Risk assessment

[wayne369]

I had an experience of mutual masterbation with a man about 2 to 3 weeks ago. Don't know if ejaculation was on privates or not.

I know there is 0 risk with this.

I am also on prep daily and take it religiously and use the prep track x.
I am afraid that this medication will fail to protect me at some point.

I have just developed flu like symptoms such as feeling hot, sote throat, aching all over and feeling generally unwell.

I do not know how to take away my anxiety away from.feeling like this.

[Jim]

Sorry to hear that you are struggling.

Perhaps take a break from having sex and talk to a psychiatrist about the anxiety & causes.

I know there is 0 risk with this.

Plenty of risk, just not for HIV. You did not acquire HIV from masturbation,  that much is certain.

[wayne369]

Thank you so much for reply.

I will take a break from everything.

My symptoms must be seasonal flu.

[Jim]

You're welcome.

Hope you feel better soon.

[wayne369]

Hey. Quick risk assessment if that's okay.

1st one is:-
I left my house and outside stepped in something sharp that was enough to pierce my skin, looked like a small needle, was jot attached to a syringe. I had trainers on with no socks and don't know how it could get into my trainer.

2nd one :-
I take patient's blood as part of my job. And everything, I do so recently I have this sensation as if a speck of something goes into my eye pr bottom. When I feel something goes into my eye, I don't blink, so I don't naturally react to it.

I take PrEP religiously at 8am in the morning or just before. If a substantial amount of blood would to enter my blood stream this way, would prep protect me, or would this be a PEP job.

Many thanks, and sorry about the list.

[leatherman]

Let me give you the best facts about HIV risk assessment:

Did you have unprotected anal/vaginal sex?
Did you share injection needles?

Anything that isn't one of those 2 situations is not a risk. HIV outside the body is exposed to air and temperature changed and isn't able to infect.

I take PrEP religiously at 8am in the morning

as long as you're combining PrEP with protected (using condoms) anal/vaginal sex you won't have a risk for HIV.

Have a great day,
Michael

Reducing Your HIV risks:
With no exceptions, use condoms correctly and consistently for anal or vaginal intercourse
Talk to a healthcare provider about PrEP as another layer of protection

Get tested yearly for HIV and other STIs.
If you don’t use condoms and/or PrEP, test more frequently

Some sexual practices described as safe in terms of acquiring HIV still pose a risk for other more easily acquired STIs. It is possible to show no signs or symptoms from an STI so testing is the only way to know.

Get tested at least yearly for STIs, including but not limited to HIV, and more frequently if condomless intercourse occurs.

What’s the ONLY way to know if you’ve been infected by HIV or an STI?
Get tested.


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[wayne369]

Hi another incident.

Got out of a taxi, where something sharp was poking out of the seat which was enough to cut me and friends, the 3 of us.
I was the middle one getting out of the taxi. And we got out of the taxi 2 seconds of each other, whilst cutting ourselves on the thigh.

What is the risk for transmission to occur if one of us was positive.

Many thanks

[Jim]

How long have you had & how often do you get these HIV fears?

[wayne369]

All the time and it is affecting my quality of life. I can't move on.

I work in health care and that just increases my anxiety.
I'm on daily prep and that increases my anxiety.

I'm starting not to touch things my friends are touching out of fear.

I think of the worse case scenario and I must have really bad karma as an occurrance of some kind always happens to me.

[Jim]

I must have really bad karma as an occurrance of some kind always happens to me.

That is the thing, it's just life and it happens to everyone, nothing particularly unusual or bad is happening to you.

I'm on daily prep and that increases my anxiety.

Some people with irrational HIV fears, who have no real HIV risk still take PrEP to provide additional peace of mind, so essentially being used complementary mental health medicine in these situations, however, complementary medicine doesn't resolve the underlying psychological or emotional problems that also need to be addressed.

All the time and it is affecting my quality of life. I can't move on.

I'm starting not to touch things my friends are touching out of fear.

I am truly sorry to hear how stressful these irrational HIV fears are and the impact they are having on the quality of your life, I also wish I could assist you but I can't.

Our focus is HIV, safer sex information and HIV risk assessments, risk assessment will not resolve your problems and we are not mental health therapists, please talk to a psychiatrist before things get worse and I wish you all the best, take it easy. 

[wayne369]

That's fine as I will be starting cbt.

However, is the taxi incident a risk factor?

[Jim]

Instead of jumping into CBT,  I think you should consider first sitting down face-to-face with a psychiatrist for a proper psychiatric assessment and support.

You mentioned you work in healthcare, I am not sure what field but I am sure you either know someone or know how to get a referral for a psychiatrist.

However, is the taxi incident a risk factor?

No.

[leatherman]

is the taxi incident a risk factor?

You know the answer already.

Can you say yes to either of these questions?

Did you have unprotected anal/vaginal sex?
Did you share injection needles?

if both answers are no (and don't confuse any stabbing, pricking, slicing or cutting as anything like sharing injection needles), then the answer is there was NO risk for HIV.

if you're unable to get some mental health support or until you do, if you ever have an HIV worry, ask those two questions. As long as the answer to both is No, then you were not at risk for HIV.

[wayne369]

Thank you so much.