Aa
Afraid of being the "1" in 1:1000
40-something circumcised US male. About 4.5 weeks ago, while on a business trip, and due to some exceptionally poor judgement and alcohol, I had unprotected oral, (giving and receiving), and vaginal sex with someone I work with. The alcohol prevented me from completing the act. (She is in a similar profession to mine, divorced, has a current boyfriend. So, to my knowledge, not a drug user or sex worker, Don't know boyfriend's status.)
No cloudy urine, burning, or discharge. 3 week swab for G and C, as well as a urine culture - all negative. I suspect this sensation would have little to do with HIV anyway. No sores or unusual spots.
A week or so after, I experienced some sharp pain on the right side of my back, mid-level, that would cause me to catch my breath. Thinking this might be a UTI, I drank lots of juice. Seemed to go away, though I still sometimes have a lower back ache, w/o having exerted myself to acquire it.
At about 3 weeks, I had some pain behind my right ear and my neck started to ache. I did not have a sore throat, could not feel swollen lymph glands, but both sides of my neck under my jaw would ache as if it felt like they were. My neck would hurt when turning my head from side to side. No fever/sweats. Sometimes it felt like my armpits would ache similarly. Have minor cold symptoms now.
I have been stressed to the max. Haven't slept well in over a month. I feel like I couldn't be more scared if someone held a loaded gun to my head.
I am concerned that this is primary HIV. I saw my doctor, who ordered the HIV test (4 weeks), PSA, Hep B and C. He mentioned that statistically my chances of infection are low. Results due mid-week, but I can't keep from worrying. Positive test would pretty much mean loss of my wife, family, and most anything else important to me. I keep reading that HIV is not common in U.S. women, and the risks are low, but I also keep hearing about the HIV epidemic, and how many new infections there are.
No cloudy urine, burning, or discharge. 3 week swab for G and C, as well as a urine culture - all negative. I suspect this sensation would have little to do with HIV anyway. No sores or unusual spots.
A week or so after, I experienced some sharp pain on the right side of my back, mid-level, that would cause me to catch my breath. Thinking this might be a UTI, I drank lots of juice. Seemed to go away, though I still sometimes have a lower back ache, w/o having exerted myself to acquire it.
At about 3 weeks, I had some pain behind my right ear and my neck started to ache. I did not have a sore throat, could not feel swollen lymph glands, but both sides of my neck under my jaw would ache as if it felt like they were. My neck would hurt when turning my head from side to side. No fever/sweats. Sometimes it felt like my armpits would ache similarly. Have minor cold symptoms now.
I have been stressed to the max. Haven't slept well in over a month. I feel like I couldn't be more scared if someone held a loaded gun to my head.
I am concerned that this is primary HIV. I saw my doctor, who ordered the HIV test (4 weeks), PSA, Hep B and C. He mentioned that statistically my chances of infection are low. Results due mid-week, but I can't keep from worrying. Positive test would pretty much mean loss of my wife, family, and most anything else important to me. I keep reading that HIV is not common in U.S. women, and the risks are low, but I also keep hearing about the HIV epidemic, and how many new infections there are.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I can understand the anxiety you are experiencing and hope I can help to relieve some of it. The chances of you getting HIV from the single exposure you describe are very, very low.
You can only be "the 1 in 1000 if your partner had HIV and that is most unlikely. Your partner is almost certain not to have HIV and, even if she did, your chances of getting HIV from a single exposure are less than 1 in 1000 (the oral sex is statistically immaterial). Thus even before you got tested, your risk of HIV was probably less than 1 in 100,000, at most. I agree with everything your doctor has said and when you get your result back from your 4 week test you will effectively know that you did not get HIV. The results of the 4 week test would detect 85-90% of infections acquired 4 weeks earlier and when combined with the low risk to start with , will effectively rule out the possibility that you have HIV.
Hope this helps. EWH
You can only be "the 1 in 1000 if your partner had HIV and that is most unlikely. Your partner is almost certain not to have HIV and, even if she did, your chances of getting HIV from a single exposure are less than 1 in 1000 (the oral sex is statistically immaterial). Thus even before you got tested, your risk of HIV was probably less than 1 in 100,000, at most. I agree with everything your doctor has said and when you get your result back from your 4 week test you will effectively know that you did not get HIV. The results of the 4 week test would detect 85-90% of infections acquired 4 weeks earlier and when combined with the low risk to start with , will effectively rule out the possibility that you have HIV.
Hope this helps. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Glad to hear of your test results.
