POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: jhernan on September 12, 2013, 05:36:40 pm
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Hi, yesterday I had a sexual encounter with another guy, I am HIV- (or was before this), I gave him oral sex for less than 20 sec (he didn't ejaculate in my mouth but there was precum) then we had intercourse (I topped) but with a condom on... I found out today in the morning he was HIV+ (he told me after), I freaked out and went to my doctor's office, he prescribed me PEP for 28 days (Lamivudine+Zidovudine for twice a day and Efavirex, which I dont know what it is in the nights), I started the PEP 15 hours after the incident, and I am feeling dizzy already, although not much change but that... Can you please tell me how bad (or good) are my chances to not get seroconverted?
Thank you guys and this lesson has been more than enough to know to be way more careful on my sexual partners and to cut the crap from my life.
God bless everyone here and good luck to you guys
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Hello!
You absolutely DID NOT need PEP over this no-risk incident.
Oral sex is NOT a valid risk for HIV. There have been no fewer then three studies following serodiscordant couples (where one partner is HIV positive and the other is negative) in which the couples used condoms for penetrative anal/vaginal sex, yet NO barriers at all for any form of oral sex. These studies lasted ten, five, and three years, utilized thousands of people and spanned two continents.
And there were exactly ZERO infections attributed to oral sex. It simply is not a legitimate risk. Saliva contains over a dozen proteins and enzymes which render HIV inert and incapable of infection. You should NEVER have been prescribed PEP for this no-risk situation. I wouldn't even bother testing over it, unless it is time for your twice-annual STD panel (which everyone ought to get if they are not in a mutually monogamous relationship).
Your protected anal sex was just that - protected. That too was not a risk.
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 FOR HIV OVER THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT, 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!
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Wow! You guys really respond so fast!
Thank you for your encouraging words, my doctor said it was a risk to have performed oral sex to this guy and that It would be better to go on PEP. I have taken the first dose today and I'm feeling kinda dizzy and very weak, I hope it will go away soon...
Also this guy had tuberculosis a year ago, but was on medications, so I think I wouldnt get that, I am just so worried about all these things...
If he had tuberculosis would that mean he is in an advanced stage? Does it make it riskier?
Thank you for your time
God bless you guys!
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Wow! You guys really respond so fast!
Thank you for your encouraging words, my doctor said it was a risk to have performed oral sex to this guy and that It would be better to go on PEP. I have taken the first dose today and I'm feeling kinda dizzy and very weak, I hope it will go away soon...
Also this guy had tuberculosis a year ago, but was on medications, so I think I wouldnt get that, I am just so worried about all these things...
If he had tuberculosis would that mean he is in an advanced stage? Does it make it riskier?
Thank you for your time
God bless you guys!
I am so sorry your doctor was and is not up to speed on HIV transmission, and sorrier still that he prescribed PEP for this event.
Under no circumstances was it warranted. At all. Trust me, we've been doing risk assessment on this site for over a decade and would tell you if there was a risk in what you did. We are in the business of stopping HIV infection, after all.
As to your other point, anyone can get TB. Anyone. All you need is to be exposed to it. It is certainly not a marker for HIV disease.
Obviously if your partner was/is on medication for HIV and had an undetectable viral load, your risk slips from practically zero to, well, far below zero. As a matter of fact, the risk of HIV infection from UNPROTECTED ANAL SEX with someone on meds with an undetectable viral load is roughly the same as the risk from PROTECTED (condom) sex.
You seriously had no risk, and those meds you are taking can be powerful things to get used to, especially for the first few weeks. They often taper off after a month or so (which is useless information for you, I know).
Honestly, I don't think they are worth taking at all, as you had no risk for HIV.
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Hi guys:
Im so grateful for your replies, I have a question, today I had my herpes typeII (I have it since 5 years ago) activated out of all the stress of this situation... Will this be now a risk factor? I was perfectly healthy in the moment of the exposure but now I have it active and I am afraid my inmune system will decrease and the HIV will take place... Im so scared...
By the way, I continued taking the PEP and no side effects now...
Thank you for the replies
God bless you all
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You didn't have a risk for HIV so your concern is based on fear and not facts .
You are not going to test positive over a no risk encounter and your already on a unneeded round of PEP , stop worrying your self over this nonsense and go out and do something fun .