POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: nav5541 on January 06, 2013, 04:03:23 pm
-
Dear All
I am a male. Had sex after 4 years. I had it with a sex worker. My condom broke and realized it after ejaculation. 3 days have passed by since then, feeling no symptoms as of yet. Have no cuts on my penis, and that gal also told that she had no disease. But please guide me, if there is any chances of any disease or HIV. Plz suggest my further step that i should take.
-
nav,
You have had a risk and you do need to test - however your risk is very much on the lower end of the scale and I do not expect you to test hiv positive.
The earliest you should test is at six weeks. 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 negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change.
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. A correctly used condom rarely breaks, so make sure you read about their correct usage.
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
-
Thank you Ann. However, I wanted to ask should I go for any medication which I have read somewhere that is said if taken within 72 hours will reverse the seroconversion (if there is any).
-
nav,
You're talking about PEP (post-exposure-prophylaxis) but one, your risk level does not warrant PEP and two, you stated in your first post that three days have already passed, so that ship has already sailed. It's too late for you to bother with PEP.
PEP isn't just one pill that you pop, it's a combination of two or three heavy-duty, expensive drugs that must be taken for 28 days. Many people experience side effects from these drugs.
Taking PEP also extends the hiv testing window period by 28 days, so for a conclusive negative result, you need to test at four months after the incident instead of the usual three months.
PEP must be initiated no later than 72 hours (three days) following a risk, but no later than 36 hours is best. You are past this and there would be no point in taking PEP. Your risk does not warrant PEP anyway.
By the way, PEP does NOT "reverse the seroconversion", it eliminates hiv from the body and therefore prevents seroconversion from happening in the first place.
Seroconversion means the body has produced enough hiv antibodies to be detected on an antibody test to produce a positive result.
I fully expect you to come out of this ok.
Ann
-
Hey Ann
Got the test done now after 5 months.
Test Name - "HIV 1 & 2 Antibodies, screening test includes P24 Antigen"
Result
Index Value - 0.16, Non Reactive
So, i think this result after 5 months says that All's good .. right !!! ???
-
Nav,
You are conclusively hiv negative. You do not have hiv.
Ann