New here...pretty sure I'm positive

[emily]

Three weeks ago I had unprotected sex while drunk.  I NEVER do that either.  The only other guy I've ever slept with was a long time boyfriend and we were always safe.  I've been searching and can't find clear answers.  As embarrassing as this is to admit, as I said I was really drunk and did not realize the guy wasn't wearing a condom until he'd already put it in once (as soon as I realized that fact I immeaditly made him stop).   So that means the only body fluid I was exposed to was precum.  It also would have had contact with air for several minutes beforehand.  I've read some places that precum contains almost no risk, and that air helps kill the virus, and other places that it someone contains more of the virus than semen and that it takes air an hour to kill the virus.  I'm not sure what to believe.  I also read somewhere that HIV can easily enter the body if the vaginal wall is torn- it hurt pretty badly so its entirely possible that happened.  I figured this guy had to be high risk as he didn't even give a second thought to using a condom- when I asked him about it he looked at me like I was crazy!  That is when I really started worrying. 

I managed through my research throughout the next week to convince myself that the liklihood of transmission was pretty low.   The next weekend, I started to feel sick.  At first, I attributed it to a hangover from a friends birthday party.  However, I didn't really drink that much (given the previous weekend!) and I knew something was up when I never started to feel better.   I lost my appetite, had some diahrrhea, lots of headaches, and fatigue.  This would have been about one week after the incident. I felt feverish, as in extremely hot to the touch (even other people thought so) and I felt like I was burning up inside.  However, when taking my temperature I noticed it was only 97.  This seems to happen to me a lot- when I am sick/feel like I have a fever I never actually do.  I haven’t had a real fever since elementary school (I’m 23) so I’m wondering if somehow my body just doesn’t register them.  I ended up feeling ill for about a week.  I found that even though I had no appetite, if I made myself eat I usually felt ok or better.  At the end of the week (two weeks after infection now), I noticed what I thought was a rash on my chest.   I think it may have just been some acne.   Anyway, this past week I’ve felt fine.  My appetite is returned, no other symptoms except some very minor headaches (not unusual for me).  Then today (now 3 weeks after infection), I came home from work and I have what looks like this horrible, huge rash on my chest.   I can’t seem to find pictures of hiv rashes anywhere, but it looks like what has been described to me.  The area also feels like there is a sort of “stinging” pain there.   I still have no other  symptoms.  I just checked my temperature to be safe and it was still 97.  It feels like the rash is spreading to my neck.  It’s already driving me crazy.  So basically, my question is how likely is it that I have been infected?  Also,  everything I’ve read says that you have to wait at least one month before taking your first test.  Is that true even though I’ve already had symptoms?  That would be another week and I just don’t know if I can handle it!  Also, where does one go for a test?  I’ve googled my area and come up with nothing.  There is a planned parenthood about an hour away, but I’d prefer not to go that far especially if I get a positive result- I don’t want to have an hour drive ahead of me before getting home .  Can I go to a regular dr?  I don’t  have one out here yet because I recently relocated, but there is an office down the street.   I know this is really long, thank you so much for anyone who takes the time to read this!

[Matty the Damned]

Well Emily,

You might be pretty sure you're positive but that don't make it so. Certainly there is a small risk you may have been infected with HIV from this sexual encounter and so you should be tested for HIV 13 weeks from the date it occurred.

But you might want to prepare yourself for a negative test result. HIV is a fragile virus which is difficult to transmit. There are other STDs which are far more prevalent and transmissible than HIV and you should ask your doctor to arrange testing for these too.

Your symptoms are irrelevant in terms of HIV diagnosis. Only testing at the appropriate time can tell you your HIV status. If you are feeling ill see your doctor.

MtD

[Ann]

Emily,

Neither the presence nor absence of symptoms will tell you anything about your hiv status. Only testing at the appropriate time will. For this reason, we do not discuss symptoms here.

You have had a risk and you do need to test. 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 this time. A negative result at six weeks is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point.

Please learn from this and always make sure your man is wearing a condom. Carry some in your bag or jacket just in case. Here's what you need to know in order to remain hiv negative:

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