Chances of contracting HIV

[worriedsick83]

I am a female and I had sex with a man of unknown HIV status about one week ago. He is an old friend of mine, but I have not seen him in many years. About two years ago he got a divorce and he also has a child so I didnt fear much of him having anything. After I had sex with him, unprotected, and he ejaculated in me I felt really sick to my stomach. I also gave him unprotected sex for about 2 minutes. I think alot has to do with the guilt of what I have done. I am a mother myself and I feel really wrong not thinking about my children first. After this I heard from many people that he has slept with ALOT of women (unprotected) since his divorce. I am really worried that I have contracted HIV from this one episode. I cannot eat or sleep at all! I have talked to a nurse which said that I should be alot more concerned about other, less seious, curable STDs. I fear HIV because I know that even though it is treatable, it is not curable. Please give me some advice. What are the chances of a white male in Georgia having HIV? What are the chances of me contracting it from one exposure (if he is HIV+)? I have 5 more weeks before I can test and I need some medical advice because this is driving me crazy.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Glad I could help. take care. EWH

[worriedsick83]

Dr. Hook,
     Your medical advice is greatly appreciated! You have calmed my fears greatly!!! Hopefully from this point I will be alot less stressed and be able to continue on with my daily life as if this were to have never happened. I cannot express how greatful I am for your quick, reassuring response! This has definitely been a life learning experience and I will make sure to keep this in mind if I am ever in this situation again. I will practice safe sex from this point on. Once again, thank you!!!
                                                      -worriedsick83

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I understood that.  this was taken into account in my assessment.  Oral sex is not i risk factor for HIV.  The quoted figure for HIV risk, if one has oral sex with an infected partner is less than 1 in 10,000 and, in my estimation that is too high. Some experts state there is no risk at all from oral sex.  Neither of us on this site have ever seen or reading the medical literature of a convincing instance in which HIV was passed by oral sex.  EWH

[worriedsick83]

I meant I gave him unprotected ORAL sex for about 2 minutes along with unprotected vaginal sex

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  You have posted on the wrong site.   Questions about HIV belong on the HIV prevention site.  I will do my best to answer your questions with this reply but, if you have additional questions about HIV or follow-up they must be on the HIV Prevention site.  Sorry.

I agree with the nurse you spoke with. You can and should be evaluated for far more common STDs like gonorrhea and chlamydia at this time.  That is not to say that testing for HIV isn't appropriate, just that your risk for other STDs is far, far higher.

As for HIV, this was a low risk exposure. Even with multiple other partners, the likelihood that your friend has HIV is less than 1 in 1000 and probably lower than that.  Then, the risk of HIV from a single genital sexual encounter is also less than 1 infection for every thousand exposures.  There is no risk for HIV from your oral exposure- HIV is not spread through oral contact.  Putting these facts together, your mathematical risk for HIV is less than 1 in a million.  With these kinds of numbers, you should not spend a lot of time worrying.  You are more likely to be hit by lightening and there's lots of lightening storms in Georgia.

If you can, you can get an answer regarding the likelihood of HIV far sooner by asking your partner to be tested.  If he does not have HIV, then you are not at risk.  this might also be helpful.

I  hope these comments are helpful.  EWH