Need infos

[awallen]

Hello all,

i glad i found this forum. i have a question i can't really ask to my doctor without  embarrassment so i thought i could do it here.

about 3 1/2 months ago, i've seen a CSW twice and we had protected oral/sex with her. It was short and sweet but i start freaking out recently about a possible transmission.

I am under a treatment for Hep C and i started 3 months before the incidents. It caused me some psoriaris and i have lesions in my inner thigh fold, not far at all from the base of my penis. This is always itchy and irritated, sometimes i can clearly see the skin being cracked and i see a bit a blood. I also have some agiomas red pimple on my scrotum and sometimes they pop and bleed for a bit.

I don't know exactly how these conditions were the days of the incident but there were clearly already present. I think some of her vaginal secretions might have come in contact in both places.

I know that it's probably a low risk but i decided to get a rapid test to get pass this. However, i am hesitant because of the fear of false-positive. I have a lot of medicine in my body for my treatment (Interferon, Ribavirin, and Neupogen to stimulate my white cells) and i don't know if it will affect my test result.

I was wondering if you guys can provide me with feedback on the situation and the test thing.

Thanks a lot in advance

wallen

[Andy Velez]

You are worrying needlessly. Nothing you are reporting including specifically the skin irritation would have put you at risk for HIV transmission.

Should you decide to test solely for your peace of mind I certainly expect you to test negative.

Cheers.   

[awallen]

Thanks for the response Andy.

i know i am worrying excessively but i think my current treatment is wearing me out both physically and mentally.

I understand that vaginal secretions on skin irritation is negligible risk.

Regarding testing, i still not sure i should do it and fear a false positive or just pass this.

Thanks again though for your comments

[Ann]

Awallan,

I suggest you discuss your fear of false-positive results with the person who performs your test. You can ask to be tested with a standard blood draw where they will have the extra blood necessary for a follow-up Western Blot test, which will confirm or deny a positive antibody result. You can ask that you are not given positive results unless they've been confirmed by the WB testing.

If this incident is the only thing you're worried about, you can rest assured that you are NOT going to have a positive result confirmed by a WB.

If you want to know more about the various tests, read the Testing Lesson linked to in the Welcome Thread, which you should have read before posting.

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.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST 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.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

[awallen]

Thanks Ann for the comprehensive answer...

I had a routine HIV test done in the beginning of the year before i started my Hep C treatment and i was neg.

i think i will just let that one go and believe there was no risk. i will keep being tested every year.

thanks again

[Ann]

awallen,

That sounds like a good plan.

Good luck with the hep C treatment. I went through that back in 2002/03 and I know it's no fun. Hang in there and forget about this hiv worry - you were NOT at risk for hiv.

Ann