Aa
Please help, I'm going crazy.
Here's what happened: I dated a man from October 20th - December 3rd (these 2 dates are the first and last time we had sex and also the duration of our relationship.) All of our encounters were (stupidly) unprotected. If I had to estimate the amount of times we had unprotected vaginal, I would say around 8-10. We also had unprotected anal sex 3 times. The only reason that I had unprotected sex with him is because the first time we ever spoke I asked him if he had been tested recently, and after thinking about it for a second, he responded telling me that he was tested in August and that he had no medical problems. (He also mentioned once that he was once engaged to be married to a woman he was dating for a year or so, and I can't really imagine that this woman is running around with HIV now but im still really nervous about his status) After we got to know each other, he told me that he had over 40 sexual partners and also was an injection drug user for a few years when he was younger, but has been clean for 8 years. He also told me that he had a close friend with HIV who used drugs as well, so the whole thing is just causing me to freak out. I called him a few days ago to ask him about his HIV status once again, and when i asked him when he got tested last, he sort of stumbled and said "October or November, something like that," which I find highly unlikely because we were together during those months and he never mentioned it. He also told me that he has no health insurance but that his mother is a nurse and that if he needs to get tested, he can go through her. Does this even make sense?
The last unprotected (anal) sex we had was on December 3rd. Before that, the last time we had sex was a week or two prior. What is your opinion on these events? What should i do, when should i get tested, and should i be very worried? If he had HIV from his IV drug use 8 years ago and didnt know it, would he be dead or at least very sick by now? Please help, thank u so much Dr
The last unprotected (anal) sex we had was on December 3rd. Before that, the last time we had sex was a week or two prior. What is your opinion on these events? What should i do, when should i get tested, and should i be very worried? If he had HIV from his IV drug use 8 years ago and didnt know it, would he be dead or at least very sick by now? Please help, thank u so much Dr
All tests are back (6 week mark), and they are NEGATIVE! I can officially move on.
god bless you and dr hook for the work you do to calm people's fears. i will never need to post here again!
god bless you and dr hook for the work you do to calm people's fears. i will never need to post here again!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You can continue to expect negative test results. Personally I would not have recommended the HIV PCR test, but its negative result will provide additional reassurance.
Hepatitis C is rarely sexually transmitted. Hep B is more commonly transmitted by sex, but still rare for any particular exposure. I don't think those diseases are making any kind of "comeback"; they have been common in some population groups at risk for a long and never went away.
Hepatitis C is rarely sexually transmitted. Hep B is more commonly transmitted by sex, but still rare for any particular exposure. I don't think those diseases are making any kind of "comeback"; they have been common in some population groups at risk for a long and never went away.
yesterday was the 6-week mark, and i got tested for HIV, Hep B + C, and im assuming syphillis as well. Also i got a chlamydia/ghon swab done as well. i explained my situation to my gynocologist and she was alarmed at the fact that my partner was an injection drug user, but found it somewhat resassuring that neither he (to my knowledge) nor i exhibited any ridiculous symptoms for HIV. she also said that hep c and b was "making a comeback." is this true? are these infections at all comonly spread by my type of exposures? also, the HIV test that she is conducting is the PCR, is this a better more conclusive test than the elisa for a 6 week time? thank you. i expect to get results next week sometime.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No medical condition affects the validity of HIV testing. It is sometimes said that very advanced illnesses (e.g., terminal cancer) or potent chemotherapy might have that effect, but even these circumstances are theoretical, with few if any proved cases. Certainly tattooing would not have any effect.
THank you for the reassuring words. I feel abit better now but will still get tested just to be able to put thisbehind me. I do have one follow up question: I got a rather large tattoo the other day and was wondering if this would effect the validity of the test if i got tested in the next few days, being that my body/immune system is probably working hard to heal the broken skin and fight off bacteria, etc. Could this cause a false positive or delay seroconversion in any way? I just want to go into this test with a calm mind, and this was the only other question i had. Thanky ou very much.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
In the US and most industrialized countries, heterosexual transmission of HIV is much less common than you seem to assume, with some exceptions (e.g., for many African Americans). Although your partner's past history -- especially the past injection drug use -- put him in a high risk category for HIV, very few people lie about HIV status when asked directly about it. Therefore, you describe a partner at low risk of having HIV.
Still, given your anxieties about the situation, obviously you should be tested for HIV; the tone of your message suggests that my reassurance will not be sufficient, that you won't get past your worries about until you have a negative HIV test. You could have an initial test right now, since the large majority of newly infected people have positive tests within 4 weeks. Then for super-security, have another HIV test about 3 months after the last exposure. (This advice is not "code" that means I really think there was a significant chance you were exposed to HIV. I do not. I advise it primarily for your emotional support.)
More important, while you're at it, please also get tested for common STDs, i.e. chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. There probably was real risk for those infections, much more than for HIV. And from here on out, please get into the condom habit, until you know your partner(s) well and are starting to move into a mutually monogamous relationship.
Finally, the tone of this question and your others on the HIV community forum 6 months ago suggest you are more worried about HIV than is necessary. While common sense precautiosns are, well, common sense, it remains true that heterosexually transmitted HIV remains rare in most population groups in the US and other industrialized countries. So please educate yourself about the real risks and try to mellow out. It is very unlikely you caught HIV.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Still, given your anxieties about the situation, obviously you should be tested for HIV; the tone of your message suggests that my reassurance will not be sufficient, that you won't get past your worries about until you have a negative HIV test. You could have an initial test right now, since the large majority of newly infected people have positive tests within 4 weeks. Then for super-security, have another HIV test about 3 months after the last exposure. (This advice is not "code" that means I really think there was a significant chance you were exposed to HIV. I do not. I advise it primarily for your emotional support.)
More important, while you're at it, please also get tested for common STDs, i.e. chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. There probably was real risk for those infections, much more than for HIV. And from here on out, please get into the condom habit, until you know your partner(s) well and are starting to move into a mutually monogamous relationship.
Finally, the tone of this question and your others on the HIV community forum 6 months ago suggest you are more worried about HIV than is necessary. While common sense precautiosns are, well, common sense, it remains true that heterosexually transmitted HIV remains rare in most population groups in the US and other industrialized countries. So please educate yourself about the real risks and try to mellow out. It is very unlikely you caught HIV.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
sorry, i should add that i am a straight female and that he is a straigt male.
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