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Author Topic: Worried I have contracted HIV!!!  (Read 3194 times)

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Offline peterpancake

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Worried I have contracted HIV!!!
« on: June 27, 2013, 06:40:19 am »
I Hope someone can help. About 8 months ago I had vaginal and anal sex with a sex worker protected. During intercourse the condom slipped half way inside her, I immediately stopped and carefully pulled the condom back up fully and then continued for 5 minutes and was finished. At the time I put my finger partly inside her to put the condom back on fully, I noticed she had some bumps on the inside of her vagina which I now know from research and pictures were Herpes.

Since this situation I have recently fallen ill about 6 1/2 months after this exposure.

Symptoms below.

Intermittent fever.
Aches and pains in Muscles and joints.
A rash on my inner thigh (dark patch) which seems to be fungal.

These all went away after 3 weeks but now I have a white tongue which seems to be oral Thrush.

Could any of this indicate an HIV infection, since I didn't think my encounter was high risk and on top of that my girlfriend is now pregnant and took a forth generation HIV test as part of screening which came back negative but I'm still very worried because I am normally a healthy person with exercise at the gym etc and it was strange that I fell so I'll even though I had no prior illness or I didn't notice if I did?

Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!!
 

Offline Ann

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Re: Worried I have contracted HIV!!!
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2013, 06:55:19 am »
Peter,

You didn't have a risk. The important thing is that the head of your penis was covered. The skin on the shaft is no different to skin anywhere else on your body, and hiv is NOT transmitted through the skin.

You cannot diagnose herpes from photos on the internet. Even doctors have a difficult time diagnosing herpes just by looking at it.

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. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

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

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

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"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline peterpancake

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Re: Worried I have contracted HIV!!!
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2013, 07:25:46 am »
Hi Ann,

Sorry to bother you again. I'm just mainly worried about my partner and child. Could it be possible she was infected just before her HIV screening since my encounter was just 6 1/2 months before her test, although we always had unprotected vaginal and anal sex?

Thanks for your advise in advance.

I also agree that there was not much risk as I always use a condom with strangers in the past and in this case but I've never felt so ill and if I was exposed would these symptoms fall in place with infection?

Offline Ann

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Re: Worried I have contracted HIV!!!
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2013, 08:04:10 am »
Peter,

The illness that sometimes accompanies acute hiv infection is not caused by the virus itself. It is caused by the process the body goes through while producing antibodies (this is why the symptoms are so similar to 1000s of other illnesses).

If your illness had anything to do with hiv, you would be testing positive by now.

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 is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point.

It's unclear whether or not you have ever tested for hiv. If not, why not? It's something all sexually active adults should do periodically when not in a strictly monogamous relationship where you have both tested hiv negative TOGETHER.

You are NOT in a strictly monogamous relationship. She may think she is, but you are certainly NOT.

You should also be testing for all the other MUCH more easily transmitted infections - some of which UNLIKE hiv can be transmitted from skin-to-skin contact.

You absolutely cannot know your own hiv status by your partner's status. Exposure does not guarantee transmission.

If you've never been tested for hiv and other STIs - go do it. Yesterday.

Ann

Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline peterpancake

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Re: Worried I have contracted HIV!!!
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2013, 08:19:21 am »
Hi Ann,

I agree and that's why I am going to get tested next week to be certain, but was just checking the possibility since I have been tested 3 years ago and was negative. I know I made a mistake which wasn't great risk but I honestly don't sleep around which is why the guilt is killing me since I'm more concerned about my partners risk.

Just to confirm could my Illness be ARS even though it was so late after this possible exposure?

Thanks!

Offline Ann

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    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Worried I have contracted HIV!!!
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2013, 08:25:45 am »
Peter,

If you had a seroconversion-related illness, it would have happened in the first 2-4 weeks, not six months later.

You did not have a risk for hiv when the condom slipped down, provided it didn't come off completely and uncover your head.

If you cannot bring yourself to believe us that you had NO HIV RISK, go test. It's the only way to accurately know your current hiv status.

Keep in mind that hiv isn't the only STI out there, and all the rest are MUCH more easily transmitted than hiv.

Ann

Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

 


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