Stripclub Fun & After Part Anxiety

I had had up to 12 unprotected sex partners over the years starting on age 18 to age 22. Me and my wife had a child on when I was 23 and our second child two months ago. She always tested for hiv/std's while pregnant and was negative both times. I did not see results so I had always been anxious about my status since I had so much unprotected sex... I finally tested on July/09 after years of no unprotected sex except for my wife. I have never cheated on my wife. About 2 weeks ago I thought i stop by a stripclub and get some drinks... I ended up getting some dances and fingered the stripper with my index finger for 1 minute tops. After that I paid her went to the restroom to urinate before washing my hands then i started to worry about hiv. The finger i used had no lifted or torn cuticles, though the bottom had peeled skin from excessive use of my laptop mouse so it was flaky with another layer of skin under it. Not sure if i had any other small cuts though when i got home i poured hydrogen poroxyde over the finger and did not feel a sting or see any bubbling. Since then I have really lost my apettite, have loose bowels going on two weeks and I am just sick to my stomach.

1. Is there any chance i got HIV through the peeled/flaky skin on my finger?
2. If i touched my penis, eye, inside nostril, 2-3 minutes after pulling my finger out could I have contracted HIV?
3. Is loss of apettite,Bowel movement changes, loss of weight early HIV signs? (6 LBS in 2 weeks).

I read that there had its almost imposible for this to happen while fingering though i feel like i am the exception, and I am driving my self crazy. Cant work, Cant Smile, Cant enjoy anything my life is a constant fear of this horrible desease.

Please provide your most honest opinions.

[joggen]

HIV is not transmitted by fingering. Sexual transmission requires unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse (i.e. penile penetration)- all other activities are inconsequential. HIV is a fragile virus that requires very specific conditions for transmission.

That covers questions 1 and 2. With respect to question 3, the answer is no, those are not HIV symptoms.

If you need additional information, please use the search feature to search for answers to similar questions on the HIV forums.

[anti_social]

I hope you are correct. I will continue to relax and wait until 3 months for testing. I keep thinking that i will wake up with rash, fever, sore throat and oral thrush, and it is making me depressed. I know what i did is absoloutely no risk but I think I will make history by being the first. I will update you on my results at the tree month mark unless I get major ARS symptoms before then. Thank You for reading.

[anti_social]

I could no longer wait and had a Oraquick finger test done 33 days after my incident and it came back negative. I still have 2 months for the 3 months and I am still having anxiety. Now to make it even worse that guy who tested me had all the testing tools ready when i went into the office...(I did not think about it until i left) Hence I did not see him open the package!!!! Could he have infected me??? I believe he is HIV positive. I can no longer stand this my wife wants to have sex and i keep wearing condoms... she is still breast feeding our 3 month old son... what if the condom breaks. Life is horrible I cant stand this anymore.

[joggen]

If life is horrible it is because you are making it so. You were not at risk for HIV.

Please read the thread below, which explains why you were not at risk.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Anxiety-Support/The-Biology-of-Why-No-Risk-Means-No-Risk--Please-Read/show/1205005

[anti_social]

I continue with my Anxiety. I had been doing well since my last message but then I started to get "Candida" after a course of antibiotics for intestinal bacteria. Now I have some small dark red rashes on my chest that appeared overnight, Besides these two symptoms I am extremely fatigued by 12PM and crash as soon as I get home. I tested again at 48 days with Orasure swab test HIV 1/2 and it came back negative. Through all my hysteria i asked some questions to myself.

1. What if the Orasure did not pick up in enough of the fluid it needs to detect my antibodies.

2. Everyone says you can not get HIV from fingering.... but maybe it has been so under estimated that many people do not get tested after only fingering then they go and spread it around and by the time they actually have a positive test they might have already had intercourse or oral with other individuals... Therefore it is considered that the unprotected sex caused the infection and not the digital.

3. You guys think Can stop testing at 12 weeks? I tested 1 week, 4 weeks, 6.5 weeks, and I am currently on my 9.5 weeks and need to get tested now! I can not wait any longer... Anybody

[joggen]

HIV tests at 6.5 weeks are very accurate. The gain in accuracy after 6 weeks is negligible. 12 weeks is only recommended for people who had an actual risk (i.e. unprotected vaginal or anal sex). You should view your last test result as proof that you were not infected.

My advice is accept your last test result, stop asking "what if" questions, and get on with your life. If you cannot, then perhaps you should consider seeking a mental health professional for treatment for your anxiety.

[anti_social]

Well.. I went to go get tested at our local community clinic with the Ora-quick Finger Stick and they refused to test me!!! He said I had a no exposure and really don't need testing. I am trying to get over this guys but I am feeling really sick. Do you guys think this guy? Who tested me the first time could have poked me with an infected Ora-quick lancet? And maybe this is why he did not want to test me again? (it's always the same guy). If I did not get it through fingering or being infected by this guy why the hell do I feel so sick?

I have oral candida which i believe is spreading throughout my body because i itch under arm pits, crotch area, and generally all over at times. My throat feels dry, my tongue is super white with swollen taste buds. I feel extremely fatigued, shoulder and neck aching, plus chest feels, constant headache and irritability. Are these symptoms of HIV? I was on a strong antibiotic named Flagyl also know Metronidazole could this have weekend my immune system to the point where I got candida and the HIV test did not detect antibodies? Can it have weekend it so much that now I am being affected so much that I am going into  AIDS? My wife wants to have sex and I am doing everything I can to avoid her and use condoms. We have a 4 month old son and she breast feeds and I do no want infect them. Please any input guys let me know what you think I really need your help.

[joggen]

You were refused an HIV test because you were not at risk. I don't know what is going on with you physically but it isn't due to HIV. I do know for a fact that stress and accompanying emotional disorders can make you feel sick.

I really think the issue here may be guilt over having had sexual contact with a stripper. At least, that seems to be a common cause of HIV Anxiety for people in your situation. There is clearly something going on with you emotionally that isn't letting you accept unequivocal assurance that you were not infected.

For the sake of your relationship, I urge you to seek a mental health professional to work out these issues. Beyond that, this forum cannot help. Please do not post any additional comments in this thread, or post a new thread about this exposure. You are free to return to this forum if you ever have a real risk for HIV.