unsure about result

[Essentials-1]

Last night I was kissing a guy in a dark room in a gay sauna in London, after a little time he realised that his nose was bleeding. I then realised that I had got some of his blood in my mouth. How much of a risk is this and should I consider PEP?

Please advise me.

essential-1

[RapidRod]

No you shouldn't be considering testing let alone PEP.

[Ann]

essential,

No, you don't need PEP and no doctor who knows anything about hiv transmission would prescribe it for you.

Saliva contains over a dozen different proteins and enzymes that damage hiv and render it unable to infect. Not only that, but hiv can only latch onto and infect a very few, very specific types of cells. These cells are not found in abundance in the mouth.

Besides, just because this happened in a gay sauna doesn't mean the guy is hiv positive. PEP is heavy-duty medication that can have severe side effects and should not be taken unless there is a definite risk of infection. This, for example, would be unprotected intercourse with someone who is definitely known to be hiv positive.

Along with clicking on and reading the link to our Transmission Lesson found in the Welcome Thread, 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 with a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST OVER THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT, 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

[Essentials-1]

Thanks for your quick replies.
I always use condoms  and know about risks but wasn't sure about blood in the mouth.
Anyhow I will take your advice and won't get tested specifically for this incident
although it probably is time I went for a routine one.

Thanks again

[Essentials-1]

Hi

I just received a negative anti-body test using the 1 minute rapid method at a clinic. Because the risky encounter was 8 weeks ago and not 12 weeks  they also took blood to do an anitgen test. Now I have to wait  6 days for the results. How confident can I be with the result I have recieved so far?

Thanks

[Ann]

E,

I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. You've already been asked to read the Welcome thread once - READ IT! Thank you for your cooperation.



You can be very confident of a negative result as you did NOT have a risk, as you've been told.

Ann

[Essentials-1]

 Ann
Thanks for the reply.
There is some confusion here.  this is not the same incident as the last one which was 5 months ago and which was resolved by your answer back then.

[Ann]

E,

What do you consider to be a "risky encounter"? It would help us to answer you accurately if you gave us more information.

I can say this though, an eight week negative is highly unlikely to change whether there has been a true risk or not.

Ann

[Essentials-1]

The risk involved me being penetrated  by a guy using condoms. What worried me was that he sometimes put his fingers in as well. Afterwards I felt stupid for letting him do this and wondered if he could have torn the condom or something. To be honest I didn't worry about the incident until I got ill a few weeks later with flu and so decided that I should test.

I realise that I am a person prone to over worry and so I deal with this by getting information and asking questions. I feel that the negative result is reassuring but now I have another test result to think about for another week.

[Ann]

E,

Your eight week negative is NOT going to change as you had no risk to begin with. You do not need further testing over this PROTECTED incident.

Ann

[Essentials-1]

OK  I hear you.
 I will get the (negative) results of the antigen test when I go for a complete STD screening (years overdue) on thursday.

Thanks for your replies.

E

[Andy Velez]

Like Ann, based on what you have reported of this recent incident I expect you will get a negative test result.

It's good to know you're having a full panel done. Since you're apparently sexually active, that would be a good thing for you to do at least annually. Other STDs are much easier to acquire than HIV.

Good luck with your results.

[Essentials-1]

Thanks Andy