Need Help.. Risk assessment & Information needed about HIV Testing

[RC2013]

Hi,

On November 9th, I ended up having sex with an Stripper.. While we were going at it.. (She was on Top), i suddenly felt as if my thing came out, so I stopped her and asked her to put it back in.. as she was going to readjust I realized that the condom had torn leaving the head exposed.. that when I realized that the feeling that my thing came out was actually the condom breaking and the head coming out of the condom.. Therefore, I believe my head may have been exposed only for 5 -10 secs.. She panicked and started looking for pieces of condom inside her.. were as it was only a tear on the condom.. I checked the head of my penis and I did not find any vaginal fluids.. (She was not wet at all as she was conscious/nervous about the bouncer..who she mentioned that doesn't like her)... then she asked me whether I had ejaculated inside her.. I had not.. I guess she didn't believe me therefore she proceeded to give me a hand job.. to which I ejaculated in 2 mins..  after I cleaned up.. I asked her about her testing status.. she said she was "clean" (Sorry Ann).. and tested 1 month ago.. then again I asked about HIV and she just nodded a no and that she had tested a month ago.. and then she was quick to ask me ..when I was tested lasted.. and I told her I was tested 3 months ago.. and I didn't have HIV.. afterwards.. she mentioned.. this is scary..and she has never had a condom break..  and hugged me and kissed me on my cheek ..(which was a bit weird) ..

After I left.. I went straight to the washroom.. and clean my penis head with water.. and then when I pulled my fore skin back I noticed an inflammation below the base of the head .. that's when I started to freak out more.. although, I do remember that the condom broke from the other side.. therefore that part of my penis where there was inflammation due to friction..was covered by the condom still..when I removed it.. additionally, it may have been due to the hand job that she gave me later..

I only found out about PEP after 72 hours of exposure.. I didn't know anything like that existed... until I found this website.. today is November 22nd.. and following are some of my symptoms..
Day 2: 10th November: Diarrhea.. 3 times a day..
Day 4: 12th November.. Cold Core on lip (I have never had cold sores) ..looks like Herpes Simplex
Day 7: 15th November.. Running Nose.. although no sore throat.. it could be because of change in weather and sudden drop in temperatures..
Today day 14th : November 22nd.. Diarrhea has continued since day 1.. and now a bit soreness in throat..  No fever .. fatigue or any other symptoms..

My questions are :
1) Please analyze my risk
2) When do I get tested? Since it happened on 9th November.. my 6 week falls during the holidays.. when the clinic close to my home is closed.. Can I get tested at 4 weeks?
3) What are the different types of tests for HIV? The Clinic near my house offers Rapid Test and then blood test but they didn't mention what type of blood test only that I will have to wait for the results for 1 week.. ?
4) Any other information .. thoughts .. you guys could share would be helpful..

Thank you,
RC2013 

[Jeff G]

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.

There are no short cuts to testing and you need to do it at the appropriate time for a reliable result , just wait till after the holidays or 3 months . Your symptoms could be from many other things than HIV so we do not discuss them .

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!

Its rare for the top to go on and test positive after a condom break so you should expect a negative result .

[RC2013]

Thank you Jeff for your reply 

Tested at 28 days - Rapid HIV testing using Blood - NEGATIVE
All STI blood test at 28 days - Negative for all sexually transmitted diseases
Tested again at 45 Days - Rapid HIV testing using Blood - NEGATIVE

I also wanted to mention that the doctor at the clinic I went to told me the following statistics about the clinic:

• Clinic has been open for 25 year
• Clinic addressed 300,000 HIV tests last year
• In 25 year, only 5 Heterosexual Males have tested positive, out of which, 4 were IV drug users
• They have never had a heterosexual male test positive after a condom break

However, please note that the clinic is more directed towards Trans-sexual &  men that have sex with Men. I do not want to provide the name of the clinic as it may reveal my location online but I am willing to provide the name of the clinic to the admins of this website via private message to validate the facts stated by the doctor above.

I will test again after the 90 day mark.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Jeff, Ann, RapidRod, Joe K, POZ management & Everyone...

[Jeff G]

We do not need the name of the clinic . It really doesn't matter who the clinic serves or what their gender or sexual orientation is, HIV test work the same for all of us and Im confident that the clinic you used can serve you with accurate results when you take your confirmatory test .

