POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: wlatin on July 15, 2006, 07:14:18 pm
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hi,
about a month ago I engaged in oral sex with another man. There was no ejaculation but I imagine there was precum.....I was both the giver and receiver.. About a week to 10 days later my lymphnodes began to swell in my groin and my shoulder and jaw..this lasted about 2 weeks..The thing is 1 day before I had my gums clenaed. I am very very scared right now.. Its been one month and I took a test today..AmI doomed here?
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Short answer, no.
Longer answer, you describe a risk that is exceedingly, vanishingly small. And one which is undertaken millions of times a day across the globe. Were HIV easy to spread through fellatio, we would have an infection rate that supports that thesis.
I urge you to read the Welcome Thread on this site, which addresses oral sex specifically.
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I agree with Jonathan. I don't see any need for testing in relation to this incident UNLESS you find yourself needing the inevitable negative result to put your mind at rest.
Giving head is one of the most common sexual acts and we would have known long before today if it was a real risk. There have been a very few cases which seemed to have been from giving a blowjob but even the documentation on those was uncertain. Part of what protects you is that your saliva acts as a natural barrier against HIV in the situation, if in fact the guy was actually HIV+.
Cheers,
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Thank you very much for your answers.... :)
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Had protected sex...pretty sure the condom did not break...not 100 percent because I did not see it afterwards. Was at the receptive end. a few days after wards ( less than a week) have pain in groin area. My penis or mouth or his penis or mouth did not touch each other so I know its not in the penis end. Can Lymphnodes start hurting so soon if infected? Thank you
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Had the condom failed you would have known without a doubt. Your symptoms have nothing to do with HIV. They came on to quick to be related. See your doctor if you have a concern.
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As Rod said, you would have known. When a condom fails it's not about some teensy weensy hole as people sometimes imagine. The whole thing ends up looking like a fringed hula hoop on the guy's penis. Nothing subtle about it.
Condoms provide very effective protection. Whatever is going on has nothing to do with HIV. Like Rod said, if symtoms continue you should check things out with your doctor.
Cheers.
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w,
I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.
If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.
Please also read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.
Ann
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thank you for your response. I got symptoms of swollen glands from day 5 to day 9, now the pain subsided although some are still a little swollen. I guess its too soon to feel anything if it was a recent infection. I just dont understand if a pcr can detect the virus within the first week or so why would there be no symptoms in some people at such early stage?
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A little confused as to where i post so ill repeat the question here
thank you for your response. I got symptoms of swollen glands from day 5 to day 9, now the pain subsided although some are still a little swollen. I guess its too soon to feel anything if it was a recent infection. I just dont understand if a pcr can detect the virus within the first week or so why would there be no symptoms in some people at such early stage?
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Besides you not having a risk. You need to know not all people infected with HIV will have any symptoms. PCR tests are not approved diagnostic tests.
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w,
Something went wrong with your thread merger the other day and I didn't notice (sorry). They're properly merged now.
The symptoms SOME (not all) experience during primary infection is not actually in response to the virus itself. It is in response to a process the body goes through while producing antibodies. This takes a couple weeks to get underway.
If you have swollen groin glands, then perhaps you need to test for some of the other MUCH more easily transmitted STIs. You need to speak to your doctor about that. This website is an hiv specific website.
As condoms prevent hiv infection, you didn't have a risk.
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 with 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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Tommorrow I have a doc app finally..All my lymphnodes are swollen and they hurt:it started at one side then the the other side of the body..I get a little fever every now and thennothing more than 99.5..I cant help thinking that the condom did not work or soemthing or that i did not notice when he took it off that it was ok and he just didnt tell me. I very nervous about this. Im taking ibuprophen for the pain abnd thats it. lets see what the doctor says..I got a cbc last week and it was all within limits..figured if i had an ifection of any sort it would at least show there somehow
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uptdate...got a rash today the size of a quarter on my chest...red raised with a few mini bumps on it...Im very very scared :'(
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How many ways can it be said to you that you didn't have a risk that have any chance of you actually listening and believing what's told to you?
A rash months after the incident and you're allowing your fears to tie that into an HIV-related/ARS circumstance. In a word: RIDICULOUS.
Discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor. This all has nothing to do with HIV. You're getting closer to having a time out. We've told you what we think and those responses have been HIV-science based.
This is not an HIV situation. Period.
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Andy,
you have the situacions confused...the event im talking about happned 2 weeks ago. i started getting syptoms 4 days afterwards
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I stand corrected.
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Rash shmash. You had protected intercourse. So you weren't at risk. Period. This is all about your feelings and has no basis whatsoever in HIV science. You are worrying needlessly. Whatever is causing your rash is NOT HIV. You're an HIV worrier. That's way different than someone who has had a genuine risk.
