I'm at risk?

[21jan]

Hi,

I'm a pretty rational and informed guy but something is troubling me after a visit to a doctor.

On Dec 21 I had an encounter with a sex worker.

I got a body massage with oil and then after some frottage (she rubbed her genitals on mine without penetration, as I was not even erected), she performed unprotected oral sex for less than a minute.

Then, she put on a condom and I had protected vaginal sex for less than a minute, until I ejaculated. I then noticed that the condom only covered my penis until half my shaft - my penis gland was fully covered and the condom was intact, as I then discarded it and the semen was all there.

Two days after this I developed a mild cold and got better two days after, only remaining dry cough which I had for two weeks (Gone for 2 weeks now). Since it was also freezing cold the same night, I never mistakingly judged the cold for something else like ARS, since it was too soon as well.

I also got a bad case of Fordyce Spots (I already had them, but not this severe) which I think that it might have been caused by the use of the oil.

Because of this, on January 15th, so 3,5 weeks after the fact, I went to a clinic to get tested for all kinds of STD (because of the unprotected oral sex and frottage) and the doctor scared me for life.

According to her, I could get not only a "minor" STD but also HIV, specially for the unprotected oral sex and urged me to take the HIV test, which I was going to do in 3 months time just to ease my mind not because I though that I was at risk. So I'm a nervous wreck since then.

I will get the results next Wednesday and I'm afraid to get them.

So my questions are:

1) I know that HIV is only transmitted by intercourse (vaginal and anal) and that the virus doesn't survive in air, but could I've been in risk for the use of oil and the frottage?

2) The fact that the condom was only covering half my penis could I have been in risk? Specially since I have fordyce spots and they sometimes get infected like a pimple? And if I had some cut on my shaft?

3) The HIV test I took, 4th generation (p24 antigen / conventional HIV antibodies) will it be conclusive at 3,5 weeks? I should test again at 3 months?

I'm confident that the test will come out negative, I'm also at 5+ weeks since the encounter and I got no symptoms whatsoever from any STD or ARS (only discomfort in my genitals and lower abdomen caused by anxiety I'm sure), but scared that I might be wrong because of what the doctor said.

Thank you.

[Jeff G]

Nothing you did put you at risk for HIV . You had protected intercourse and what mattered was that the glans of your penis was protected . The theoretical risk for oral only happens when you GIVE a blowjob to a male with a high HIV viral load when you have significant wounds in your mouth . You do not get HIV from getting your dick sucked .

1) I know that HIV is only transmitted by intercourse (vaginal and anal) and that the virus doesn't survive in air, but could I've been in risk for the use of oil and the frottage?

No ... HIV is sexually transmitted from unprotected vaginal and anal sex .

2) The fact that the condom was only covering half my penis could I have been in risk? Specially since I have fordyce spots and they sometimes get infected like a pimple? And if I had some cut on my shaft?

It was not a risk . The spots are of no concern and your glans was protected . NO RISK .

3) The HIV test I took, 4th generation (p24 antigen / conventional HIV antibodies) will it be conclusive at 3,5 weeks? I should test again at 3 months?

You did not have a risk so if this is your only concern in the last 3 months than its conclusive that you do not have HIV .

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!

[21jan]

Thanks you for the post. I was much more relaxed to go get the results.

So, I tested positive for gonorrhea but negative for HIV.

How reliable is the HIV result?

Like I mentioned, It's a 4th generation. I got tested by the 25th day or 3,5 weeks.

Again, the doctor didn't reassured me at all. Just said that as easily I got a gonorrhea I could of gotten HIV, so I should test at 3 months to be sure.

What's are the chances of getting a positive, after getting a negative at 3,5 weeks?

I'm freaking out

[RapidRod]

Thanks you for the post. I was much more relaxed to go get the results.

So, I tested positive for gonorrhea but negative for HIV.

How reliable is the HIV result?

Like I mentioned, It's a 4th generation. I got tested by the 25th day or 3,5 weeks.

Again, the doctor didn't reassured me at all. Just said that as easily I got a gonorrhea I could of gotten HIV, so I should test at 3 months to be sure.

What's are the chances of getting a positive, after getting a negative at 3,5 weeks?

I'm freaking out

As you were advise you didn't have an HIV exposure.  You said, "she performed unprotected oral sex." Bingo, there is your gonorrhea exposure. 

[21jan]

RapidRod, thank you for your post.

Please don't get me wrong. I understand that my exposure HIV through oral sex is only theoretical and basically non-existant. I get that.

The thing is that the doctor scared me for life, since she is positive that I could of been infected by Gono and HIV through this risk encounter and that I should re-test at 12 weeks to have a conclusive result.

So, my question is this: Just for information (if I had a real exposure to HIV), what are the chances of a negative 4th generation HIV test (ab p24) by the 25th day (3,5 weeks) after exposure turning positive?

The information I could gather is rather contradictory. I read a recent study (2010) that claims that this test detects early infections by the 20th day onwards. Also the UK Health Department also finds the result of this test conclusive when taken by the 28th day.

I'm going to take the test at 12 weeks nonetheless of course but I wanted to know what to expect.

Thank you for the help. I will most definitely come back for closure and inform of the results.

[Ann]

21,

Your doctor may be positive about what she told you, but she is positively WRONG about a blowjob being a risk for hiv infection. You can pick up gonorrhea through being blown, but NOT hiv. It's like saying that because you can get a paper-cut on your finger from a single sheet of paper, that same piece of paper can also break your finger. It can't.

I'm sorry that your doctor is ignorant about hiv transmission. Maybe you should suggest she takes an hiv awareness refresher course so she can join the rest of us in the 21st century.

If you actually had a real hiv risk such as unprotected, receptive anal intercourse, the testing window is as follows:

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 - when there has been a risk and you have NOT had a risk - but is highly unlikely to change.

A 3.5 week test is too early to say much of anything about it one way or the other - when there has actually been a risk and the person is in the testing window period. You did NOT have a risk and you are NOT in a testing window period.

As for what you said about the "UK dept of health" claiming any test results are conclusive at 28 days, it sounds like you've been visiting a certain commercial website who just tells people what they want to hear in exchange for money. The testing window period remains at three months in the UK for a conclusive negative result.

The newer generations of tests can detect an infection early on, but they cannot rule infection out any earlier than three months. There are no short-cuts to hiv testing.

You did not have a risk for hiv infection. You do not need further hiv testing. You do not have hiv.

Ann