Broken condom in thailand

[kk]

Hey,

I had an encounter with a CSW in thailand where the condom broke, I'm unaware of her status.

we started off with it on, then as I came to the end, I realised it had broken completely off maybe 2 minutes.

She rushed to the bathroom to clean her vagina, then asked me if I had HIV, to which I replied no. She seemed worried and a bit angry. I seemed more concerned about being on the pill and or taking something since I probably ejaculated in her..

the 3 days following in thailand were hell, at the airport on the way home, i urinated a dark blood colour to which made matters worse,freak me out thinking it had something to do with my encounter, but i am sure it doesnt?

maybe stress?
anyway that stopped after some antibiotics.

Its been nearly a month since the event, and I've gotten a blocked nose, sore throat, runny nose, and a stiff neck towards the front, and a what seems to be a chest infection. I'm on antibiotics for the sore throat right now. do these resemble ARS?


I have 2-3 weeks left to wait for my test, I'm so anxious I'm stressed out of my mind, I cant function and these symptoms are making it worse. Ive read every site online and its so conflicting about transmission and ARS.

I have nobody else to talk to so the truth about my situation would help me understand where I'm at. Thank you!

[kk]

ps it was only vaginal intercourse.

[Matty the Damned]

Well the truth is that you have a low risk for HIV infection.

Low risk.

You were protected from infection up until the point that the condom broke. Moreover HIV is not easy to transmit, particular from a woman to a man during vaginal sex.

So you need to be tested 13 weeks from the date of this sexual encounter but I'm thinking you'll test negative.

You should also arrange to be tested for other STDs like gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia. These are all much more common and transmissible than HIV.

Good luck!

MtD

[kk]

I also went to the hospital the day after in thailand freaking out so bad and asking them if I could take anything to stop HIV. they prescribed PEP but I dont end up taking it because I hadnt heard of it, and it seemed pretty intense. They didnt really make me feel any better and made it out to be neccessary I take it. I was just scared.

Should i have taken it?

I took some drugs to kill STI's from a chemist the next day and got tested 3 days after the event for stis all which came back negative. But I will test again as Ive heard this is too soon.

Can anyone relive my fears about my symptoms above?

thanks for your response Matty. You telling me my risk is low helps alot!

[Matty the Damned]

I also went to the hospital the day after in thailand freaking out so bad and asking them if I could take anything to stop HIV. they prescribed PEP but I dont end up taking it because I hadnt heard of it, and it seemed pretty intense. They didnt really make me feel any better and made it out to be neccessary I take it. I was just scared.

Should i have taken it?

I took some drugs to kill STI's from a chemist the next day and got tested 3 days after the event for stis all which came back negative. But I will test again as Ive heard this is too soon.

Can anyone relive my fears about my symptoms above?

thanks for your response Matty. You telling me my risk is low helps alot!

Your STI tests (except for HIV) will be useless because you took treatments before you were tested. Given that a chemist gave you medications for STIs rather than a doctor you cannot be sure if you have gonorrhoea, syphilis or the like.

Taking medications BEFORE you are tested is very silly. You will have to be tested again for all of those diseases. Especially for syphilis.

Now, for the HIV.

I wouldn't think you need PEP in this case. But if you decide to take HIV PEP you have to understand that the 13 week window period blows out. You cannot get a reliable negative test result unless you test 13 weeks from the date you stop taking PEP.

If I was you I wouldn't take PEP. I'd just get tested 13 weeks after the sexual encounter.

MtD

[kk]

thanks, Yeh i never took it, just threw it out after i bought it.

I took the sti tablets the next day after the encounter then it was 3 -4 days I had an sti check, just making sure you understand my situation, as i didnt explain it very well...

I have had no symptoms on my penis since, howevr Im aware that some stis dont show symptoms so i will check again at 6 weeks with my hiv test.

I have had headaches too, but this is probably all stress related.

any more help in the form of chances of being infected and positive thoughts will help me immensly! Its tearing me apart.

[Ann]

kk,

According to guidelines, PEP is not indicated for insertive vaginal intercourse when the woman's hiv status is unknown. So stop beating yourself up over not taking it. You didn't need it.