 

[RC2013]

OK! I tried to stay away and not post this but I cant help myself.. i think it will help me relieve some of my anxiety.. I CANT GET OVER THE FACT THAT SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE & I FEAR THAT I HAVE CAUGHT THE VIRUS OVER THIS ONE INCIDENT..

This encounter is the only unprotected sex I have ever had in my life.. and it wasnt planned.. it basically became unprotected..

I have been in this country for just over 2 years.. basically an immigrant...I don't have family here.. neither did I have time to make friends as I was busy setting up my life and carrier here.. Basically, I have no one to talk to about this incident and vent out..my stress.. my life has been work... home.. eat .. sleep.. and work.. I cant talk about these things with my colleagues as work as I am afraid how they will judge me... I have tried..

I did go back and test at after my two initial tests.. also this time all rapid test --
- 54 Days - Negative
- 64 Days - Was denied by the Clinic to Test as I had already tested thrice and I was still in the window period.. they asked me to come back at 84 days .. not 90 days.. QUESTION : isn't the window period 3 months = 90 days ?
- 65 days - Another clinic.. Negative ..

The reason to do these additional test at 54 and 65 days because around the same time.. I have had so called.. possible symptoms again.. to enlist some :

 - Swollen Lymph-node.. The nurse at the clinic where I was denied testing at 64 days looked at it and said that it was just a "in-growth"...I find that hard to believe since I don't shave my armpits.. additionally, I have never had them before.. the nurse pressed it open and squeezed out all the puss and blood..
 - Rash : I also got red rash as if I was sun burnt on my face and then red spots all over my neck, shoulder, back Torso and thighs .. Also I notice that all the rash was only on my left side of the body not the right side..
 - Diarrhea again.. 3 times a day approx..
 - Joint pain .. especially my knees and my neck.. my neck was very sore.. even after popping Extra Strength Advil, Robax, ibuprofen.. you name it.. I tried everything.. it wouldn't go away. This pain was the worst.. I couldn't move my neck or shoulders at all..
 - With all of these issues..  I also got Thrust in my mouth.. which has added to my anxiety..
 - not stopping here.. the weight loss.. I have lost 15lbs over the last 10 weeks.. this is weird.. since I have ensured that I stuff food in my mouth at-least 3 times a day even if I am not feeling hungry.. before this incident took place.. even if I tried to diet.. exercise .. I was never able to lose weight.. always kept gaining!
 - To add to that.. I got my third .. yes third .. Cold sore/herpes infection..on my lip.. I have never had these before.. and now I have 3 in such a short span..!!
 - and the list goes on -- Ulcers.. Fever.. however, not sure if it really was fever .. since I never took temp but felt feverish..

I have also added to my anxiety..  by reading similar post like the one below.. late seroconversion.. 2 months after possible exposure .. "madbrain" tested negative..
I read similar other post as well.. but I dont have the links.. right now..



I also just setup my next appointments for testing.. one on 83 days and another one of 88days.. I guess, Somewhere inside me I do have a voice that says I am probably not infected only because I did not have Night sweats or Hot & cold flushes or fatigue.. yet.. but I just wanted to vent out my feelings.. I already feel better as I have finished typing this post..



Edited by Ann to remove a quoted post taken from a section of the forum where people posting in the Am I Infected forum have no business reading, never mind reposting from.

[Jeff G]

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.

A 6 week negative test rarely goes to be positive when confirmed at 3 months ... and its rare for a condom break to result in a transmission for the insertive partner so you should expect a negative result when you confirm it . 

[Ann]

RC,

A six week negative is highly unlikely to change and even more so a 64 day (9.14 week) negative. You're more likely to get hit by a meteorite the next time you walk out your front door than you are to go on to test positive over this condom break. I've yet to see the insertive partner go on to test hiv positive following a condom break and you are not going to be the first.

If you feel unwell, go see a doctor instead of over-testing for a virus you don't have. Have you tested for all the other, MUCH more easily transmitted STIs - such as syphilis - following this incident? Syphilis shares a three month window period with hiv for a conclusive negative result, and you are MUCH more likely to have picked up something like syphilis from this incident. And yes, syphilis can cause some of the symptoms you're experiencing. Hiv isn't the only STI out there you know!

Stop telling US about your symptoms - we cannot diagnose you - and go tell a DOCTOR about them. OK?

Again, you are highly unlikely - extremely unlikely - to go on to test positive after a nine-week-plus negative result. Go to a doctor and look for the real cause of your symptoms, because it isn't hiv.

Ann