Exposures during travelling in Asia

[stupidtraveller]

Dear reader,

The last 5 months I have been travelling in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. During this time I have been sexually active with the local population. I have had 8 sex partners during the last months, 2 of them were prostitutes (I am not proud of this, both times alcohol was involved). Ofcourse, I am aware of the risk of STD's so I have been careful about using condoms. I have had sex about 30 times during the last 5 months, always with a girl, and always only oral and vaginal. I used a condom every time I had sex, also during oral sex. I brought the condoms with me from Europe, so I am sure about the quality.

However, I did have a couple of potential risky exposures:

During one episode with one of the prostitutes, whom I met in a danceclub, the condom broke. We talked about our STD/HIV statusses and she told me that she gets tested every three months. She also told me that she does not practice sex for money very often (probably only when she is short on cash) and that she always uses a condom. Before we started having sex she asked me for a condom and said she was going home if I did not have any condoms in my hotelroom.

During another sexual encounter last week the condom slipped. The girl was on top of me and when she got off my penis slipped out of the condom. The condom was still in her vagina. During the intercourse the condom was in place, so I do not think my penis has been in direct contact with her vagina. Does this episode constitute unprotected sex? If it does, should I get retested in three months?

Another time I performed unprotected cunnilingus on a girl (not a prostitute). I asked about this before on this forum and apparently there is no risk in this activitiy.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Prevention/Oral-sex--male-to-female--HIV-risk/show/1501502?personal_page_id=2130733#post_6820760


I did not experience any STD related symptoms, that is I did not experience any painful discharge, lumps, wraths, rash, or other unusual things. I also did not have any fevers, swollen lymp nodes, body rash. I did have some mild episodes of diarhea, but since I was travelling in Asia that is probably not a reason to worry.

I have already decided that I will make an appointment to have an STD's and HIV test. I just wanted to know if I really have been at risk and if I should be worried? Does the fact that I had sex mulitple times in Asia put me at a high risk, even though I used condoms? Should I really worry about a one time unprotected exposure?

[stupidtraveller]

I finally recieved the results of my STD and HIV tests today. All the results were negative, so I am fine!

Thanks for the comments and best wishes!

[pashary]

HIV is a very fragile virus, and having unprotected anal sex with someone who is HIV positive, isn't even 100% or anywhere near that. Keep in mind that if HIV were so easily transmitted, alot more people would have it. Infact, you have a greater chance of being in a car accident. Also most people who are infected with HIV, had more than one sexual encounter with an HIV+ person. However, it does only take one time to become infected.

I am not trying to belittle your situation, because you DID have a risk when then condom broke. Just trying to help ease your anxiety. Get tested and move on.
Good luck, trying thinking positive thoughts.

[stupidtraveller]

I will get tested this week and like I said I do always use condoms during causal sex to prevent this risk. I was just hoping to find some relief from my anxiety in this thread.

[NickOne7]

Some experts state that as a odd, But it only takes one time to become infected. So the odds mean nothing. Test and get past this

[stupidtraveller]

I know I was at risk therefore I am taking the test. I just wanted to know if the statistics of the transmission risk are really 1/2000?

Why do you want to know the result of my test?

[NickOne7]

A risk is a risk, test now to know your status

[stupidtraveller]

Yes I know the broken condom put me at risk for STD's and HIV, therefore I have already made an appointment for testing this week. The broken condom episode has been more than three months ago, so testing should be conclusive now. I am happy to know that I was protected the other encounters.

From reading this forum I know that the risk of contracting HIV from a single episode of hetrosexual sex is somewhere between 1/1000-1/2000. Is the risk really so small?
The girl told me that she got tested every three months and did not have HIV. She also told me that she was always careful and used condoms because she had a son to take care off. Do you think that I can take her statements for the truth?

When it happened I convinced myself that I should not worry too much, but now I am going to get tested I am getting really anixous.

For the condom slipping episode: It only happened in the very end, when she got off me a bit wildly. The condom was still in her, and was in place during the sex itself, so I am pretty sure that there was no real contact with her vagina.

[Marcus177]

You are at risk when the condom broke. I would be worried. As for the other encounters, you did not have a risk because the condom did not rip.  With respect to the slip, as long as your penis head was covered while inside her, you are not a risk. You should have a conclusive test after 3 months of exposure.