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Exposure Risk
16 days ago I had unprotected vaginal and oral sex with a woman I met in a bar. She is late 40-ish and played in the band. I don't know what part of the country she is from - but somewhere in the Southern US I am assuming. I didn't see any signs of drug abuse but who knows.
I am engaged and concerned about passing anything to her so I have abstained from contact during this period.
My doctor friend gave me a script for 1.5g of Zithromax at the time of the exposure. I took it over a 24 hour period. I am now on Augmentin 875 because I'm still having problems with the ear and sinus. So a lot of antibiotics in the last 16 days which I know aren't the best thing for me.
With the antibiotics and in the absence of any physical symptoms (and after reading this forum alot), I'm pretty sure I'm in the clear for anything of a bacterial nature.
My concern is related the blood borne viruses (HIV, HSV and Hep). Would you recommend testing for anything at this point? Does the lack of symptoms after 17 days present any evidence?
If I came in your office and told you this story, how would you advise me and assess my risks?
Thank you.
I am engaged and concerned about passing anything to her so I have abstained from contact during this period.
My doctor friend gave me a script for 1.5g of Zithromax at the time of the exposure. I took it over a 24 hour period. I am now on Augmentin 875 because I'm still having problems with the ear and sinus. So a lot of antibiotics in the last 16 days which I know aren't the best thing for me.
With the antibiotics and in the absence of any physical symptoms (and after reading this forum alot), I'm pretty sure I'm in the clear for anything of a bacterial nature.
My concern is related the blood borne viruses (HIV, HSV and Hep). Would you recommend testing for anything at this point? Does the lack of symptoms after 17 days present any evidence?
If I came in your office and told you this story, how would you advise me and assess my risks?
Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Probably only around 10% of people with symptoms of new herpes develop those symptoms later than 10 days and it's quite rare later than 2 weeks. The risk you caught herpes is 1 in many thousand, tops. This should not be playing on your mind.
Thank you for the explanation. I will heed your advice for any future encounters. I've read 4 to 10 days for herpes symptoms to present. Do you know what percentage of people present after 2 weeks? I would really like to start feeling better about this as the clock keeps ticking. Hopefully, I won't have to "keep a lookout" forever.
Thanks and last post from me on this subject.
Thanks and last post from me on this subject.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum.
Of course nobody can say that unprotected vaginal sex with a new and casual partner is zero risk, and I would encourage you to get in the condom habit if and when this comes up in the future. But the risk is low.
STD prevalence is strongly age-dependent, and relatively few women age 40 and up are infected with bacterial STDs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, or the agents that cause nongonococcal urethritis), and the rate of transmissible viral STDs (HSV-2, HPV, hepatitis B virus, HIV) also is lower than in younger women. Even if your partner had HBV or HIV, the vaginal sex transmission risk is on the order of once for every couple of thousand exposures.
As for the bacterial STDs, most experts would not have prescribed antibiotics in this situation. But they will do no harm and certainly eliminated any risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia, NGU, and syphilis; one or the other drug is highly active against all 3 of them.
So my advice -- which would be the same if you had come to my STD clinic -- is that absence of symptoms so far indeed is reassuring, and that you have no worries and don't need testing for any STD on account of this event. Of course there is no absolute prevention against HPV or herpes, so keep on the lookout for symptoms (warts, genital blisters/sores), but both are very unlikely.
I hope this helps. Best wishes -- and try to stay saf(er) in the future! HHH, MD
Of course nobody can say that unprotected vaginal sex with a new and casual partner is zero risk, and I would encourage you to get in the condom habit if and when this comes up in the future. But the risk is low.
STD prevalence is strongly age-dependent, and relatively few women age 40 and up are infected with bacterial STDs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, or the agents that cause nongonococcal urethritis), and the rate of transmissible viral STDs (HSV-2, HPV, hepatitis B virus, HIV) also is lower than in younger women. Even if your partner had HBV or HIV, the vaginal sex transmission risk is on the order of once for every couple of thousand exposures.
As for the bacterial STDs, most experts would not have prescribed antibiotics in this situation. But they will do no harm and certainly eliminated any risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia, NGU, and syphilis; one or the other drug is highly active against all 3 of them.
So my advice -- which would be the same if you had come to my STD clinic -- is that absence of symptoms so far indeed is reassuring, and that you have no worries and don't need testing for any STD on account of this event. Of course there is no absolute prevention against HPV or herpes, so keep on the lookout for symptoms (warts, genital blisters/sores), but both are very unlikely.
I hope this helps. Best wishes -- and try to stay saf(er) in the future! HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
