Gave handjob and have symptoms

[theworrier1972]

Hello,

I'm straight but became curious to give a handjob. I met up with a man from Craigslist on May 28 and gave him a handjob and did get precum/semen on my hands. I started to experience cold/flu like symptoms and it's been freaking me out.

I was starting to feel reassured that my experimentation but then just read part of ARS is small, pimple like rashes on the trunk of the body. I then recalled that I have had a small, pimple like rash in the middle of my torso over my heart for a few weeks now and when looking in the mirror it seems to be spreading out. I'm wondering why this hasn't cleared up when I've had other pimples on my face.

On Monday I got chills, fever and had a serious night sweat but haven't had nigh sweats since. But I suffer from health anxiety and am going to start therapy from that.

I'm so frustrated because I thought that I was calming my mind as of last night but I just read about the pimple like rash this morning and now I'm in full blown panic mode. I can't help but think that I'm going to be the first person to acquire HIV from giving a handjob. I just need some more reasssurance.

Thank you for your time.

[jkinatl2]

Your incident was in no possible way an HIV concern.

[Ann]

Worrier,

For a start, I'm hiv positive and guess what - I'm clean too. I shower daily. Maybe you're just repeating what you were told, "clean", but I want you to understand that it's very insulting to refer to the state of someone's sexual health as "clean". It implies that those of us who are living with a virus are somehow dirty. Please don't use that term here again.

We don't want to know about your symptoms. Neither symptoms or even the lack of symptoms will ever tell you a single thing about your hiv status. ONLY testing will.

All we want to know about is your risk level, and in your case you had NO risk. Handjobs or mutual masturbation is one of the safest things you can do.

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, getting cum anywhere on the outside of your body is NOT a risk.

Hiv IS transmitted through unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, sharing drug injecting equipment and from mother-to-child during pregnancy or birth. If you're not doing the first two activities and if you're not an unborn child, then you have not been at risk.

I have to wonder - are you only worrying about these two handjobs because you (wrongly) believe the old crap about hiv being a "gay disease"? Well let me tell you mate, if you've been having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with women you haven't mentioned, then you have been at risk.

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.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST SPECIFICALLY OVER HANDJOBS, 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

[theworrier1972]

For a start, I'm hiv positive and guess what - I'm clean too. I shower daily. Maybe you're just repeating what you were told, "clean", but I want you to understand that it's very insulting to refer to the state of someone's sexual health as "clean". It implies that those of us who are living with a virus are somehow dirty. Please don't use that term here again.
____________________________________________________________________

I sincerely apologize. I in no way meant any disrespect. I only used the term because it's a common term that I see other people use but I completely understand how you could find it disrepsectful and I am sorry for that. It was a bad choice of words but I certainly don't perceive individuals like yourself as dirty and I am thankful that you are here offering your expertise.

If I hear other people use the term I will certainly share your perspective with them because you don't deserve to be insulted.

Thanks for your time. It's greatly appreciated.