Condom break

[atn]

Hi,

Thanks for your assistance to pple on the forum

I got a condom break with a CSW in Africa at start of March 12.She felt a pop sound and I withdrew immediately and put on another one.I talked to her about about her status and confidently said she is okay and  even went ahead to give me her mobile phone number.

I browsed on initial hiv signs and got scared when in 7 days I got painful neck glands which are on and off till today.3 weeks later I experienced 3 days of night sweats but went away after reading this forum;got less stressed.

Do you think I was at risk and do these signs portray anything?I plan to get the test after 3 months.

Please help.

Thanks,
Atn

[Ann]

atn,

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

We cannot diagnose symptoms here. If you feel unwell, see a doctor. It's unlikely what you're experiencing has anything to do with hiv.

The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, 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.

While you have had a risk, it is very much on the lower end of the scale. Hiv is much more difficult to transmit from a woman to a man and your exposure was very brief. You do need to test, but I expect you'll test negative. I have yet to see the insertive partner end up positive over a condom break and I do not expect you to be the first.

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.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

[atn]

Thanks Ann,

I will undertake the tests and will update you on the outcomes.It sometimes getting quite stressful when the thought flashes my mind sometime causing heat flashes.

Cheers.

[Andy Velez]

Well fortunately fears and doubts aren't facts. And given the facts of your situation as you have reported, which is a very low level risk situation, we do expect you to come out of this ok.

Meantime while waiting to test you need to make a real effort to focus on other matters in your life. Doing that will help the time to pass more easily than you may imagine is possible.

[atn]

I have stayed focused and trying to forget this as awaiting testing but please please every pain in my body keeps scaring me, my joints are aching (knee,elbows and fingers) and part of my muscles and this scares me terribly.Pain on left elbow led to a painful left arm node last weekend that lasted for a day.God!!!
These are changes happening 8 weeks after the first ones of night sweats & heat flashes.
Have you had pple with these signs turning negative??

Waiting to have my first test next week.

[Andy Velez]

There is nothing even remotely HIV-specific about any of your symptoms. Unfortunately you are now misinterpreting everything you are feeling as if  it is a confirmation of your worst fears.

Despite all of that I still expect you are going to test negative.

Yours symptoms are something to discuss with your doctor if they continue.

[atn]

Thanks Andy for the advice.

If anything goes on should consult the doc.The problem has been that i can remember  having these kind of happenings.things like nodes paining would scare anybody especially after browsing some of these HIV sites which I have religiously stopped visiting. 

Will keep you posted.

[Andy Velez]

That's a good move to have stopped going to the various websites. They only feed your worst fears and all to no good purpose.

Happily HIV is not going to be your problem. Get on with your life.  I continue to expect you to come out of this situation ok.