Wow, what a ironic twist

Hi Doc, thank you for your time. Well, I last posted a question regarding testing and came to reason that my test results are conclusive (negative) and I regained my confidence. I met a nice lady and we ended up being intimate (protected, of course). About 4 days after that, I became symptomatic of urethritis again. I went in and got tested and this time it was positive for chlamydia. I am certain that my HIV and chlamydia tests were accurate (negatives) and I took the meds for NGU, so I'm also certain, unfortunately, that I got chlamydia from my last sexual encounter. Therefore, my question is how did I get this while wearing a condom? I'm sure that chlamydia is much more contagious than HIV, however I am pretty sure that while cleaning up after sex, I rubbed all kinds of fluids on the tip of my penis. This had to have been where I got the bacteria as I checked to ensure the condom didn't break. It hadn't. My follow up question is if I can get chlamydia like that, then can I get HIV from the same scenario? My understanding is that the answer is no, but heck Doc, I'm a bit taken aback that I got chlamydia like this in the first place.

Thanks for your time Doctor.

The two questions:

-Is it likely to get chlamydia immediately following a sexual encounter with fluids outside the body?

-Can I get HIV in the same manner I got chlamydia (explained above)?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Peculiar situation.  I have to suspect the chlamydia test is a false positive, although that depends on exactly what test was done.  Also, the symptoms of chlamydia rarely start as soon as 4 days after exposure, so if the test result is valid, it seems likely you were infected before the more recent sexual encounter.  You really cannot catch chlamydia through an intact condom.  So if you really were infected during that exposure, either the condom ruptured or there was some penetration before or after the condom was in place.

The bottom line is that I am not going to be able to solve the mystery.  You should discuss it with the provider who diagnosed the infection, and clarify with him or her exactly which test was done.

The direct answers to your questions are 1) No and 2) the risk of HIV is zero for practical purposes.

Please note the MedHelp rule that sets a maximum of 2 posts every 6 months in a particular forum.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[scaredinmo]

Thanks Doc, that is reassuring. I will follow up with my doctor, just got the results this afternoon, his office is closed now. Understand the two post rule and respect that. It might just be a false positive as I did check the condom and it hadn't broke.

On follow up, is chlamydia much more contagious than HIV? Last, having chlamydia, if it is the case, doesn't constitute HIV exposure, statistically speaking?

Thanks Doc. I'll make this my last post, other than the traditional thank you in response.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Yes, chlamydia is much more transmissible than HIV.  Further, the chance your partner had HIV is almost zero, so it's probably not an issue anyway.

[scaredinmo]

Roger that. Thanks Doc!

[scaredinmo]

Hi Doc, wanted to follow up with the second test result. I didn't start meds and asked my doctor for a second test before I did. Fortunately, this time it turned out negative. This has gotten me quite stunned. Not sure if I can trust the test. At any rate, I did have some blotting in my underwear making me think I had discharge and I did, despite good advise, milk the urethra during that time to see if I could get any significant discharge. So, this leads me to you for yet another follow up and apologies, but the situation dictates. Is some blotting normal in men? And can milking the urethra cause an unnoticable seeping from the urethra (discovered after evaluating underwear)? Is some mucous normal? I haven't noticed anything like a large discharge or a drip I don't think, but the blotting has me baffled. Sorry to burden you again, I do think this is helpful information for those seeking information though. If I must post in the STD Forum for follow on, I understand that too (in regards to your above comments).

Thank you Doctor.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Most likely the previous test was false positive.

That's it. The additional questions are for your personal provider.  You can't keep asking every additional add-on question that come to mind. This thread is over.