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got it...sorry...its just that for most of us there is nobody we can talk too, and this is forum is like a release, a place to learn...a place where we find someone who knows and will listen. I apreciate your responses very very much. The whole situation just got uncotrolled in my mind. protected sex...the guy was pretty big... kept taking it off then on then off then on, to put creams and stuff always the same one. the actual penetration was with it on. thats it..
Thank you.
W
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some hiv tests test both antibody and antigens.What is the difference between hiv antibody and hiv antigen. Thanks
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W,
An antigen is any substance that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against it. An antigen may be a foreign substance from the environment such as chemicals, bacteria, viruses, or pollen.
Antibodies are a type of protein. They are produced by the immune system in response to foreign substances that may be a threat to the body -- such as chemicals, virus particles, spores, or bacterial toxins. (These foreign substances are called antigens.)
You're probably thinking of the p24 antigen test. It tests for a protein that is present very early in primary infection.
Why do you want to know this anyway? (no, don't answer that!) You haven't had a risk and if you use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, you won't have a risk in future either.
Ann
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Thank you Ann.
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Hi, Im going nuts here...I cant help thinking the condom broke and i did not notice it because I just dont feel right. Its been almost 6 weeks and I now I got a fever and my throat hurts after having some sores on my tongue. my lymphnodes are swollen in my groin and I feel generaly scared. could ars happen at 5 1/2 weeks? I had a antibody and antigen test...its dual..at almost 4 weeks it was negative. Sorry to be so insistent. Im just scared.
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Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result or no-risk situation, will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.
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Feelings are not facts. And the facts are that you did not have a risk.
Whatever is going on symptomatically with you has nothing to do with HIV. See your doctor if they persist.
We've told you what we think about your situation. If you can't handle the anxiety then seeing a counselor or other mental health professional might be a good idea. You can't keep coming back here just because you're anxious and misinterpreting everything that happens to your body as another sign of HIV. Yours is not an HIV situation. Period.
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Thank you for your kind words...sorry for being so paranoid
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You're welcome. Get on with your life and let go of this unwarranted worry. Really.
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back, one year later...had what i think was protected sex used condoms except for oral sex which was not protected 3 to 4 weeks ago. I just developed shingles. could this be that something wasnt safe during sex? should i test for hiv?
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Shingles are not an HIV-specific occurence. Anyone who has had chicken pox can have an outbreak. Not infrequently stress seems to be a factor which can induce an outbreak. Discuss the problem with your doctor if it persists.
As long as you used a condom for intercourse and it didn't break, then you were well protected against the sexual transmission of HIV. I don't see any need for testing over that incident. This is not an HIV situation.
Cheers.
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Turned out it was not shingles but a rash...my cbc showed an infection was probable. At the end of the sex when the guy pulled out the condom stayed half in and i pulled it out.. could this have been a risk? I did not think it was until now.
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From what you have described, the guy had the condom on during anal intercourse. The fact that it was half hanging out when he pulled out means it was on during intercourse and there wouldn't have been any leakage from it to you.
I don't see any cause for concern nor any need for testing.
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thanks Andy
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You're welcome.
And I will just add that you have been coming here long enough to be able to transfer the information you have been given in the past to new situations. As long as you continue to consistently use condoms everytime for anal (or vaginal) intercourse you will be well protected from the sexual transmission of HIV.
Cheers.
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Back here unfortunately....I had sex 3 weeks ago with a condom..as far as i know the condom was fine but i got an std in my butt after 4 days.( I think ,had a slight mucus discharge and the doctor did not take any test and just gave me antibiotics) .that means i was most likely at risk for hiv. I tested at 2 weeks with a duo test and was negative, but I am really scared because I woke up with swollen gland under my jaw and soreness on my chest next to my arm on the same side as jaw. I touched but did not find any balls around there. I wake up every morning with a sllight sore throat. No fever, but got a small rash two days ago on my arm that is almost gone now after aplying corticoid creme. I know I have to wait for the test..I hear from what i read that at 4 weeks the duo test is pretty good in determing infection. I will be doing it next week. feeling ashamed, anxous and scared.
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You didn't have a risk of contracting HIV or an STD if you had protected sex.
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Thank you rapiod...but consider the folllowing...after the sex I started feeling groin pain followed by the mucus discharge, maybe the condom leaked after sex since it wasnt removed immediately, which could have infected me with the std. After I was given antibiotics which releived the pain in the groin although I still have lingering efects there. I finish the antibiiotics tommorrow.
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Condoms don't leak. You don't even know if you had an STD you were never tested. You didn't get and STD from protected sex.
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This is all in the domain of what ifs. You have protected intercourse. Condoms provide very effective protection. Doubts and fears are not facts. There is no scientific basis for thinking you had an HIV exposure.
If you continue to return about this non-risk incident you are going to find yourself getting a Time Out from the site. This is NOT an HIV situation.