Aa
Testing recommendation
Hi Doctor,
Thanks for taking a minute to read and respond. I'll keep it brief. Three weeks ago I had protected vaginal and protected oral sex at a massage parlor in DC. The only thing that made this a bit different was that she removed the condom after oral thinking we weren't going to have sex. When I told her I wanted to, she quickly put the same condom back on. We had sex, I ejaculated and then as best I can remember she removed the condom. I can't recall if there was any slippage. I have been riddled with guilt and anxiety since the event and of course have been feeling some symptoms--mostly low-grade nausea and an occassional bout of diarreah with stomach pains and reduced appetite. All of those symptoms started about 10 days after the encounter. I have had no fever or rash.
Based on this, do you feel I should seek testing? Or probably more than likely help for my OCD and guilt?
Thanks Doc.
Thanks for taking a minute to read and respond. I'll keep it brief. Three weeks ago I had protected vaginal and protected oral sex at a massage parlor in DC. The only thing that made this a bit different was that she removed the condom after oral thinking we weren't going to have sex. When I told her I wanted to, she quickly put the same condom back on. We had sex, I ejaculated and then as best I can remember she removed the condom. I can't recall if there was any slippage. I have been riddled with guilt and anxiety since the event and of course have been feeling some symptoms--mostly low-grade nausea and an occassional bout of diarreah with stomach pains and reduced appetite. All of those symptoms started about 10 days after the encounter. I have had no fever or rash.
Based on this, do you feel I should seek testing? Or probably more than likely help for my OCD and guilt?
Thanks Doc.
"In the US and most industrialized countries, when a supposedly straight guy turns up HIV positive by testing (or is reported to the health department with a new case of AIDS), the near universal response is to re-interview the patient to find out what his real risks were--i.e. what behaviors he denied at the time of testing. Almost always this turns up a history of sex with other men, injection drug use, or sex with known positive persons; or sometimes multiple unprotected heterosexual exposures in other parts of the world. It is rare to document true heterosexual acquisition of HIV by a male, and I am not aware of a single case following the sorts of exposures described by most questioners in this forum.
Often it is not possible to find such persons for repeat interview; and some such men deny all other risks despite evidence to the contrary. For example, if he is a never-married guy who has had syphilis (rare in heterosexuals, common in gay men) but denies sex with men, it is classified as a heterosexually acquired case. Keep these things in mind when you look at official statistics. Many (most?) cases in men classified as heterosexually acquired were not actually acquired that way.
Ideally, all HIV positive persons should be contacted by the health department to identify their partners and assure those persons get tested; and to help the newly diagnosed person with referral to health care, if that hasn't yet been arranged. However, in most areas of the country, this actually doesn't happen much. But that is changing and hopefully will become the norm.
HHH, MD "
THIS WHAT DR REPLIED ONE OF THE FORUM...THIS REPLY REALLY EASES MY MIND...NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY OTHER WEBSITES ARE SO CONFLICTING...SO THIS JUST MEANS THAT MOST OF HETEROSEXUAL TRANSMISION IN MEN IS REALLY RARE...
IVE BEEN TRYING TO POST A QUESTION HERE ABOUT URINATING AFTER SEX DECREASES HIV TRANSMISION IN MEN BECAUSE OF MY PROTECTED CSW ENCOUNTER (ALTHOUGH NOT SURE IF CONDOM DID NOT BREAK) BUT I CANT POST A QUESTION UNTIL I FOUND THIS REPLY FROM DOCTOR...MY WORRIES DID DECREASE....
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF THE DOCTORS HERE!
HERE IS THE THREAD SO YOU CAN READ...ITS INTERESTING TO ME THOUGH..I HOPE TO ALL OF YOU TOO...http://www.medhelp.org/forums/HIV/messages/324.html
I HOPE THIS WILL HELP YOU PEOPLE...:)
Often it is not possible to find such persons for repeat interview; and some such men deny all other risks despite evidence to the contrary. For example, if he is a never-married guy who has had syphilis (rare in heterosexuals, common in gay men) but denies sex with men, it is classified as a heterosexually acquired case. Keep these things in mind when you look at official statistics. Many (most?) cases in men classified as heterosexually acquired were not actually acquired that way.
Ideally, all HIV positive persons should be contacted by the health department to identify their partners and assure those persons get tested; and to help the newly diagnosed person with referral to health care, if that hasn't yet been arranged. However, in most areas of the country, this actually doesn't happen much. But that is changing and hopefully will become the norm.
HHH, MD "
THIS WHAT DR REPLIED ONE OF THE FORUM...THIS REPLY REALLY EASES MY MIND...NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY OTHER WEBSITES ARE SO CONFLICTING...SO THIS JUST MEANS THAT MOST OF HETEROSEXUAL TRANSMISION IN MEN IS REALLY RARE...
IVE BEEN TRYING TO POST A QUESTION HERE ABOUT URINATING AFTER SEX DECREASES HIV TRANSMISION IN MEN BECAUSE OF MY PROTECTED CSW ENCOUNTER (ALTHOUGH NOT SURE IF CONDOM DID NOT BREAK) BUT I CANT POST A QUESTION UNTIL I FOUND THIS REPLY FROM DOCTOR...MY WORRIES DID DECREASE....
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF THE DOCTORS HERE!
HERE IS THE THREAD SO YOU CAN READ...ITS INTERESTING TO ME THOUGH..I HOPE TO ALL OF YOU TOO...http://www.medhelp.org/forums/HIV/messages/324.html
I HOPE THIS WILL HELP YOU PEOPLE...:)
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Removing and then putting on a condom is technically reusing it and as such reduces it's ability to prevent infection. That said, the risk is low. It sounds like the condom was not off long at all and there was little opportunity for her secretions to enter the condom before it was reapplied. The symptoms you describe are not related in any way to an STD acquired from the sex acts you describe. In the absence of genital symptoms, the main reason for you to get testing is for your own piece of mind if my reassurance is insufficient.
Hope this helps. Little need for testing from a medical perspective. EWH
Hope this helps. Little need for testing from a medical perspective. EWH
Hi again Doctor...sorry to bother you, but just wanted to clarify something. You mention that the symptoms I describe are not related in anyway to an STD...does that include HIV and primary HIV infection? Thanks.
Thanks for the prompt reply, Doctor. It is indeed reassuring.
You are reading content posted in the HIV - Prevention Forum
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
