Am I ok?

[scared83]

Dr-
On December 12, 2006, I had slept with a Chinese Prostitute in New York City. We had vaginal sex with a condom. However, I had a cut (not-bleeding) on the base of my penis that the condom DID NOT cover. And vaginal fluid definitely got onto this cut. Also, I had fingered her and the next morning I realized that I had an open cut on my finger as well (not bleeding either). I left immediately & fell into some sort of black hole (metaphorically). The next day I was tired as hell. I was fatigued and felt sick. Day after, it got worse. Then I went on PEP.

After I finished, I felt fine for a day. But the diarrhea came back. My heart rate has been through the roof since the day I slept with the prostitute (sometimes 110+). My neck and head have also been very warm but my body temperature has never been over 99.5. Weeks after finishing PEP (Feb 12), diarrhea is still present and I have constant stomachaches. My bpm is still high and my face and neck warm. I’ve also developed big bumps on the back of my tongue that has never been there before. I’m also always tired and sleepy, feel sick but have no fever or high temperature. And I have a bad sore throat. I just don’t feel right.There is something wrong with me. I’m worried about the diarrhea/red bumps on tongue.I’ve read that when fluid containing HIV gets into an open cut then the chances of infecting that person is near 100%. Is this true? But the REAL reason I’m scared is because I was dead tired and felt sick the day after I had the possible exposure. Just want to get some advice/thoughts.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You had no significant risk.  I cannot imagine what health care provider you were able to find who was willing to presecribe PEP following condom-protected sex, cut or no cut.  You did not hear from any reliable health information source that having a cut brings a high risk of HIV infection.  Maybe one chance in a few thousand, no more.

Your current symptoms cannot not due to HIV.  Maybe side effects of PEP, but the best bet is emotion/anxiety and nothing more.  Follow up with your provider and/or the doc who prescribed PEP unnecessarily.

HHH, MD

[scared83]

Thank you Dr for your quick response. Quick question, is there somewhere on the internet I can find statistics for the "open-cut" percentages? CDC's website is lax in that department and I can't seem to find it here. Do you think PEP can cause permanent/long-term side-effect such as diarrhea?

Any explanation as to what the big-red bumps on the back of my tongue are? (my GP told me they weren't enlarged Taste-Buds and that I should give it a week and come back). I just have a hard time explaining why i felt SO drained and sick the day after possible exposure.

Hope you are right, thank you.

[richie7124]

Hi Doctor

Like many on this forum I have found myself obcessing over HIV. Anyway i thouught that I would try and take a logical look at the risk of one time exposures to prostitutes in developed countries:

figures for UK:

2004: 1400 cases of HIV in hetero men
lets assume 5 % (realistic?) one time exposures = 70cases
10 cases when condoms used (sometimes fail/lambskin/oiletc) Say 2 were caught from prostitutes

approx. 100000 (read somewhere) prostitues in uk (majority women)= 5 million  cases of vaginal sex (pretty rough guess but may be more)
So we reach the answer that 1/2.5 million people in a developed country such as the UK get HIV when condoms are used in some shape / form (probably even if they fail)

Do you reckon this an overly optimisic guess? or vastly flawed method?

[richie7124]

Hey

Check out the body.com website (HIV/AIDS specific site) for loads of facts on HIV. Anyway since you were not actively bleeding, I do not think your risk was that large.

[scared83]

Thanks. The only thing I'm worried about is why I felt so sick and ridiculously fatigued the next two days and why I have such bad diarrhea when nothing like that has ever happened in my 24 years on this earth.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

It is simply impossible to develop HIV symptoms so quickly; and your test result prove unequivocally any current symptoms are not due to HIV.  In the face of that evidence, any continued worry about that possibility is irrational.

[scared83]

Doc, forgot to post this in my question as I was re-reading this. My lips and the skin around my lips have been extremely chapped/dry more than ever. Chapstick (or anything like that) doesn't seem to work. Any correlation?

Thanks

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Stop it!  You do not have HIV.  One more comment/question along these lines will get you banned from any and all questions and comments on Med Help.