Aa
many incidents and worries
Dear doctor,
This is the second time I come here. The first was 2 years ago and I got a negative result.
But it starts to worry me again because after I broke up with my ex, I had a lot of one night stands with random females. I had protected vaginal sex (no breaks) for only less than 10 times since im afraid of hiv. Most incidents were about receiving masturbations and receiving unprotected oral sex (30 or 40 times with different females). I know I'm really promiscuous and I shame on myself now..
1. Do you think I need test because of those incidents above? I know protected intercourse, receiving unprotected oral sex or giving cunnilings is safe...but I just had too many
There are also two other incidents make me anxiety:
2. On April 3, I fingered a random female, but later on I realized, 8 hours before the incident, I pulled out the corner of my middle finger nail and caused bleeding. But there was no blood right before or after the incident. I know fingering is no risk, but I still worry about this since the finger had a healing wound.
3. On April 13, I met another female, I know she is even more promiscuous than me. She had unprotected intercourse with another male (she told me, they had 6 times a night, so I assume they had exchanged a lot of their fluid?) 8 hours earlier before I was there. she gave me unprotected oral sex. she also deeply kissed me for around 2 minutes and I had a cut on my upper lip (because I shaved 2 hours earlier), I could see the cut and I also saw a few dried blood around my upper lip after kissing. So I really worry if there were some fluid from the previous male or blood in her mouth and she gave me unprotected oral sex and kiss...
That's all my incidents, I never had unprotected intercourse with stranger. Am I in a risk of HIV? I'm going to do a test anyway after 4 weeks of last incident (April 13). Just too much guessing and anxiety now, need some answers for my particular incidents...
Thank you very much.
This is the second time I come here. The first was 2 years ago and I got a negative result.
But it starts to worry me again because after I broke up with my ex, I had a lot of one night stands with random females. I had protected vaginal sex (no breaks) for only less than 10 times since im afraid of hiv. Most incidents were about receiving masturbations and receiving unprotected oral sex (30 or 40 times with different females). I know I'm really promiscuous and I shame on myself now..
1. Do you think I need test because of those incidents above? I know protected intercourse, receiving unprotected oral sex or giving cunnilings is safe...but I just had too many
There are also two other incidents make me anxiety:
2. On April 3, I fingered a random female, but later on I realized, 8 hours before the incident, I pulled out the corner of my middle finger nail and caused bleeding. But there was no blood right before or after the incident. I know fingering is no risk, but I still worry about this since the finger had a healing wound.
3. On April 13, I met another female, I know she is even more promiscuous than me. She had unprotected intercourse with another male (she told me, they had 6 times a night, so I assume they had exchanged a lot of their fluid?) 8 hours earlier before I was there. she gave me unprotected oral sex. she also deeply kissed me for around 2 minutes and I had a cut on my upper lip (because I shaved 2 hours earlier), I could see the cut and I also saw a few dried blood around my upper lip after kissing. So I really worry if there were some fluid from the previous male or blood in her mouth and she gave me unprotected oral sex and kiss...
That's all my incidents, I never had unprotected intercourse with stranger. Am I in a risk of HIV? I'm going to do a test anyway after 4 weeks of last incident (April 13). Just too much guessing and anxiety now, need some answers for my particular incidents...
Thank you very much.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question. Actually, this is your first time on this forum; your question 2 years ago was on international forum. But no matter.
You need not apologize for your sexual behavior. We do not judge sexual behaviors, and in any case your sexual lifestyle is not particularly unusual. To your specific questions:
1) Based on these particular exposures, HIV testing is not necessary. Heterosexually transmited HIV remains a lot rather than you might think. OTOH, all people who are sexually active outside mutually monogamous relationships should be tested for HIV and other STDs from time to time, like once a year. On that basis, it would be reasonable for you to be tested now, but not because of the events described here.
2) This particular exposure was risk-free. HIV and other STDs are not transmitted by hand-genital contact or fingering, regardless of hangnails or other minor wounds on the fingers.
3) The chance your partner had HIV, or that one of her recent partners was infected, both are very low. Even if a recent partner had HIV, nobody has ever been known to be infected by the indirect exposure you have described -- and you're not going to be the first!
Your closing question brings me back to the comments above. See my reply to your first question. Get tested for HIV and also for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. You can expect negative results for all of them, but better safe than sorry!