You can find full discussion of herpes blood tests by reading other posts on the STD Forum where the topic has been discussed extensiviely. Indeed, there are herpes blood tests, both for HSV-1 and HSV-2. If you get tested, you should be sure to do so with a gG-protein based test which provided type-specific results. The most widely used one is the HerpeSelect. Remember however, a postive herpes blood test does not tell you when or where you got the infection.
AGain, no further questions please. EWH
You can find full discussion of herpes blood tests by reading other posts on the STD Forum where the topic has been discussed extensiviely. Indeed, there are herpes blood tests, both for HSV-1 and HSV-2. If you get tested, you should be sure to do so with a gG-protein based test which provided type-specific results. The most widely used one is the HerpeSelect. Remember however, a postive herpes blood test does not tell you when or where you got the infection.
AGain, no further questions please. EWH
Thank you for your replies and reassurance. I guess it is just hard to rationalize the difference between the news of an HIV epidemic, (which I guess it is in other demographics), and the low risk that I see quoted here for my, and similar, situations.
As it turns out, the delays, at least in my area, are due to all the legal and privacy provisions around this type of testing. Results had to be "snail-mailed" to the doctor and not electronically or verbally transmitted. Just had a call from the doctor that all my bloodwork was OK.
I don't know what type of test was done, but it was a Quest lab that did it. I assume ELISA and WB, if it was necessary. I suspect I may retest somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks, then forget it. I have learned my lesson the hard way...
A final question, which I know isn't HIV, but still perhaps appropriate: When I previously asked my doctor about herpes or syphilis testing, he said they don't normally do that. I guess syphilis should be fairly rare, but I thought that there were blood tests for HSV-1 and -2 antibodies, so one didn't necessarily have to have an outbreak to know for sure. What is commonly done, and in what time frame?
Thank you again!
Now, back to getting on with life!
As it turns out, the delays, at least in my area, are due to all the legal and privacy provisions around this type of testing. Results had to be "snail-mailed" to the doctor and not electronically or verbally transmitted. Just had a call from the doctor that all my bloodwork was OK.
I don't know what type of test was done, but it was a Quest lab that did it. I assume ELISA and WB, if it was necessary. I suspect I may retest somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks, then forget it. I have learned my lesson the hard way...
A final question, which I know isn't HIV, but still perhaps appropriate: When I previously asked my doctor about herpes or syphilis testing, he said they don't normally do that. I guess syphilis should be fairly rare, but I thought that there were blood tests for HSV-1 and -2 antibodies, so one didn't necessarily have to have an outbreak to know for sure. What is commonly done, and in what time frame?
Thank you again!
Now, back to getting on with life!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It s not uncommon for tests to take several days to return. Try to stay calm. EWH
I intended to post my negative results here by now and move on. I've tried very hard not to post any more of the typical anxiety ridden comments and questions while waiting for results, and to be rational about the real risk and be reassured by your comments, (which I do thank you for.)
I had blood drawn last Friday at a small lab in the same building as my physician. Their courier had gone for the day, so they were leaving the sample for Quest to pick up. However, being Friday, I was told it wouldn't be processed until Monday. I called to ask about results today and the office said nothing was back yet. So, I'm starting to wonder if something was positive and they're retesting, or if some tests, (like Hep C), take longer and they don't send anything back until everything is done, or if the Universe is just making me pay with anxiety while the lab loses something. The doctor's office says they're linked with Quest and nothing was back. This isn't making it any easier to sleep at night.
I had blood drawn last Friday at a small lab in the same building as my physician. Their courier had gone for the day, so they were leaving the sample for Quest to pick up. However, being Friday, I was told it wouldn't be processed until Monday. I called to ask about results today and the office said nothing was back yet. So, I'm starting to wonder if something was positive and they're retesting, or if some tests, (like Hep C), take longer and they don't send anything back until everything is done, or if the Universe is just making me pay with anxiety while the lab loses something. The doctor's office says they're linked with Quest and nothing was back. This isn't making it any easier to sleep at night.
Did you use a condom for the vaginal sex?
I've told my wife, and we are working through the issues that this creates. There's no way I could have held that on my conscience. She said the main reason she didn't leave is because I told her, and not her finding out. Obviously, this is harder to work through if you've contracted something incurable, and possibly made her pay for the mistake as well.
My friend I know how you feel. Try not to worry, I realize that it is difficult. Like you I did something very stupid and have not been dealing with the guilt very well. Rationally, I know I am fine, but the what ifs keep me up at night. Try to relax. We will both be fine and hopefully learn that we are not players.
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