HIV PEP, Testing Advice Needed

Dear Doctors,

I made 2 drunken mistakes.

I had contact with a Jamaican prostitute. No sex, I inserted my fingers into her vagina. afterwards I noticed 2 small cuts on my finger. I think I got cut just before I put my fingers in. as I had peeling skin on my finger, I think the skin caught her underwear and got pulled open as I put my hand down there. I think this as I remember feeling a slightly painful scratch as I put my hand down there. When I noticed the cuts they weren't bleeding. One did bleed a little later that day.

I went to hospital. There wasn't a sexual health specialist working there at the time, it was Saturday, so they gave me enough PEP to last me to Monday when I could see the specialist. The specialist said I didn't need PEP. So I only took PEP Saturday evening, Sunday morning and evening, Monday morning.

2nd drunken mistake happened 3 weeks later. I had contact with a Polish prostitute. No sex but I kissed her vagina the same way you would kiss someone on the cheek. I had a non-bleeding cut on my bottom lip right at the front, a cut on the inside of my cheek and my gums bleed (at the front) when I brush my teeth. I had also been tasting blood in my mouth during the same day before this.

3 weeks after the second mistake I've noticed a rash on the palm of my right hand. It's made up of small bumps most of which are the same colour as my skin. A small number of the bumps are brown.

I also have a similar rash on 1 finger of my left hand. The bumps are in a circle about 1 cm square near my nail. Also some of the bumps here are brown. My skin is light brown (maybe a little lighter than Tiger Woods) the brown bumps on my finger are slighty darker than my natural colour

Do you think the rash is related to HIV?

I'm having the Duo test 4 weeks after the 2nd mistake, so 7 after the first.
Do you think I should see the result as 100% or do you think I will need further testing (will be just under 7 weeks since I took the PEP)?

[Dr Sean Cummings]

Hello

Thank you for the post and thanks to kykid30 who has succinctly summed everything up in 2 lines.

You didn't need PEP for the first episode and you didn't need PEP for the second. You were never at risk of HIV infection from the events described.

There are no cases in the worldwide literature out of tens of millions of cases where finger cuts and fingering have led to HIV infection.

The HIV DUO test at 4 weeks is more than sufficient especially given that there was no risk at the outset.

So to your questions:-

The rash is not HIV related as you do not have HIV from this episode.
You can regard the HIVDUO test as certain especially given the fact that you had no risk.

As I read the post I was reminded about Vagina Dentata - which you can read about here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagina_dentata - but was disappointed.


very best wishes, Sean

[Kykid30]

I can't speak for the doctor, but it seems these were both zero risk exposures. PEP wasn't needed. Why are you making lifestyle choices that are clearly driving you mad with anxiety?

[mjam25]

thanks to both of you for your answers

[mjam25]

Hi again,

I just want to ask. Having the PEP (that I described above) 6 and half weeks before the Duo test won't have an affect on the results of the test?

Also, would the PEP I took have an affect on the test you can have after 3 months (the antibody test)?

thanks in advance

[mjam25]

Dear Doctors,

I think this was missed so I will repeat my questions:

I just want to ask. Having the PEP (that I described above) 6 and half weeks before the Duo test won't have an affect on the results of the test?

Also, would the PEP I took have an affect on the test you can have after 3 months (the antibody test)?

thanks in advance