POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: hoping4thebest on February 28, 2008, 04:10:06 pm
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I have read the welcome thread but I am still concerned about a possible HIV infection. Please help me with my situation.
A week ago I had sexual contact with a woman whose HIV status is unknown to me. I engaged in mutualmast. with her. My fingers were inside her vagina. I was unaware that she was on her period as apparently she was unaware of it herself. I had a small cut on my finger that had been acquired about 8 hours earlier. In addition I was on top of her back (similiar to giving someone a back rub) and masturb. We were both naked and out anus' might have touched.
Immediately the next day I started to get symptoms of the flu (body aches, coughing up mucus from my chest, slight sore throught, fluctuating fever and runny nose) these symptoms have persisted since Sunday (5 total days).
Is this a possible HIV infection? Am I in the early stages of seroconversion? Is the possible anus to anus contact something to be fearful of? We did not have unprotected vaginal sex. I know the only way to be sure is to get the test @ 13 weeks, and I am sure there are people on this board that want to give reliable information yet at the same time calm any panic. On the other hand how worried should I be?
Thanks for any feedback. I think the people that are taking time out of their day to help worried souls on this board are truly fantastic.
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Also how effective is a Elisa or Oraquick test @ 1 month?
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hope,
Fingering is not a risk for hiv infection, regardless of where a woman is in her menstrual cycle and regardless of cuts on your fingers. Not one person has EVER been infected this way and you won't be the first. NO RISK and no need to test.
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.
Although you DO NOT NEED TO TEST over this specific incident, 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.
Ann
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Thank you for the quick response Ann. I also mentioned that our anus' might have touched while I was on top of her. How concerned about that should I be?
Also, I have read over and over that symptoms ARE NOT reliable indicators for an HIV infection, but IF a person has become infected how long afterwards do the symptoms start to present themselves?
I greatly appreciated your time.
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hope,
Touching anuses would be consider frottage (frottage is french for rubbing and is used to describe the act of rubbing one's genitals against the genitals of another person) and frottage is NOT a risk for hiv infection.
Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse.
The symptoms of hiv seroconversion, if they happen at all, normally happen between two and four weeks after infection has taken place. The do NOT start happening the day after.
You did NOT have a risk for hiv infection, so whatever is going on with you has nothing to do with hiv. See your doctor for a diagnosis. We cannot diagnose you over the internet.
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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I am trying not to be overly neurotic about this situation, but I am also very scared.
I have also been experiencing EXTREME night sweats for over 7 days now. My skin feels like it is very hot a certain times. I know discussing symptoms is not the most constructive thing, but I have never had night sweats before and certainly not for this length of time. I have googled "night sweats" and the most likely cause seems to come back as possible HIV infection. I am now only 8 days past the incident that I am concerned about. Could this be a seroconversion? When can I go in for a test that is going to be more than 50% likelihood of being accurate? Are tests done 25 days after in anyway accurate? It would be hard to imagine being this stressed out for 13 weeks.
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The only way you can have seroconversion is if you have had a risk and you have not. So whatever the symptoms are you are having have nothing to do with HIV. If you are still concerned about your symptoms see your doctor.
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hope,
Extreme stress and anxiety can cause nightsweats. See your doctor. You did not have a risk for hiv infection.
Ann