorry, but hep C can be transmitted through shared razors. Hiv and hep C are two totally different kettles of fish.
Hep C can be transmitted during birth, but it is fairly rare. Besides, she states her boyfriend's father was infected with hep C in the service, and many vets from the Vietnam era do have hep C, with some infections as a result of transfusion and some believe it is the result of the way the army at that time used the same needle on countless soldiers when giving vaccinations.
As I've said, hep C is MUCH more easily transmitted. There have been cases where drug users were careful to not share needles but did share drug injecting equipment such as water and tourniquets and became infected with hep C as a result.
This does NOT change any of the hiv information about hiv being fragile and difficult to transmit and would not be transmitted via shared razors. Hep C is a completely different matter.
Ann
http://www.hcvets.com/
Sylvia, please make sure you check the above link out. It has a lot of good information available on it.
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Ann that is the reason that I asked if his father was infected during (before) his mothers pregnancy. However rare, it is possible. Just to use a razor of someone with HCV is not a risk of contracting it. The person would have had to cut themselves and be bleeding and the person using the razor had to have cuts from that razor. HCV may survive on environmental surfaces at room temperature at least 16 hours, but no longer than 4 days.
Can HCV be spread by oral sex?
There is no evidence that HCV has been spread by oral sex.
What is the risk that HCV infected women will spread HCV to their newborn infants?
About 4 out of every 100 infants born to HCV infected women become infected. This occurs at the time of birth, and there is no treatment that can prevent this from happening. Most infants infected with HCV at the time of birth have no symptoms and do well during childhood. More studies are needed to find out if these children will have problems from the infection as they grow older.
Can you have a "false positive" anti-HCV test result?
Yes. A false positive test means the test looks as if it is positive, but it is really negative. This happens more often in persons who have a low risk for the disease for which they are being tested. For example, false positive anti-HCV tests happen more often in persons such as blood donors who are at low risk for hepatitis C. Therefore, it is important to confirm a positive anti-HCV test with a supplemental test as most false positive anti-HCV tests are reported as negative on supplemental testing.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/faq.htm#6a (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/faq.htm#6a)
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Rod,
This false positive hep C thing is another case of the CDC not being quite right. As I've already said, some people can and do clear the virus from their system - approximately 20% will. However, just like with hep B, they will still test positive on the antibody tests. A positive hep C antibody must be followed up with viral load testing for this reason. A negative VL means they have cleared the virus.
I'm not saying there is no such thing as a false positive hcv antibody test at all, but a true false positive would be proved by a second (negative) antibody test. A so called "false positive" in someone who has actually had hep C infection but cleared it would only be proven by a negative VL.
You'll note how the CDC says that false positive hcv results happen in people with "low risk", but that doesn't explain the thousands of people who are struggling with hep C infection yet have no apparent means of having contracted the disease - they too were "low risk". It looks to me like the CDC is trying to salve the consciences of people who have cleared the virus. ie - oh, you're not a druggie so the test must be wrong. It's a load of hogwash. Another case of the CDC allowing morality to dictate their information.
It's high time the CDC got their information right on hep C. Hep C is FAR more prevalent in the population than hiv. It is very much a hidden epidemic and one many governments do all they can to KEEP hidden. It's an outrage.
And as for the razor vs birth thing, a razor is a more likely culprit. This is one of the things that pisses me off about the lack of information concerning hep C and hep C transmission. It is FAR more infectious than hiv, yet people rarely even know hep C exists, or if they do, they think only injecting drug users are at risk. Again, it's a load of hogwash.
Ann
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So if it turns out that he has Hep C, there is no chance that this would affect his 6 week HIv test? He still wouldn't get HIv from the exposure he described?
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Sylvia,
Even if he does have an active hep C infection, even if he did have an actual risk, it wouldn't affect the hiv test.
But, for the last time, getting a blowjob is NOT a risk for hiv infection! He didn't have a risk. He is hiv negative. Period, end of story.
Ann
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Why do some people recommend testing at 3 6 and even a year after incidents with hep c and hiv. IS that if they were just infected simultaneously?
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Sylvia,
For the most part, that is a CYA (cover your ass) policy.
For the last time, your boyfriend was NOT at risk for hiv infection from getting a blowjob. You are headed for a time out if you continue to insist on pretending like he actually had a risk. He is hiv negative. This is not a hep C website and there is nothing more we can do for you here.
Ann