Risk or No Risk ?

[piksi]

Hello Everyone,

I am getting a bit paranoid. What do you think about this? Am I infected?

I got a fair number of hand jobs from the local massage paroles. I never had any vaginal or anal sex, protected or unprotected, no sex in this meaning of the word at all. During my visits I fingered maybe two providers for maybe 3 min. each, and on maybe 3 other occasions I received a very short maybe 5 min protected oral sex from a provider. Around mid March I got a sty on my eye, which went away in 3 days, and then I had a swelling under the same eye for 3 more days. Around mid April I got a big cold sore on my lower lip which lasted for maybe a week. Then the allergy season came in (I have seasonal allergies: stuffy nose, shortness of breath, etc ) and I also noticed that my neck would get a bit stiff. I also think that my lymph node behind my right ear and under my right armpit got a bit swollen (it’s hard for me to tell as I typically do not touch myself), but I definitely felt that my neck was stiff, especially when it was colder outside. The swelling or stiffness sort of lasted for a month and I decided to get hiv tested. The test came out negative. Do you think I am hallucinating here or do I have a valid reason to be concerned?

Thank you very much for the help !!!

[RapidRod]

You never had an exposure so if you are concerned about your symptoms see your doctor.

[Andy Velez]

Nothing you are reporting has put you at risk for HIV infection. The only confirmed risks for that are unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse. Everything else is strictly theoretically a risk.

You are worrying needlessly. If you have any troubling symptoms you should discuss them with your doctor. They have nothing to do with HIV.

[piksi]

Hey Everybody,

Before I ask the question(s) I want to say that I do understand it may NOT be related to HIV. However I ask because I am concerned and I ask  on this forum as you have plenty of experience. All I am looking for is your thoughts on the matter for which I thank you very much.

A little background: as I have stated in my previous post I received handjobs from various providers, received protected oral sex twice (don’t know if I should even call it that way as it lasted maybe 3 min. each) and fingered/touched various providers vaginas. No vaginal or anal sex at all.

I tested negative (I think in April) and negative in early July (home test), but here’s what’s happening:

- Swollen lymph node (right armpit)
- Tight neck or swollen right lymph node (cant tell)
- And something that bothers me the most – my skin is hypersensitive. I woke up one day and the skin on my forearm and my palm feels like sun burnt. No rash, no blisters, no redness, color and texture is normal it just feels like a 3rd degree burn (feels like that when I am wearing a shirt). It’s also very localized, it’s painful in one spot but an inch away from the spot it’s OK, no pain there. This is the 2nd time it's happening. The first time it happened, maybe a month ago I didnt make much of it and it went away after 2-3 days.

Can this be related to HIV seroconversion or maybe any of you know if the sensitive skin feeling is caused by some other STD?

Would you consider mutual masturbation completely safe (just your opinion, I know the statistics or rather the lack of such), or is the "hobby" a health hazard ?

Any help is much appreciated

Thank you !

[Andy Velez]

Piksi, I have merged your threads here. Please follow our rule and keep all of your entries and comments in this one thread.

Nothing you are reporting of your sexual activities is in any way a risk for HIV transmission. The ONLY confirmed risks for transmitting HIV sexually are unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse. So you are worrying needlessly about HIV. Whatever is going on symptomatically is something you should investigate with your doctor.

This is absolutely NOT an HIV situation. Period. Good luck in getting it properly sorted out.

[piksi]

Thanks a lot for your help !!!

[Andy Velez]

You're welcome. Good luck. 

[piksi]

5 min, protected, vaginal penetration with a stripper. Would you at all consider this a risk ?

I am sorry if I annoyed anyone asking this question, but I just need some mental support and this forum has proven to provide such in the past.

Thanks !
Cheers !

[RapidRod]

Please do not start a new thread every time you have another question or thought - regardless if you think your questions are related to each other or not. It helps us to help you when you keep all your thoughts or questions in one thread and it helps other readers to follow the discussion. Additional threads will be merged.



If you cannot find your thread, click on the "Show own posts" link in the left-hand column of any forum page, under your name.

[Ann]

Piksi,

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 everything in one thread. It doesn't matter how long it has been since you last posted in your thread or if the subject matter is different.

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 so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.




You did exactly what you're supposed to do to prevent hiv infection - you used a condom. Condoms have been proven to prevent hiv infection. There have been three long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.

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 PROTECTED INTERCOURSE, 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

[piksi]

First, let me start with saying that it’s been a while since I have reached out to you for advice and you have always been very helpful.

Here’s what happened:

I went to a strip joint or more like a whore house; it’s a strip joint with basically unlimited extras. Had a dance with a stripper, she was jerking me and I was fingering her. At some point I put my finger really deep in her vagina. We were done in maybe 10 min. I went to the bathroom to wash my hands and noticed blood on my finger. I guess she prolly had her period (she was not bleeding profusely; not that it matters anyways, blood is blood). It was not a lot of blood but yes it was blood on my finger, right where the finger nail meets the skin. I washed it off and noticed that I had some tiny little scabs on that finger right at the spot from which I just washed her blood (perhaps I bit my finger or a finger nail a day or two ago).

I immediately thought that her blood must have come in direct contact with mine. So I thought to myself how do I now figure out if my finger was actually punctured and had some tiny, open wound? I pressed on it very hard a few times; I figured that if the skin is broken I should see my blood coming out. I was not bleeding. I got a little more paranoid and performed a small since experiment by applying hand sanitizer directly where the blood was, thinking that if my finger indeed has small, open cuts I should feel the burning from the alcohol. I did not feel any burning.
What do you think? Was I exposed to a possible HIV infection? Does this warrant testing?

As always, thank you very much for your moral support.

[RapidRod]

■Please do not start a new thread every time you have another question or thought - regardless if you think your questions are related to each other or not. It helps us to help you when you keep all your thoughts or questions in one thread and it helps other readers to follow the discussion. Additional threads will be merged.

■If you cannot find your thread, click on the "Show own posts" link in the left-hand column of any forum page, under your name.

[Ann]

piksi,

Once again, 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 everything in one thread. It doesn't matter how long it has been since you last posted in your thread or if the subject matter is different.

Get with the program already and STOP disregarding our rules!

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. If you don't read it and abide by our rules, you risk being permanently banned.





Fingering is simply not a risk for hiv infection, even if there is blood present. Hiv can only latch onto and infect a very few, very specific types of cells and these cells are not present in the skin on your fingers.

If you had a really deep, fresh, actively bleeding cut and you fingered someone with that cut, then you might have a problem. But who in their right mind is going to finger someone with a cut on a finger that needs medical attention and stitches?

The cells that hiv can latch onto and infect are found in the lining of the anus and vagina, the lining of the urethra (where you pee from) and the inner lining of the foreskin (the part you can't see when the foreskin is pulled over the head of the penis) in uncut men. All you need to do to protect yourself from hiv infection is to use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse.

Re-read your entire thread - and pay attention to my advice to you in reply #9. It's all spelled out for you there.

Ann