Worried about an encounter

[Probably_OverWorried]

About two weeks ago I got very drunk and got an escort to come over to my hotel room.  I'm not proud - it wasnt fun and it was only a once off.

I had a shower and shaved my genital region and then we proceeded with attempted sex.

She started off giving my unprotected oral, I did the same with her, I could get hard, not that that matters I suppose.  We finished with her rubbing her vulva against my penis and testicles for about five minutes.

I noticed that I may have had either a shaving abrasion or cut, the skin was a little red.  I wasnt sure though if it was an ingrown hair, over the next couple of days it got red there and then ended up with a small whitehead which suggested a slightly ingrown hair I guess.

Two weeks later and I have developed some very slight inflammation on the lymph nodes down by my groin.  My tounsils also became a little swollen.  However since the incident I have been drinking quite heavily in the evenings so I haven’t really been looking after myself.

I have also been experiencing some muscle aches, they started in my legs and ended in my back but again this could be down to the above and a lot of stress in my life.  I have also had a very slight sore throat but this has been going on for about four days now. 

I have been having trouble sleeping for the last few days and I took a sleeping pill last night and the night before.  I noticed my mouth was very dry this morning and I had some ulcers on the tongue, but mouth dryness is a side effect of the tablets.

I was wondering if someone advise on how risky my encounter was and if I should go for a 10 day later HIV test.

Thanks

[Ann]

Worried,

You have not had a risk for hiv infection.

Getting a blowjob isn't a risk. Giving cunnilingus isn't a risk. Not only is saliva not infectious, but it also contains over a dozen different proteins and enzymes that damage hiv and render it unable to infect.

There have been three long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.


Rubbing genitals together without penetration is called frottage, and frottage is not a risk for hiv infection.

Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse where the virus never leaves the confines of the two bodies.

Once outside the body, small changes in temperature, and pH and moisture levels all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to infect. For this reason, frottage is not a risk as it takes place OUTSIDE the body.


You do not need to specifically over this NO RISK situation.


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.

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

[Probably_OverWorried]

Hi Ann,
Thank you for your swift reply, I meant to reply sooner but I guess I got caught up in anxiousness.

I suppose a normal reaction when you think you may have done something risky is to start researching for signs and symptoms of HIV on the internet and then you start to notice them in yourself.

You start pushing your lymph nodes, which you never really toughed before and you don’t know if it is inflamed or not.  In my case (I am sure) that heavy drinking and going through a stressful time (not related to this) in my life brings out muscle aches and mouth ulcers.

Your words did comfort me and I didn’t go with the 10 day test.

I am trusting you when you say no risk, I did go to my local STD clinic for a different related matter and they tested me for everything, including HIV.  This was two weeks after the afore mentioned event.

Everything came back negative.

I have two more questions for you if you will indulge me.

1. Would an HIV test (3 month variety) have any ability to detect antibodies after two weeks.  If so what would the accuracy be?

2. Is the risk of vaginal fluid on very small cut only theoretical or is it so remote that it is impossible?

Thank you - I guess I need to stop obsessing about this and reading things on the internet.  It seems that the only source of credible information that turns up in search results  is from experts like yourself and to be honest the only source I am going to trust.

[Andy Velez]

Two weeks after a risk (which I remind you that you did not have) would be too early for any meaningful result on an HIV test. The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. A negative result at 6 weeks is meaningful and unlikely to change to positive at 3 months, which is a conclusive testing point.

HIV is a very fragile virus. Once exposed to the air small changes in temperature and pH and moisture level render the virus non-viable. Nix on that worry scenario you are nursing about HIV through fluid on a cut.

Do yourself a great big favor and stop surfing the net. On the net you will find lots to feed your worst fears and all to no good purpose. Cut it out. It's bad for your health.