I hope these comments are helpful. Best wishes -- HHH, MD
You need not apologize for your sexual behavior. We do not judge sexual behaviors, and in any case your sexual lifestyle is not particularly unusual. To your specific questions:
1) Based on these particular exposures, HIV testing is not necessary. Heterosexually transmited HIV remains a lot rather than you might think. OTOH, all people who are sexually active outside mutually monogamous relationships should be tested for HIV and other STDs from time to time, like once a year. On that basis, it would be reasonable for you to be tested now, but not because of the events described here.
2) This particular exposure was risk-free. HIV and other STDs are not transmitted by hand-genital contact or fingering, regardless of hangnails or other minor wounds on the fingers.
3) The chance your partner had HIV, or that one of her recent partners was infected, both are very low. Even if a recent partner had HIV, nobody has ever been known to be infected by the indirect exposure you have described -- and you're not going to be the first!
Your closing question brings me back to the comments above. See my reply to your first question. Get tested for HIV and also for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. You can expect negative results for all of them, but better safe than sorry!
I hope these comments are helpful. Best wishes -- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Re-read all my replies above. You were not at risk and did not need testing at all. I have no comment about your future sexual choices, although they sound pretty unealistic to me -- and unnecessary!
A 4 week antibody test is over 95% reliable.
Do your best to accept the reasoned, science based reassurance I have tried to give you and move on with your life. Do not focus on a single possible exception about fingering and HIV. Would you think yourself at increased risk of being hit by lightning because you read in the newspaper it happened to someone else?
That's all for this thread. No more comments. And do not be tempted to start a new thread with the same questions. Duplicate anxiety-driven questions are not permitted and it would be deleted without reply (and without refund of the posting fee).
A 4 week antibody test is over 95% reliable.
Do your best to accept the reasoned, science based reassurance I have tried to give you and move on with your life. Do not focus on a single possible exception about fingering and HIV. Would you think yourself at increased risk of being hit by lightning because you read in the newspaper it happened to someone else?
That's all for this thread. No more comments. And do not be tempted to start a new thread with the same questions. Duplicate anxiety-driven questions are not permitted and it would be deleted without reply (and without refund of the posting fee).
sorry doctor, the test I took was an antibody test, not a 4th generation test. Does a 3rd generation test overrule exposures at 4 weeks?
As you said, all people who are sexually active should be tested for HIV once a year. So I did the test, and only the last two encounters remain in window period:
1. fingering a girl who doesn't care her HIV status with an 8 hours old wound (pulled out the corner of finger nail with a bit blood) (4 weeks before the test)
2. deep kissing (with a cut on upper lip surrounded by dry blood), and receiving oral sex from another promiscuous girl (my glans was painful right before I was going to ejaculate, I couldn't see any wound, so too sensitive? ) (3 weeks before the test)
I have decided to abandon any sex activities until I get a girlfriend and both get tested because I'm scared to death...
Do you think I need to remain concern about these two encounters or just forget them?
Is future test needed for those two encounters? (I know they are negligible risk, but I have blood or wounds involved)
Is a small bleeding wound connects finger skin and finger nail able to seal off in 7 or 8 hours?
Thank you so much doctor!
As you said, all people who are sexually active should be tested for HIV once a year. So I did the test, and only the last two encounters remain in window period:
1. fingering a girl who doesn't care her HIV status with an 8 hours old wound (pulled out the corner of finger nail with a bit blood) (4 weeks before the test)
2. deep kissing (with a cut on upper lip surrounded by dry blood), and receiving oral sex from another promiscuous girl (my glans was painful right before I was going to ejaculate, I couldn't see any wound, so too sensitive? ) (3 weeks before the test)
I have decided to abandon any sex activities until I get a girlfriend and both get tested because I'm scared to death...
Do you think I need to remain concern about these two encounters or just forget them?
Is future test needed for those two encounters? (I know they are negligible risk, but I have blood or wounds involved)
Is a small bleeding wound connects finger skin and finger nail able to seal off in 7 or 8 hours?
Thank you so much doctor!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It remains unclear that the person in the other thread in fact was infected in that manner. Even if it happened, it is so rare that no other cases are known. But most important, testing always overrule exposure, and your negative test result proves you were not infected. Don't worry any more about it.
Sorry to bother you again doctor... but I'm worried death again after I read this post
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV---Prevention/Fingering-Frottage-Potential-Penetration-during-menstruation/show/2003141
It seems like this unlucky person is possibly infected by fingering with fresh cuts on finger?
