POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: skaredshitless on August 16, 2008, 08:34:21 am
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Hi I am a woman, and like the rest very terrified. Checking symptoms, raising my blood pressure, etc! On July 14th I did something really stupid: While highly drunk I engaged in a threesome with a man and a woman. The man is negative but the woman is 100% HIV positive (I just found this out) I gave her oral but the part that is making me sick is that I had vaginal sex with the man after he had vaginal sex with the HIV positive woman. I guess you could say he was going back and forth between us. I was negative for everything at the time, by the way. I know this was incredibly stupid behavior... Please tell me what is the risk percentage for transmission this way?
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skared,
Going down on a woman is not a risk for hiv infection, so no worries there.
It's highly unlikely that transmission would have occured through sharing this man's penis. Hiv is a very fragile virus and transmission has takes place INSIDE the body. When I say this, I mean the in the situation where the virus is never exposed to the outside environment. In your case, it would have been exposed as he moved between you two.
When hiv is exposed to the environment, it quickly becomes damaged. Small changes in temperature, moisture content and pH levels damage the outer covering and it needs this outer covering to be intact and undamaged so it can latch on to the very few, very specific cells that it is able to infect. (it doesn't infect just any old cells)
To be honest, I'm more worried about the fact that you had unprotected intercourse. Unless you're in a monogamous relationship with him and have both tested hiv negative TOGETHER, you can't really know his hiv status with any certainty. After all, he was barebacking with a woman known to be hiv positive. How can you be sure he hasn't done this at other times?
So the bottom line here is that you need to test three months after this incident. It's unlikely in the extreme that you would have become infected from the woman, but it's possible from the man. You can test at six weeks for peace of mind, as the vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by this time. A six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point.
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 with a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.
Have a look through all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.
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.
Ann
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Back in 2008 I had a really risky, really stupid drunken encounter. I have never knowingly had allergies until shortly after this encounter. At least I think its allergies? July/August of 2008 I had one eye that watered continuously. This is a little after that time I did the dumbass thing. Does that sound like allergies? If so, could that be a sign that I got infected after that encounter? Now, a year later, I have a sinus infection with headaches, stiff neck, toothaches, all that. Is it possible to get allergy problems later in life and be HIV negative? By the way I am 23 and allergies run on my fathers side of the family. Other "symptoms" I had were a small rash on my ankle (I was also homeless at the time), a couple pimples in my groin area, funny tasting mouth, a cyst on my inner thigh (my mom is very cystic). Ugh sorry for all the questions, I'm just like everyone else posting in this forum. Severe anxiety issues with an extreme fear of testing positive... I know I should be tested and I will but I'd like to be prepared. Thank you for anyone reading and responding. I genuinely appreciate it!
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skared,
I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.
If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.
Please also read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.
You never replied to say whether or not you had unprotected intercourse that night. If you have EVER had unprotected intercourse with ANYONE, you need to test.
Please re-read my earlier reply to you.
Ann
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Hey its still the same situation I posted about originally. I KNOW I should get tested. This goes without saying. But idiots like me wonder if HIV can kick in allergies one never had before. I guess thats the real question. Can you help?
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Also, does being intoxicated increase your risk of becoming infected through unprotected vaginal sex? And very rough fingering from the girl, I'm sure that increases risk right? Ok, I will try not to bother you with anymore questions.
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skared,
Your hiv status is nothing to guess about or play "diagnose myself" with. Allergies have nothing to do with hiv and visa-versa. Symptoms or even the LACK of symptoms will never tell you a single thing about your hiv status - ONLY testing will. If you've been having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, then you need to test. It's as simple as that.
Did you bother re-reading my original reply to you? As a sexually active adult, you should be having a full sexual health care check up at least once a year. Go test and stop the silly speculation.
Ann
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I do not understand the point of the "Am I infected" part of the forum if all questions being asked are silly speculation. And yes, everyone knows they should be tested. And yes everyone knows they should use condoms. But I was simply seeking a little knowledge so that I could prepare myself for the worst. What is silly about that? All I wanted to know was has HIV been known to cause allergy problems. There is no need to patronize. I appreciate your response but I wonder if you actually read my post instead of just hitting me with the default "use condoms, get tested" that is so standard for these places. I do not mean to be rude but I was simply seeking knowledge that I thought perhaps you or someone else could provide. That is, in my opinion, a very valid question- Not seeking self diagnosis. Thanks anyway.
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skared,
You've already been told that you won't have become infected from your contact with the hiv positive woman. Yes, I understood that the man went back and forth between you two. You had no risk from her.
If you had unprotected intercourse with him or any other man, then you have had a risk and you do need to test. As I've told you, you should be having a full sexual health care check up at least once a year anyway.
Our standard response of "use comdoms, get tested" is simply the reality of the situation. We cannot diagnose you over the internet, the only thing for it is to go get tested - IF you're sexually active and IF you have been having unprotected intercourse.
And I already answered you about allergies - they're nothing to do with hiv.
Ann
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The past fews month I have gotten several respiratory infections. A week ago I got over one, then a few days later got another one. I smoke but I have been smoking for 10 years. This is the only illness that I ever really get but I usually only get it once a year.
I'm starting to bruise easily.
Got into a very loud argument and shortly after saw a lot of petichaie on my neck.
Keep getting cysts in my nether regions.
Just got staph infection from a presumed spider bite.
Had a sinus infection that lasted a few months.
No swollen lymph nodes, ever.
Never had any ARS systoms.
Sometimes vision problems.
Very sleepy but have been for years.
One recurrent pimple.
Please tell me if this sounds like HIV problems. I'm sick to death of worrying and will test tommorow but just like everyone I'm scared as hell. Again, I just want to be prepared. Please help!
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Oh, and if I do test Poz, I will have acquired the virus on July 13th of 2008, a little over a year ago. Would these symptoms be showing already if they are HIV related?
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skared,
None of the symptoms you list are in any way indicative of hiv infection.
As you've been repeatedly told before, the only way to know your hiv status is to test. As long as you always have protected intercourse, you can fully expect your test results to be negative. Please re-read your entire thread - there's nothing new to say to you.
Ann
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Thank you Ann