Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 05:51:38 pm

Login with username, password and session length


Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772946
  • Total Topics: 66310
  • Online Today: 441
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 3
Guests: 389
Total: 392

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Welcome to Do I Have HIV?

Welcome to the "Do I Have HIV?" POZ forum.

This special section of the POZ forum is for individuals who have concerns about whether or not they are HIV positive. Individuals are permitted to post up to three questions or responses in this forum.

Ongoing participation in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum (posting more than three questions or responses) requires a paid subscription, with secure payments made via PayPal.

A seven-day subscription is $9.99, a 30-day subscription is $14.99 and a 90-day subscription is $24.99.

Anyone who needs to post more than three messages in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum -- including past, present and future POZ Forums members -- will need to subscribe, with secure payments made via PayPal.

There is no charge to read threads in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum, nor will there be a charge for participating in any of the other POZ forums. In addition, the POZ Basics "HIV Transmission and Risks" and "HIV Testing" basics, will remain accessible to all.

NOTE: HIV testing questions will still need to be posted in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum; attempts to post HIV symptoms or testing questions in any other forums will be considered violations of our rules of membership and subject to time-outs and permanent bans.

To learn how to upgrade your Forums account to participate beyond three posts in the "Do I Have HIV?" Forum, please click here.

Thank you for your understanding and future support of the best online support service for people living with, affected by and at risk for HIV.

Author Topic: testing  (Read 2641 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Bolgere

  • Standard
  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
testing
« on: July 16, 2013, 06:18:28 am »
Hello, I had a minimal risk exposure 23 days ago now with a eastern european CSW which consisted of protected vaginal intercourse and unprotected cunninglus. I'm pretty sure the condom didn't break, although I wasn't the one who took it off so I cannot be completely sure. Anyway, I wasn't too worried until a few days ago when I started developing weird symptoms which included a smooth rash on my forehead, almost feels as if it is part of my skin? Also, a slight sore throat and my tongue has felt quite sore for some reason.

I was thinking of taking a DUO test tomorrow which would be 24 days since my encounter, but I was wondering if the test would be effective at this time as I know its meant to be done at 28 days. Does 4 days really make any difference?

I know I'm probably worrying for no reason but I mostly want to do these tests for my own peace of mind.

Thank you in advance.

Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: testing
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2013, 06:57:55 am »
Bolgere,

You have NOT had a risk for hiv infection.

If the condom had broken, you would have noticed as a broken condom is VERY obvious. Also, the sex worker would have noticed and said something. Sex workers use condoms to protect themselves, not you. STIs are bad for business in the sex trade.

Cunnilingus is also not a risk for hiv infection. Not only is saliva not infectious, but it also contains over a dozen different proteins and enzymes that damage hiv and render it unable to infect.

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.

If you did have a risk (you did NOT have a risk), the earliest you should test is at six weeks. 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.

The only thing a test at 24 days will reliably tell you is that you were hiv negative six weeks beforehand.

A six week negative is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point - where there has been a risk. You have NOT had a risk.


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 FOR HIV SPECIFICALLY FOLLOWING PROTECTED INTERCOURSE AND/OR CUNNILINGUS, 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

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 Bolgere

  • Standard
  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
Re: testing
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2013, 05:55:01 am »
Okay thank you, so would you not reccommend testing at all then?
My symptoms have kinda gotten worse, my throat feels more sore, I now have a stomach ache and it looks as if I'm on the verge of getting diarroheas as well as my stools have been much looser recently. I generally don't feel ill and feel quite well though.

1. Are these symptoms anything I should worry about in regards to HIV?
2. Is it true when you actually do get ARS symptoms they're usually quite bad and you get them all?
3. Should I just stop worrying and get on with my life?

Again, thank you in advance.

Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: testing
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2013, 07:20:59 am »
Bolgere,

You should test because you're a sexually active adult. I've already told you that any sexually active adult should be having regular, routine sexual health check ups, including but NOT LIMITED TO hiv testing.

"1. Are these symptoms anything I should worry about in regards to HIV?"

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. If you do have hiv, it won't be as a result of protected intercourse or cunnilingus.

"2. Is it true when you actually do get ARS symptoms they're usually quite bad and you get them all?"

Some people do not experience any symptoms of ARS, some people only experience mild discomfort, and some people become extremely ill. This is why neither symptoms nor even the LACK of symptoms will ever tell you anything about your hiv status. ONLY testing will.

The illness that some people experience is not due to the virus itself. It is due to the process the body goes through while producing antibodies. The body goes through the same process when producing antibodies to ANY illness - this is why ARS is often described as "flu-like".

"3. Should I just stop worrying and get on with my life?"

If you've never had a complete sexual health check up, now is the time to start - and I've already told you this as well. You've used a condom in this particular instance and if you've always used condoms with ANYONE, not just sex workers, then you can fully expect your hiv test to return a negative result.

Please re-read my first reply to you. From your latest questions, it does not appear that you read it carefully.

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

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

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.