I took a antibody test (no 4th generation offered in Vancouver Canada) on May 6th, and thanks God the result came out negative. But after read that post, I started to worry about my fingering incident again since it's only 4 weeks before the test(only 90% accuracy).
I reached the girl and asked her about HIV stuff. she just told me she had unprotected sex with some random guys and didn't take any HIV test, I offered her to go test with me, but she said she doesn't care and refused me...this freaking me out!
The only thing I could comfort myself is that, although I pulled out the corner of my finger nail (the small piece of nail on the side of my middle finger nail, not hangnails) and caused bleeding a bit, there was about 8 hours for the wound to heal and no visible blood after the incident.
So, do I need to tested again? From reading those threads, I know fingering even with cut is safe, but what about the nail corner is off? After reading that post, I want to know if you have changed your opinion about fingering with cut?
Thank you very much doctor,
Best regards.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV---Prevention/Fingering-Frottage-Potential-Penetration-during-menstruation/show/2003141
It seems like this unlucky person is possibly infected by fingering with fresh cuts on finger?
I took a antibody test (no 4th generation offered in Vancouver Canada) on May 6th, and thanks God the result came out negative. But after read that post, I started to worry about my fingering incident again since it's only 4 weeks before the test(only 90% accuracy).
I reached the girl and asked her about HIV stuff. she just told me she had unprotected sex with some random guys and didn't take any HIV test, I offered her to go test with me, but she said she doesn't care and refused me...this freaking me out!
The only thing I could comfort myself is that, although I pulled out the corner of my finger nail (the small piece of nail on the side of my middle finger nail, not hangnails) and caused bleeding a bit, there was about 8 hours for the wound to heal and no visible blood after the incident.
So, do I need to tested again? From reading those threads, I know fingering even with cut is safe, but what about the nail corner is off? After reading that post, I want to know if you have changed your opinion about fingering with cut?
Thank you very much doctor,
Best regards.
Thank you so much doctor! I have decided to move on! Thank you!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Nobody is known to have caught HIV by such exposures, regardless of cuts, blood in the mouth, etc.
Ignore any other "what if" or "yes but" thoughts that come to mind. Trust me on this: there is no information or situations you can think of that will change my opinion or advice, so don't ask. Accept the reasoned, science-based reassurance you have had and move on.
Ignore any other "what if" or "yes but" thoughts that come to mind. Trust me on this: there is no information or situations you can think of that will change my opinion or advice, so don't ask. Accept the reasoned, science-based reassurance you have had and move on.
Doctor, this will be my last question.
Your reply to my third question means, she gave me unprotected oral sex and kiss were safe from HIV even when her mouth had fluids from her previous partner, and even when I had a cut with dried blood on my upper lip, right?
But how about if she had a cut with blood on her lip as well (because I forgot to check) ? When she kissed me, those two cuts contacted each others? Is this a risk?
Your reply to my third question means, she gave me unprotected oral sex and kiss were safe from HIV even when her mouth had fluids from her previous partner, and even when I had a cut with dried blood on my upper lip, right?
But how about if she had a cut with blood on her lip as well (because I forgot to check) ? When she kissed me, those two cuts contacted each others? Is this a risk?
Thank you very much doctor!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You correctly understand my advice.
Any help???
Oh, OK. So base on what I did, you believe I'm in a very low risk of contracting HIV, right? Testing is just sort of double check? Not have to? Sorry..I'm trying to avoid stupid repeatedly questions, but I'm so easy to become extremely anxious about HIV..
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
"rather" should be "rarer". Sorry for the typo, but I dictated my reply. Blame Siri!
Dr. Handsfield, thank you so much for the detailed reply.
I certainly feel much better for those two particular incidents.
But as you mentioned "Heterosexually transmited HIV remains a lot rather than you might think." I don't really understand what you mean about this. Do you mean protected intercourse, receiving unprotected oral sex or giving cunnilings is not safe enough, and sexual active people (like me) should worry about them?
Thank you very much.
I certainly feel much better for those two particular incidents.
But as you mentioned "Heterosexually transmited HIV remains a lot rather than you might think." I don't really understand what you mean about this. Do you mean protected intercourse, receiving unprotected oral sex or giving cunnilings is not safe enough, and sexual active people (like me) should worry about them?
Thank you very much.
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