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Testing and Feeling Sure
Dear Dr,
I had three encounters with three different women I had just met. The first one was on Aug. 28 09, the second one on Nov. 4 09 and the third one was on Nov. 24 09. On my first encounter I gave the woman unprotected oral sex, received protected oral sex and had vaginal sex with condom. On the other two encounters I only had vaginal sex with condom. On the second one I found some blood on the condom, she was on her last day of her period. The three times I checked the condoms and never found any breakages. Until today I never had any symptoms that I could relate to any anomalies (I only had the flu for a couple of days during Christmas).
I was worried about HIV and also other types of STDs. I took an ELISA H.I.V. I & II test on Feb 22 2010(by this date it had been 91 days since my last encounter on Nov. 24 09, four months since the second one, and six months since the first one). I also took the following check up: complete blood count, urinalysis, VDRL and a fecal culture.
The results of the complete blood count, urinalysis and fecal culture were all approximately NORMAL according to the reference values of the lab. The results of the count of WBCs were: NE 48.3%, 3.0/mm3 ; LY 40.7%, 2.5/mm3 ; MO 8.0%, 0.5/mm3 ; EO 2% 0.1/mm3 ; BA 1% 0.06/mm3. The results of VDRL and HIV were: NEGATIVE.
My questions,
Can I feel sure, with the NEGATIVE that I got from this HIV test, that I don’t have HIV?
Should I get tested for HIV again?
Are the results from my count of WBCs normal for a person that doesn’t have HIV or any other type of STD?
Would you consider the three sexual encounters as “safe” (especially considering the unprotected oral sex and the issue of the blood?
Do my lack of symptoms and the results of my many different tests prove that I didn’t get HIV or any other type of STD? Should I keep worrying about HIV and STDs?
I have been very paranoid about HIV and STDs, and I would sincerely appreciate your advice and help
Thank you
I had three encounters with three different women I had just met. The first one was on Aug. 28 09, the second one on Nov. 4 09 and the third one was on Nov. 24 09. On my first encounter I gave the woman unprotected oral sex, received protected oral sex and had vaginal sex with condom. On the other two encounters I only had vaginal sex with condom. On the second one I found some blood on the condom, she was on her last day of her period. The three times I checked the condoms and never found any breakages. Until today I never had any symptoms that I could relate to any anomalies (I only had the flu for a couple of days during Christmas).
I was worried about HIV and also other types of STDs. I took an ELISA H.I.V. I & II test on Feb 22 2010(by this date it had been 91 days since my last encounter on Nov. 24 09, four months since the second one, and six months since the first one). I also took the following check up: complete blood count, urinalysis, VDRL and a fecal culture.
The results of the complete blood count, urinalysis and fecal culture were all approximately NORMAL according to the reference values of the lab. The results of the count of WBCs were: NE 48.3%, 3.0/mm3 ; LY 40.7%, 2.5/mm3 ; MO 8.0%, 0.5/mm3 ; EO 2% 0.1/mm3 ; BA 1% 0.06/mm3. The results of VDRL and HIV were: NEGATIVE.
My questions,
Can I feel sure, with the NEGATIVE that I got from this HIV test, that I don’t have HIV?
Should I get tested for HIV again?
Are the results from my count of WBCs normal for a person that doesn’t have HIV or any other type of STD?
Would you consider the three sexual encounters as “safe” (especially considering the unprotected oral sex and the issue of the blood?
Do my lack of symptoms and the results of my many different tests prove that I didn’t get HIV or any other type of STD? Should I keep worrying about HIV and STDs?
I have been very paranoid about HIV and STDs, and I would sincerely appreciate your advice and help
Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Essentially identical questions have been asked innumerable times. Scan the forum for more detailed discussions if you need more detailed information.
As for HIV, without a condom the average transmission risk, if a woman has HIV, is once for every 2,000 episodes of unprotected vaginal sex; with a condom, zero or close to it. And unprotected oral sex is extrtemely low risk, perhaps zero. HIV test results are always positive within 12 weeks (usually within 4-6 weeks) of infection, so your negative results prove you weren't infected. Other STDs are higher risk, but your tests show you were not infected an the test results are very reliable. To the specific questions:
1) Yes you can be sure you didn't catch HIV.
2) Why did you have the blood count? Blood counts say nothing at all about whether or not someone has HIV or any STD. That was a waste of money. But your counts are normal, so no worries.
3) Yes, you had safe sex.
4) All things considered, you can be sure you caught no STD (among those you were tested for). There's always a risk for HPV, but everybody gets that anyway and it's usuallly harmless.
You should definitely stop owrrying about HIV and STDs. Stop testing. But of course I cannot help your hyper-nervousness about them. That part is up to you.
Regards-- HHH, MD
As for HIV, without a condom the average transmission risk, if a woman has HIV, is once for every 2,000 episodes of unprotected vaginal sex; with a condom, zero or close to it. And unprotected oral sex is extrtemely low risk, perhaps zero. HIV test results are always positive within 12 weeks (usually within 4-6 weeks) of infection, so your negative results prove you weren't infected. Other STDs are higher risk, but your tests show you were not infected an the test results are very reliable. To the specific questions:
1) Yes you can be sure you didn't catch HIV.
2) Why did you have the blood count? Blood counts say nothing at all about whether or not someone has HIV or any STD. That was a waste of money. But your counts are normal, so no worries.
3) Yes, you had safe sex.
4) All things considered, you can be sure you caught no STD (among those you were tested for). There's always a risk for HPV, but everybody gets that anyway and it's usuallly harmless.
You should definitely stop owrrying about HIV and STDs. Stop testing. But of course I cannot help your hyper-nervousness about them. That part is up to you.
Regards-- HHH, MD
Thank you very much for your answer. It definitely calms me down and will try to follow your advice.
Once again thank you very much,
Once again thank you very much,
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