Aa
What is my risk?
Good morning,
I am a 34 year old married male. My wife has HSV2 and although I've never had symptoms I assume that I have it as well. We have both been tested within the last year and are HIV negative. About 8 weeks ago I received unprotected oral sex from a woman at a massage parlor. 20 to 30 seconds of unprotected oral followed by a hand job to completion. My question is this: Assuming I do have HSV2 what is the likelyhood that I could have acquired HIV from this exposure. I dont have any symptoms, I am just feeling guilty.
Thank you
I am a 34 year old married male. My wife has HSV2 and although I've never had symptoms I assume that I have it as well. We have both been tested within the last year and are HIV negative. About 8 weeks ago I received unprotected oral sex from a woman at a massage parlor. 20 to 30 seconds of unprotected oral followed by a hand job to completion. My question is this: Assuming I do have HSV2 what is the likelyhood that I could have acquired HIV from this exposure. I dont have any symptoms, I am just feeling guilty.
Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
Most important for your peace of mind, your negative HIV test is virtually 100% reliable. Even with the highest possible risk of HIV (say you had injected HIV infected blood into your veins), the test result rules: it shows you were not infected.
On top of that, the risk from the exposure described was zero for all practical purposes. It is true that HSV-2 increases the risk of HIV if exposed, but first you have to be exposed, and almost certainly you were not. Statistically, there is under 1 chance in a thousand your massage partner has HIV; and even if she did, the virus is rarely if ever transmitted by oral sex and never by hand-genital contact. And even if somehow you came into contact with HIV, the increased risk in people with HSV-2 is only doubled. "Double" sounds like a lot until you think about it: if your risk of getting HIV was 1 in 10 million, with HSV-2 it rises to 1 in 5 million.
Finally, you don't necessarily have HSV-2. I agree the chance is pretty good -- assuming your wife's diagnosis is correct, and that you have no symptoms of it, there's probably around a 50:50 chance you're infectd as well. You could find out, if you would like to have an HSV blood test someday. But if you're OK living with some uncertainty about it, as apparently you have been doing a long time, there's no special need. It's up to you.
In any case, don't worry about the nonmarital exposure. There was no chance you caught HIV and the blood test confirms it. Even though 3 months is the official time for definitive HIV antibody tests, in fact almost all results are positive by 5-6 weeks and for sure by 6-8 weeks. See
the thread linked below.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1744700
Best wishes. I hope I have helped ease your concerns-- HHH, MD
Most important for your peace of mind, your negative HIV test is virtually 100% reliable. Even with the highest possible risk of HIV (say you had injected HIV infected blood into your veins), the test result rules: it shows you were not infected.
On top of that, the risk from the exposure described was zero for all practical purposes. It is true that HSV-2 increases the risk of HIV if exposed, but first you have to be exposed, and almost certainly you were not. Statistically, there is under 1 chance in a thousand your massage partner has HIV; and even if she did, the virus is rarely if ever transmitted by oral sex and never by hand-genital contact. And even if somehow you came into contact with HIV, the increased risk in people with HSV-2 is only doubled. "Double" sounds like a lot until you think about it: if your risk of getting HIV was 1 in 10 million, with HSV-2 it rises to 1 in 5 million.
Finally, you don't necessarily have HSV-2. I agree the chance is pretty good -- assuming your wife's diagnosis is correct, and that you have no symptoms of it, there's probably around a 50:50 chance you're infectd as well. You could find out, if you would like to have an HSV blood test someday. But if you're OK living with some uncertainty about it, as apparently you have been doing a long time, there's no special need. It's up to you.
In any case, don't worry about the nonmarital exposure. There was no chance you caught HIV and the blood test confirms it. Even though 3 months is the official time for definitive HIV antibody tests, in fact almost all results are positive by 5-6 weeks and for sure by 6-8 weeks. See
the thread linked below.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1744700
Best wishes. I hope I have helped ease your concerns-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
There's a typo in my link to the other thread. This is the correct one:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1704700
As for Oraquick rapid, that was reliable. See my reply to the very next question after yours.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1704700
As for Oraquick rapid, that was reliable. See my reply to the very next question after yours.
Thank you Doc!
Some more info - I took a Oraquick rapid home test (oral fluid) at 37 days and it was negative. Is this reliable?
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