Worried about being Pos

[llad48]

Hi,
So I’m worried that I might have HIV, and was wondering if I could post on here and get your opinions on it. I know you aren’t doctors, and can’t magically tell me if I have it or not, but I would appreciate your opinion.

I say I am worried because I have been sick since Wednesday (the 11th), which I will explain in detail below.

Essentially I had sex with two people in two days at a leather convention. Prior to the convention I had been around a coworker who was sick, and had taken some Dayquil the week prior, but had felt better so I stopped taking it. The convention was from Thursday evening (the 5th) until Sunday evening (the 8th).

The first guy we only exchanged blowjobs and he did not ejaculate. While I did taste pre twice on him, nothing more than that happened. That was on Thursday evening (the 5th).

The second guy scares me a little bit more. We had penetrative sex where I was the bottom and the condom broke and he ejaculated inside of me. This was on Friday evening (6th).

The second instance of sex is what scares me, however there are some other things to consider. He is on PREP, which he showed me his pill bottle for. He also said he had been tested a month prior with no other sexual partners and his test had come back negative. We have decided to stay in contact with one another.

Some things to consider are this: when I fell asleep Friday night (the 6th) I had the heater in the motel room on. When I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom I was hot and drenched in sweat, along with the bed. When I went back to bed, I turned the air onto cool. When I woke again several hours later, I was cold and shivering under the blankets. And when I woke up fully (Saturday the 7th) I had a sore throat and coughed up some dark brownish orange colored mucus in the morning only. Eventually the sore throat disappeared.

Also on Saturday (the 7th), I noticed I had a limited appetite, and felt somewhat fatigued as well. When I was back home on Monday (the 9th) I sweated heavily through the night. On Wednesday (the 11th) I woke up with a sore throat and cough, and became sicker as the day went on. The illness continued through until today Sunday (the 15th), and I still don’t feel that great.

While ill, I had a fever that never went above 99.9F, a sore throat, fatigue, a cough that always produced mucus, and a lack of appetite. It should be noted that I my mucus was usually clear. It should also be noted that I have been continuously chugging Dayquil around the clock, which has relieved all my symptoms except my cough and sometimes my lack of appetite.

On Tuesday (the 10th), I went to the STD clinic to talk to a doctor about my situation. At the time I was not sick, and she told me that I shouldn’t worry because my penetrative partner was on PREP and that the testing to be on the pill is very intense. She did recommend that I get on PREP myself.

I want to state here for sake of clarity that I do not have penetrative sex often, in fact the last time I had sex was 5-6 years ago, for this exact fear.

It should also be noted that my penetrative partner has informed me that he currently has a sore throat like I did.

I know I made a choice to go to this convention. I also know I made a choice to have sex. If I do test positive, I won’t be happy, but I know it’s because of a decision I made. If I am positive I accept that, and I know no amount of special pleading with any deity will change that. I just hate being in limbo, and being unsure of whether or not I am positive or not.

I thank you guys for your advice, in advance, and look forward to any comments or opinions you may have. I know that you guys do not hold the key and cannot magically tell me whether or not I am HIV positive or not. I come to you asking what you think of the situation, and also what is the soonest test I can ask my doctor to give me, given my situation, to see if I am positive or not.

[Ptrk3]

Firstly, take a deep breath and know that whatever happens you will be fine.

Giving unprotected oral sex is a theoretical risk for HIV-infection only, and would require that your mouth be full of open, gaping wounds (as in "meth mouth"). 

Receiving unprotected oral sex is not a risk for HIV-infection.

Unprotected oral sex of any kind, however, could expose you to other STD's/STI's.

If, as you describe in the second incident of your post, the condom broke when you were engaged in passive anal sex, and you do know that your partner was HIV-negative or HIV-positive, in treatment, and has an undetectable viral load, you are at risk for potential HIV-infection.

If he were on PrEP, of course, which is enormously effective, you are highly unlikely to have contracted the HIV from the incident.

But, do you know that for certain?  Just because he showed you a bottle, does not mean it is his or that he takes the PrEP regimen as prescribed.

For risk assessment purposes, we presume that everyone whose status is unknown is HIV-positive.

I can't tell from your post whether you actually started your PrEP regimen within 72 hours of the incident you describe, but, if you did, the PrEP would, in effect, be PEP for you and make it less likely that you contracted the HIV from the incident you describe.

Accordingly, for your own peace of mind and as a matter of fact, you may wish to discuss with your healthcare provider whether you should test for HIV-antibodies six weeks after the incident and then at 13 weeks past the incident for confirmation of the six-week results (or whenever your healthcare provider determines that your test is conclusive).

Your odds are still low for HIV-contraction, but an HIV-infection can occur from a single event (again, presuming that your partner was HIV-positive and not, in fact, on PrEP).

Speculating on potential symptoms of acute HIV-infection is unproductive, since symptoms, if they occur at all, vary widely.  If you are ill, see a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment, if appropriate.