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HIV Prevention (Expert Forum)
Can you please help me do some type of evaluation?
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum is limited to prevention of HIV and to safe sex in general. If you believe you might have been exposed to HIV and want help to judge your risk, would like advice about HIV testing, or have questions about the effectiveness of condoms or the risks associated with specific sexual practices, this is the site for you.
IMPORTANT
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
Can you please help me do some type of evaluation?
by aogm720401, Apr 17, 2008 09:22AM
Hello Dr. HHH:
I would like to know if there is anything you can help me with regarding my anxiety attacks...even though I have read some of the posting of HIV info I would like for you to help me evaluate my overall situation and give me some advice:
* I had PROTECTED (Condom) sex 9 times, 6 being the bottom and 3 being the top with different guys using a silicone lubricant (WET brand),
* unprotected rimming about 4-5 times (me receiving rimming), and 3 times me providing the rimming,
* I gave oral, with no leaks-no ejaculation 2 times (not even 30 seconds each time)
* Received oral 2 times from a guy with a 1yr old tongue pierced (this happened about 7 months ago), for about 30 minutes every time, I had no visible cuts on my penis before or after, just my penis sort of sore (exhausted)
* and had some contact with sperm while I had a small cut on one of my fingers, about a few hours old, not bigger than a couple of pin-pricks...
and I can not help being very, VERY anxious...this is my 32nd day after my last sexual contact and I can hardly wait for another 2 weeks to fly by so I can go get checked...any advice you can give me? Should I test now? What test would be better? Should I wait another 2 weeks?
I forgot to mention that the cut on my finger was maybe from early that day maybe 8 hrs old (up to 1 day old)...not bleeding, not fresh cut, and I gave a guy a hand***. I can not believe myself with all this stupidity...please help me...
I received a very calming answer from one of the guys in the forums, and I am not looking for a different answer, just reaffirmation of what I was told and of course a Dr.'s opinion, which will over rule any other reply I might have gotten.
Thank you again.
I would like to know if there is anything you can help me with regarding my anxiety attacks...even though I have read some of the posting of HIV info I would like for you to help me evaluate my overall situation and give me some advice:
* I had PROTECTED (Condom) sex 9 times, 6 being the bottom and 3 being the top with different guys using a silicone lubricant (WET brand),
* unprotected rimming about 4-5 times (me receiving rimming), and 3 times me providing the rimming,
* I gave oral, with no leaks-no ejaculation 2 times (not even 30 seconds each time)
* Received oral 2 times from a guy with a 1yr old tongue pierced (this happened about 7 months ago), for about 30 minutes every time, I had no visible cuts on my penis before or after, just my penis sort of sore (exhausted)
* and had some contact with sperm while I had a small cut on one of my fingers, about a few hours old, not bigger than a couple of pin-pricks...
and I can not help being very, VERY anxious...this is my 32nd day after my last sexual contact and I can hardly wait for another 2 weeks to fly by so I can go get checked...any advice you can give me? Should I test now? What test would be better? Should I wait another 2 weeks?
I forgot to mention that the cut on my finger was maybe from early that day maybe 8 hrs old (up to 1 day old)...not bleeding, not fresh cut, and I gave a guy a hand***. I can not believe myself with all this stupidity...please help me...
I received a very calming answer from one of the guys in the forums, and I am not looking for a different answer, just reaffirmation of what I was told and of course a Dr.'s opinion, which will over rule any other reply I might have gotten.
Thank you again.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Apr 17, 2008 09:55AM
, Apr 17, 2008 09:55AM
This isn't a psychological counseling service. The only way this forum can contribute to reduced anxiety or other emotional support is to state the facts and estimate the probabilities about someone having HIV.
As you apparently know (intellectually, if not emotionally), your HIV exposure risks were minimal. Receiving oral sex is very low risk, and fingering or contact of hands with genital secretions -- even with cuts -- carries no signficant risk. Of course men having sex with men is inherently riskier than hetersexual sex. In addition to condoms for anal sex, you should be routinely asking your partners about their HIV status and avoiding contact (even safe sex) with those who say they are infected, don't know, or seem evasive about it.
About 9095% of people with newly acquired HIV have positive antibody tests by 30 days, so a negative test now would be highly reassuring. But if you can handle the stress of waiting another 2 weeks, a negative result at 6 weeks would nail it down for sure.
Bottom line: Most likely you don't have HIV. But if your anxiety about it persists despite this reassurance and your intellectual understanding of it, counseling might be in order. Whatever else happens, please get in the "do ask, do tell" habit, in addition to using condoms with new partners.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
As you apparently know (intellectually, if not emotionally), your HIV exposure risks were minimal. Receiving oral sex is very low risk, and fingering or contact of hands with genital secretions -- even with cuts -- carries no signficant risk. Of course men having sex with men is inherently riskier than hetersexual sex. In addition to condoms for anal sex, you should be routinely asking your partners about their HIV status and avoiding contact (even safe sex) with those who say they are infected, don't know, or seem evasive about it.
About 9095% of people with newly acquired HIV have positive antibody tests by 30 days, so a negative test now would be highly reassuring. But if you can handle the stress of waiting another 2 weeks, a negative result at 6 weeks would nail it down for sure.
Bottom line: Most likely you don't have HIV. But if your anxiety about it persists despite this reassurance and your intellectual understanding of it, counseling might be in order. Whatever else happens, please get in the "do ask, do tell" habit, in addition to using condoms with new partners.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Thank you Dr. for you answer, I have been recommended by another reply to get some counseling.
Can you explain this statement? I dont understand what you mean by :
"About 9095% of people with newly acquired HIV have positive antibody tests by 30 days, so a negative test now would be highly reassuring"...
I guess I am not getting it. I am sorry to bother you.