POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: sciencekid on October 19, 2009, 03:08:28 pm
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Hello, experts. Is it possible for HIV to penetrate an intact scab? I always practice safer sex, but in a somewhat bizarre incident (seriously, if there were an olympic sperm-shooting competition, I think I nabbed a gold medalist), I had semen land right onto a healing wound. We're talking about a pretty nasty gash, not a mere papercut or nick. It had been healing for two days, though and had mostly scabbed over, so I washed it off gently with water and a bit of soap. Just in case, I got tested at just under six weeks and it came out negative. Has there ever been a documented case of transmission in this sort of manner? Do I need to go in for a three month follow up?
Thanks for you opinion,
sciencekid
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Science,
Your six week negative result is NOT going to change as you never had a risk to begin with. Hiv can only infect a very few, very specific types of cells and those cells are NOT found in cells in scabs. Besides that, hiv is a very fragile virus and is not transmitted outside the body. Hiv transmission occurs during things like unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, where the virus never leaves the confines of the two bodies.
You did NOT have a risk and you do NOT need to test over this specific incident.
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 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.
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!
Ann
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Ann,
Thanks for your response.