Concerned

[gentle80]

Hello, I'm a gay man in my mid-late 20's who has never had unprotected anal sex, and infact only have had anal sex with one man, my current partner.  I have had unprotected oral sex with men before this relationship though I never swallowed and only on the occasion that I wasn't warned did they *** in my mouth.  Probably only 2 or 3 times.  I've also had a couple encounters in the past 3 years we've been dating.    I never though it was very possible to get HIV that way so I never worried about it, but recently I've been thinking about it a lot.  I have this rash on my neck and went to the doctor recently and she prescribed me some medication because she thinks it's a fungal rash, though I've been doing some reading and I'm worried it might not be.  From what I've read that's not a common area of the body for fungal rash.  This rash is mostly on my upper chest lower neck area in smaller spots, it's there for a few days then goes away, this is the third or fourth occasion  that it comes and goes.  A few months ago I had a similar symptom on my side, but I just thought it was all from dry skin or an allergic reaction.  It has since not come back on my side only my neck.  My doctor does not know that I'm gay though.

I realize my partner being involved and the possibility of infecting him has me extremely paranoid, and I plan on getting tested as soon as tomorrow, I just keep reading conflicting reports on the transmission of HIV via receptive oral sex, from everything to a statistically "zero" chance to anywhere from 3% of infections.  Please give it to me straight.

[Teak]

You asked for me to comment but I see nothing more to add. You have not had a risk.

[gentle80]

Thanks for the comment, my partner and I decided to go to the free clinic tomorrow to get tested?  I forgot to ask how long the wait for the results would be, so if anyone if familiar with the HIV tests given at free clinics that would be great.  I'm not as nervous as I was a few days ago but something at the back of my mind still has me thinking about it non stop, silly things like what if I had a cut in my mouth or on my hand one day, I do realize this is really not likely but I'm not the most optimistic person.  So I'll post the results when I get them.  

Oh, and the rash is still there, it's lightened in color but it's covering a bigger area.  It's kind of weird, this is the third or fourth time in the past four months this rash has appeared on my neck.  I got it again last week and it was a very small area on one side of my neck, I put cortisone on it and it was fading to almost non-visible...then I went to the doctor who prescribed me ketoconazole and I started using that and the rash came back, got darker and spread out a bit.  I've been using the ketoconazole now for about 5 days and although the area is more spread out and now on both sides of my neck, the color is lightening so hopefully it's going away.

I consulted a nurse-direct hotline and the doctor from there said that the fact that it's been coming and going for four months leads him to think it might be something else.  Still haven't heard from anyone who's dealt with rashes brought on by aids...which I'm assuming is what it would have to be, and not an AVS rash which I don't believe could last for 4 months on and off.

[regularjoey]

gentle, every sexually active person should get tested for HIV and that especially applies to gay men.  I don't think you should be concerned though - it seems like you are  doing a good job avoiding high risk activities and your rash could be due to a million other things.  Get tested and expect a negative on your test.

[gentle80]

I appreciate the votes of confidence, though I remain concerned.  My rash looks like pictures of sebo-dermatitis that I've seen online, though it doesn't share any of the yellowness or waxiness that descriptions of sebo-derm have.  I'm not sure if man rashes look that way, but my main point of emphasis is that although people who aren't hiv infected can and do get dermatitis, it's usually relegated to the scalp and facial areas, while people who are HIV infected get it on the rest of the body too.  

So yeah, I'm still concerned and probably will get tested very soon, if for no other reason then to make sure if I am infected and my partner isn't yet that I can spare him.

If anyone has any experience with HIV related Sebo-Dermatitis that would be really helpful.  Did it come and go?  Was is yellowish and waxy?  Where was it located, and other descriptions would be greatly appreciated.  Also, does that usually take place during the AVS period or during the supposed "symptom free" period...or more likely when AIDS has developed?

[LIZZIE LOU]

there is NO reason to test except to calm your fears.  protected sex is protected sex...plain amd simple.

kudos to you for playing safe :)

[al_65]

First, definitely get tested.  Second, there is no definite % but the chances are much less than if you had unprotected anal sex.  Third, rashes are a common, they happen to everyone, so I wouldn't go paranoid because of that.  

[gentle80]

Let me also add that this is the only symptom I've had within the past year, I haven't been sick or anything in nearly a year, just this rash which started a few months ago and has remained primarily on the lower neck/upper chest.  Also, I've performed unprotected oral sex on between 15-20 men in the past 10 years, most of those encounters were one time encounters with only 3 being multiple.  One of them twice, and the other besides my boyfriend between 10 and 15 times.