POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: anxietyattack on January 03, 2007, 08:46:42 am
-
Hello Folks,
I have read a lot of posts here. I am quite anxious of my HIV status and would really appreciiate your advice.
On 27th Nov I went for Anonymous testing and was free of HIV and other STDs.
On 28th Nov I had unprotected sex with to men. The first one I met at a local Sauna in Bangkok, and under the influence of alcohol I had unprotected sex with him where he penetrated and came inside me. After that I went clubbing and picked up another guy who was visiting Bangkok and went back with him. We had unprotected sex for a brief period of time where I was the top but I did not cum at alll .. I slept as I was very tired.
Next morning on returning back to my hotel I went to the toilet and realized that I was still carrying the semen of the guy. I returned back to my home country and had severe diarrhoea for two days. Had some flu like symptoms, body weakness, sore throat and enlarged lymph glands. My doctor had to give me two doses of antibiotics to clear of the bacterial infection. After that I was ok.
I panicked big time. Called the second guy (who was visiting) who says that he got tested in Aug and was HIV -ve. The first guy (who came inside me), I have no whereabouts of so cannot confirm anything. Anyway I did pickup NGU from this episode which required yet another antibiotic treatment.
Now I am worried like hell on my status. While I have talked to some friends out here and they all advise me to live normally until the three months window period is over and then go for a test, I really have a probem dealing with the fact "what is I am".
Can you help me answer :
1) What do you think are MY chances to contract HIV ?
2) I had no rashes as symptoms .. is that a good sign or a bad sign ?
3) What are the chances of being infected if the top was indeed HIV +ve and I keept the semen inside for 12 hours ?
Please help ! ???
Anxiety Attack
-
Only testing will tell. You should always use condoms no matter what. Wait out the 13 weeks past your last possible exposure and test.
-
Anxiety,
You have had a risk and you do need to test. A test at six weeks would be a very good indication of your hiv status, as the vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by this time. A negative result at six weeks MUST be confirmed at the three month point.
Symptoms or even the lack of symptoms mean nothing when it comes to hiv infection. Only testing will reveal your hiv status.
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 STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection. Sex with 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.
Ann
-
Thanks Ann and RapidRod for your quick reply.
Ann, with regards to other STDs I have got all the below tests done last week :
RPR Screening
Culture GRC (throat)
Culture GRC (rectal)
Gram Stain (utheral smear)
Chlamydia PCR
The results will be out by tomorrow. Will let you know the results tomorrow.
I think I will opt for 6 weeks test in mid Jan .. have to face the truth. :(
-
Along with what you have already been told about testing, I want to say something about the overall situation as you have described it.
I don't know if this kind of behavior is usual or not for you. Anytime you have unprotected intercourse you are putting your life at risk. It's as stark and as simple as that. If you can't avoid excessive drinking when you drink then you need to address that issue.
Getting panicky now doesn't help the situation. Changing your behavior will. And if you find that too difficult to do on your own, then get some professional help with it. Hopefully you will scoot through safely this time. But sure as shootin', if you keep putting yourself in harm's way like this you're just betting against yourself.
There's no point in trying to get stats to guess what your test result is going to be. Hopefully you will test negative and learn from this experience. In the meantime, while you are waiting for your test result, stay productively busy and the time will pass more quickly than you can imagine. And when you find yourself tensing up with worry, take some deep slow breaths and let them out slowly. It is a very effective calming tool.
Good luck to you.
-
Hello Andy,
Thanks for you 2 cents .. it really comforts.
I do not do it usually as I am 90% top and very much care about hygiene and STIs. I must confess that I like watching bareback videos or porn as a personal preference. Just find the sex intimate. Practicing it myself is a taboo .. under alcohol's influence I lost this taboo too.
Will try to keep my chin up :)
-
Well enjoying fantasy is one thing. The danger as you have noted is when self-protective boundaries get kicked over due to drinking and/or drugging. Too many sad stories come out of that kind of thing.
Keeping fingers crossed for you on this one.
-
I appreciate how you feel after this risky event, and what you're going through until you are tested must be rather harrowing.
According to a study commissioned in 2003 and 2005, nearly one in five gay men are HIV+. See the report here: http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5531a2.htm
That said, my hopes are with you.
-
WT, this kind of response has got to stop:
According to a study commissioned in 2003 and 2005, nearly one in five gay men are HIV+. See the report here: http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5531a2.htm
That said, my hopes are with you.
...............
There is absolutely nothing in that comment which is helpful or informative to someone who is anxiously waiting until they can test after a risky incident. Please keep your "hopes' and your comments to yourself.
Consider yourself warned.
-
I apologise if this was taken the wrong way, I meant to indicate 80% of people aren't positive - which is pretty good odds that your okay.
-
Got my results for the following test :
RPR Screening
Culture GRC (throat)
Culture GRC (rectal)
Gram Stain (utheral smear)
Chlamydia PCR
Tested negative for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. Now will just have to wait another week for the 6 week test. Keeping my fingers crossed ???
-
Just got my HIV test done yesterday after 2 months of exposure. Came out negative. What is the test's accuracy at 2 months from exposure ?
-
Test at two months is good, you just need to have it confirmed at 13 weeks.
-
A negative at two months is excellent. The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. All but the smallest number will seroconvert within 4-6 weeks after a risky incident.
So the signs are pointing towards you continuing to test negative. Stay productively busy during the remaining waiting time and it will go faster than you may imagine possible at this moment. I expect you to come out of this ok.
Cheers,
-
Hi Andy Et al,
I finally got my 3 months HIV test done. Came out neagtive. I will get another one done in May '07 (six months after exposure).
Thank you for all your support when I was not quite stable in my thought and was having anixety attacks. Really really appreciate it.
anxiety attack
So the signs are pointing towards you continuing to test negative. Stay productively busy during the remaining waiting time and it will go faster than you may imagine possible at this moment. I expect you to come out of this ok.
Cheers,
-
anxiety,
You are conclusively hiv negative and do NOT need further testing over this incident. The window period is three months, not six. You ARE hiv negative!
Remember to always use or insist on the use of condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse and you will remain hiv negative. Make sure you use them EVERY time and make sure they're being used correctly. Please read or re-read the condom and lube links in my signature line.
Ann