Your hiv risk was very much on the low end of the scale. I've yet to see the insertive partner who had a condom break during vaginal intercourse end up positive because of it and I do not expect you to be the first. But you do need to test to be sure.

The earliest you should test for hiv is at six weeks. The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by this time, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days. A six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change.

The earliest you should test for the other STIs (for future reference) is at ten days to two weeks. I would recommend you have a full panel of STI testing about two weeks after the last dose of whatever the Thai pharmacist gave you. Please keep in mind that gonorrhea and chlamydia can be present with no obvious symptoms (as can syphilis) so the ONLY way to know whether or not you have any of these bacterial infections is to test at the appropriate time.

You need to know that syphilis shares a three month window with hiv for a conclusive negative result.

I fully expect you to come out of this ok where hiv is concerned. Just make sure you re-test for the other, more easily transmitted STIs.

Ann

[kk]

Thanks Ann,

I haven't had anyone to talk to about this situation so Ive been beating myself up worrying sick, your assurance about PEP and everything else will help me sleep tonight.

You guys don't seem to like to talk about symptoms, as i mentioned earlier so I guess il leave it at that. I feel better as im yet to have a fever or rash, just seem to have cough, phlegm in chest and blocked nose. all to which doesnt seem to be ARS, only on some sites.

il let you know how i test at 6 weeks.

[Ann]

kk,

You're welcome.

There are two reasons why we do not put any emphasis on symptoms.

One is because emphasis on symptoms may lead someone who has had a risk - but no symptoms - to think they do not need to test for hiv. Many people never experience a single symptom of seroconversion, so this is dangerous thinking indeed.

The other reason is because when seroconversion symptoms do happen, they are very general and flu-like. The symptoms could be anything - and when there has been no risk, they certainly are not caused by hiv.

Neither symptoms nor the lack of symptoms will ever tell you a single thing about your hiv status. ONLY testing at the appropriate time will.

Good luck with your testing. Again, I fully expect you to test hiv negative, but you do need to test to be sure.

Ann

[kk]

Hi everyone,

id like to ask a few more questions if thats okay?

As i said earlier i had a sore throat. I went to the doctors and she prescribed me some antibiotics, after a day of taking it, my sore throat got better immediately. Does this suggest it being more of a bacteria infection other than a viral infection? along with the sore throat I had a blocked nose, and phlegm. Just hoping to feel like its a sign to point away from the direction of being n ARS symptom as Ive begun to feel better after antibiotics and i heard antibiotics will not help symptoms associated with ARS since ARS is viral only.



Still getting tested at 6 weeks.

also i'm still finding myself constantly looking online for signs, symptoms, stats, studies done in thailand, its not healthy and i need help. can anyone write me a list of things in my favour i can read over instead of trying to find positive outcomes online? sounds silly.. but i'm OCD on looking at sites and its creating anxiety and stress.
Sorry to be a pain.

kk

[kk]

also, the antibiotic is amoxycillin.. which ive read helps gonohrea and other sti's?

hopefully im killing a few birds with this antibiotic?

still getting tested.

thoughts?

[Ann]

kk,

Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections. They will not have any effect on a virus nor will they have any effect on ARS (or the hiv testing window period).

While the antibiotic you're on will work on some bacterial STIs, there are strains out there which are resistant to that one. You should wait about two weeks after your last dose of the antibiotic before you test for the other STIs. I believe I already told you this.

You've also been given several reasons why you're unlikely to end up with hiv over this broken condom incident. I suggest you re-read your thread again and again instead of searching the web for things to fuel your fears.

Ann

[kk]

Hi again,

when I go to get my HIV test doen at 6 weeks.. how can i be sure that this is confidential? does Sydney, Australia a good well run system to protect identity of the person getting tested?

also, how is hiv hard to transmit than STDs? is it because HIV needs to get into the blood system?

thanks in advance
kk

[Andy Velez]

Other STDs are much easier to acquire than HIV. That's why we recommend that anyone who is sexually active ought to regularly have a full STD panel done. That means at least once a year and more frequently if there are symptoms like a sore on the penis or anything like that.

It is standard practice for test results to be confidential.