POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: worrier123456 on March 20, 2013, 09:10:43 pm
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I have been dating the same person for 3 years now. Unfortunately I found something fishy on his cell phone so we broke up. We always used condoms but the condom broke about 8 weeks ago. He stopped right after but i am still so worried that I might have HIV because I do not know who he has slept with besides me. I am a female and it was vaginal sex. I got tested about 2 weeks ago with the oraquick test at 6 weeks and it came back negative. I am still a wreck. He got a test about a year ago that was negative. Should I be worried or is at that point is it pretty accurate. I've read a lot of places it is.
thanks
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Worrier,
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 is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point.
You've done the right thing by always using condoms while not in a securely monogamous relationship where you've both tested negative together. It's unfortunate that one broke on you, but you're very likely to come out of this ok, given your negative six week test.
You do, however, need to make sure you confirm at three months. While I'm confident you'll receive another negative result, it's better to be safe than sorry where hiv is concerned.
For future reference, 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!
Ann