scared women.

[girlblue]

Hi everyone, I've been kinda lurking on this site for a couple weeks for one trying to draw up enough courage to explain my story and for two trying to find the right words so that i don't sound insensitive.
I hope someone can help me out, i've been scoring the internet trying to find odds on being infected after one unprotective vaginal sexual encounter ( i know sometimes it only take one time)
here is my story 5 months ago i had sex with a guy and didn't not use a condom. bad drunken one night stand.. since then i have had a vaginal itching that i pressumed was a yeast infection but it started like 3 days after the incident. 2 weeks after that i had a bad sinus infection.. that took awhile to get rid of. and since this incident i've had really bad shoulder pain and neck pain.. and now for about 2 weeks i have had bad groin pain. i've never had a fever, or rash, diahria or vomiting. and i've actually gained weight. my questions are in a 4-5 mouth span after possibly being infected how bad would the symptoms be. typically.

i am terrified of getting tested. does anyone know any odds of someone being infected after one time? i also of coarse didn't know his status well because it was a bad one night stand. is there anyone who could just talk to me? help me out ?

thanks so much to all of you, who help so many people.

love A xox

[RapidRod]

Odds are for horse tracks and HIV is not a game. You can test now and obtain your conclusive test results.

[Ann]

Girl,

You have had a risk and you do need to test.

Neither symptoms nor the lack of symptoms will ever tell you a single thing about your hiv status. Testing is the ONLY way to accurately know your hiv status.

You can test now for a conclusive result.

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

[girlblue]

Thanks for the responses guys. Of coarse i know that hiv is not a game. i made a mistake and realize that i put myself at risk by having unprotected sex. But now i feel very alone and kinda stuck in my own head if that makes any sense. i am terrified of getting tested, because in my mind its like i already have it, but not ready for it to be confirmed.

this is crazy. i am terrified.

[Andy Velez]

None of your symptoms are HIV specific. If they persist you should check them out with your doctor.

You can test anytime now as Ann has already told you. Stop torturing yourself and just go and get it done. While the risk was real you had only a one-time risk, which is in your favor. Either way you need to know your status. Get tested and keep us posted.

Good luck.

[girlblue]

thank you so much for your response Andy, while your words are encouraging, i do know that i put myself at risk, and i've been terrified since its happened.. for me when someone says just get tested and get it over with, yes it could be negative but it could very well be positive...i have always had a fear of hiv even before my last mistake. thanks for talking to me about all this, i am very alone in all this. No family or friends.

[Andy Velez]

Fears notwithstanding, my experience tells me that getting tested is the best thing you can do for yourself, no matter what the result is. 

[Ann]

Girl,

The odds are actually in your favour of testing hiv negative following this one-off incident.

However, one thing you said concerns me. You said you "presumed" you had a yeast infection - but did you ever get checked out by a doctor? There are other, MUCH more prevalent and easily transmitted STIs out there, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. These infections can often be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to be tested.

You need to be aware that untreated chlamydia and/or gonorrhea can cause scarring in your fallopian tubes, rendering you infertile. If you want children in the future, go get a complete sexual health check up. Blocked fallopian tubes due to untreated infections is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. Untreated chlamydia can also cause other, seemingly unrelated problems, like arthritis. Get yourself to a doctor.

As for knowing your hiv status - it's far better to know than not know. If you are indeed hiv positive (which I doubt), you will need to monitor your health. This is serious stuff, so GO TEST.

Saying you're too scared to test is not going to wash here. You're mature enough to have sex, now be mature enough to look after your health. This is not negotiable.

GO TEST!!!

Ann

[girlblue]

Thanks Ann for your response, 2 month after my risk i went to the clinic here and asked for all the std test, she informed me though that the window period for testing for hiv, syphilis and herpes was 3 months, and so did not want to test me,she did though test me for clamidia and gnororea (sorry for the spelling) that came back all clear. but she did give me an exam down there and noticed i had some type of fungal infection, white specks on the inside of my vagina. of coarse i freaked out because i had read that fungal and yeast infections in women are one of the first signs of hiv. and then of coarse all the other symptoms started though i don't know how many would actually be related to hiv or more so to my anxiety.

i lost my nerve to return after 3 months.. and to this day i still have vaginal itch..with terrible groin pain...and all around pain where all my lymph nodes are...the lady at the clinic also informed me that yes i did have a risk but that like you said odds were in my favor because it was ONE time.

I am still very afraid, And I know i must bite the bullet be a muture women about this and go. i also have a little girl to think about.

i also wanted to thank you for your help, its amazing what you do here, and how many people you reach and help. at the risk of sounding like a suck up, you've helped me start to summon up the courage to go.

thanks again
A

[Ann]

A,

Just go test. If by chance you do test positive, you need to know this for your little girl. The ONLY people in developed countries who are dying from hiv these days are people with undiagnosed, untreated hiv. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for her.

And if you're not poz, you'll still be doing your daughter a favour. If you think she's not picking up on your anxiety, think again. Kids are very perceptive and she'll be wondering if she's doing something wrong. Kids pick up on tension and always think it's their fault.

GO. TEST. TOMORROW!!!

Ann