Unprotected Vaginal Intercourse Encounter With an Escort

[lumbo]

Hi Dr. HHH,

12 days ago I made the biggest mistake of my life. I had an encounter with a ESCORT visiting NJ from Tampa, FL. I received unprotected oral and then she asked if I wanted to have vaginal intercourse. I said yes and like normal escorts I was waiting for the condom but she inserted my penis into her as she got on top and grinded my for about a minute until I realized I was nuts. I immediately went into panic. She said she is an exotic dancer in Tampa and this was her first go at being an escort. She claims she is 100% clean and has an AIM Certificate to prove it. She says she can't work without it. (Of course this certificate was back in Florida.) I am scared because she didn't seem to be worried about catching anything from my by doing that.

That's my story, here are my questions?

1. I know this is a high risk situation, what are my chances of catching HIV?

2. Is this AIM certificate something that she could be telling the truth about?

3. How long do I have to wait until I can get tested? What are the stats for each testing period of accuracy.

4. Is there a test I can take at 2-3 weeks to help with my anxiety?

5. Can my anxiety lead to symptoms of ARS? Within the last couple of days I have had a lot of pain in the left side of my neck where the lymph nodes would be and I have swollen tonsils. No fever to speak of yet.

I appreciate your help and advice, I am truly a mess and this is not something you can really talk about among friends and family.

[lumbo]

I didn't have a chance to read your response yesterday, but I wanted to thank you for your informative response.  No matter what I am going to get tested. I will hold out until the 6th week to get a more definitive result.  It's funny how quick the ARS (Anxiety Related Symptoms) go away when you don't have time to think about them.  This site along with Aidsmeds and The Body are great resources for HIV and other health issues.  Your knowledge and experience are helpful and informative.  I know have to step away from my obsession with HIV for a while because the more you look at things the more you hurt yourself because you ask yourself more and more questions and it takes control over you.  Before I came here and came clean to a friend about my situation I was focused on 1 thing, proving that I was infected with HIV instead of thinking posivitely that there is also a good chance I don't have HIV.  I got so bad where I was feeling my neck for lumps, taking my temperature twice a day, searching my penis for cuts, seeing what it takes to get fluids inside of my urethra, trying to contact the girl to send me a copy of her HIV results.

Thanks for the support to help me get a grip on myself.   I will let all of you know my result once I get tested four weeks from today.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

1. ' know this is a high risk situation.'  Depends on your definitionn of high risk. Not high by most standards  'What are my chances of catching HIV?'   Zero, or close to it.  The odds you'll die tomorrow of some accident are higher.

2. 'AIM certificate':  I haven't a clue what the certificate means.  But when a person says forthrightly that s/he is disease free, usually that is reliable information.  Most escorts do not have HIV.

3. 'How long do I have to wait until I can get tested? What are the stats for each testing period of accuracy?'  Do your homework.  Read any 10 randomly selected threads on this forum and you'll probably see the answers. Or use the search function to look for 'time to positive HIV test'.  If you decide to be tested, 4-6 weeks would be fine.

4.  'Can my anxiety lead to symptoms of ARS?'  Yes indeed.  'Within the last couple of days I have had a lot of pain in the left side of my neck where the lymph nodes would be and I have swollen tonsils. No fever to speak of yet.'  Doesn't sound like HIV, not even close.

'...this is not something you can really talk about among friends and family.'  Well, as they say, you can choose your friends, if not your family.

Bottom line:  The chance you caught HIV truly is nil, for practical purposes.  But if you remain nervous, have an HIV test in a few weeks.  You can count on a negative result.

HHH, MD

[blue999]

I was looking on this site 18 months ago with the same issues. I never enetered my problem, because it had been covered on the site many times before. I was also with a pro in Aus who did not protect me. I was as afraid as all the people who visit this site. I was tested many times, as was my wife, all negative. You must trust the statistics. Let go the fears and you will be ok. I have not strayed since that day and never will again. It is just not right. You will be fine.

[terminator02]

hey dude this is pretty much what HHH is going to say. But I am not a doctor just an MSW in training.  

The odds of a single exposure of a confirmed HIV infected person is 1:2000.  The odds that this woman had HIV is low.  Lets say 1-100 (she is higher risk than maybe an average of 1-250 as I think 1-250 people have HIV/AIDS).  So multiply 1/2000 by 1/100 and you will have a probability that is off the radar.  

So what are you stressing over?  Guilt?  Probably.  What is that going to get you?  Nothing.  Why don't you stress for the next 3 weeks over a MUCH HIGHER probability of getting terminal cancer, get struck by lightning or dying in a car accident.  Then 6 weeks will fly by and you can go get a negative result. I would suggest NOT testing and working through your irrationality NOW.  If you don't work out these low probability encounters than you are going to worry about everything in your life.  Peace.

[lumbo]

Thanks for the response.  I read into all of the previous posts as well, which were very informative and originally posted in the patient to patient forum and received a lot of different feedback.  I am happy to hear all is well with you and your wife, I pray for the same turnout.  How did you deal with the long wait to get tested?  I have found myself not being able to concentrate for the last 12 days.  The statistics are refreshing but only the test will get me back to a sense of normality.