Aa
Scared to Death
Hi,
I have been reading a lot of posts on this site and have found it to be quite helpful. I had unprotected insertive anal sex with a man about 10 days ago. He said he was fee of any STDs. I am circumcised, and the anal sex only lasted about 5 minutes, and I did ejaculate inside of him. Now, I regret this act and am worried about HIV.
I am very paranoid and have been known to reseach illnesses on the internet and come up with all of the symptoms. Lately, I have had a sore in my mouth, as well as a sore throat and headache. However, I also have nasal and chest congestion and hope this is associated with that, and not HIV. I also have noticed peeling skin on my hands, but think that this was present before the sex, because I do use hand sanatizer a lot. I have not been running a fever, and my glands are not swollen. My tongue has been white, but gets better when I brush it and use mouthwash. I have had some diarrhea but feel that it is because of my nerves. I have noticed a red rash on my neck, but it feels hot and is pink in color, I have very sensitive skin and feel like this is from shaving and feels lke a heat rash, or a flush because it comes and goes. I plan on getting tested at 6 weeks, and hope to see negative results. I guess I am just trying to see what my risk is, and maybe get some assurance. This has been my only sexual partner, and I do not know for sure that he was infected, but again I am very paranoid. I know the only sure way to tell for sure is to get tested, and I definitely plan to, but was hoping for some support until then, as it seems like a long ways away. I really appreciate this site,and have definitely learned my lesson.
I have been reading a lot of posts on this site and have found it to be quite helpful. I had unprotected insertive anal sex with a man about 10 days ago. He said he was fee of any STDs. I am circumcised, and the anal sex only lasted about 5 minutes, and I did ejaculate inside of him. Now, I regret this act and am worried about HIV.
I am very paranoid and have been known to reseach illnesses on the internet and come up with all of the symptoms. Lately, I have had a sore in my mouth, as well as a sore throat and headache. However, I also have nasal and chest congestion and hope this is associated with that, and not HIV. I also have noticed peeling skin on my hands, but think that this was present before the sex, because I do use hand sanatizer a lot. I have not been running a fever, and my glands are not swollen. My tongue has been white, but gets better when I brush it and use mouthwash. I have had some diarrhea but feel that it is because of my nerves. I have noticed a red rash on my neck, but it feels hot and is pink in color, I have very sensitive skin and feel like this is from shaving and feels lke a heat rash, or a flush because it comes and goes. I plan on getting tested at 6 weeks, and hope to see negative results. I guess I am just trying to see what my risk is, and maybe get some assurance. This has been my only sexual partner, and I do not know for sure that he was infected, but again I am very paranoid. I know the only sure way to tell for sure is to get tested, and I definitely plan to, but was hoping for some support until then, as it seems like a long ways away. I really appreciate this site,and have definitely learned my lesson.
Ah thanks for sharing the perspective, I see where you are coming from now. It's a privilege to learn from you!
Best wishes,
Best wishes,
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Being uncircumcised, like having HSV-2, roughly doubles the risk of HIV infection if exposed. Across entire populations, especially where HIV is especially common (think sourthern Africa), that's very important; up to half of HIV infections in such countries might not occur if all men were circumcised. But such things make little difference for individual exposures, especially where HIV is rare, as in most heterosexual populations in industrialized countries. When the risk of encountering an infected partner is low, and the chance of infection even if exposed is in the range of 1 in 1,000, doubling the risk still leaves very low chance of transmission. Whether more widespread circumcision in gay men might make an important difference in that group is a matter of current debate among HIV prevention experts.
Anyway, for those reasons, circumcision status usually doesn't make much difference in assessing the risk of most exposure questions on this forum.
Since this is a thread jump, there won't be further ongoing discussion about it. Best wishes for a successful career.
Anyway, for those reasons, circumcision status usually doesn't make much difference in assessing the risk of most exposure questions on this forum.
Since this is a thread jump, there won't be further ongoing discussion about it. Best wishes for a successful career.
Hi, I don't mean to hijack his question but just for clarification to his question about him being circumcised, I was wondering if being circumcised has anything to do with aiding/hindering HIV transmission. I read some literature about it lowering the risks but are the risk reductions significant and are the reports reliable? I ask out of curiosity and education, I am a medical student and I am trying to do a bit of reading before I start my hospital rotations in a couple of weeks time! Thanks. :)
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the HIV forum.
One of our universal positions and replies on this forum is that symptoms are more or less useless in judging whether or not someone has a new HIV infection. That goes both for internet searching by concerned persons at risk and for any judgment that Dr. Hook and I can make. The problem is that the same symptoms caused by ARS are identical to innumerable other conditions, most of which are more common than HIV. Sometimes a typical pattern of symptoms -- i.e. combinations, not individual symptoms -- given something of a clue. But yours certainly do not. You describe nothing that implies a new HIV infection.
The corollary to the uselessness of symptoms is that test results ALWAYS outweigh symptoms. You need an HIV test. 6 weeks is about the right timing.
As far as your risk of having caught HIV: probably not. Your partner probably isn't infected, since most people don't lie when asked directly. And if he had it, the average chance of transmission for any single episode of insertive sex (for the penile partner, if the anal partner has HIV) has been estimated at around 1 chance in 500. Your test result will tell the story, but in the meantime you can rest assured that the odds are strongly in your favor.
My last comment, however, is that you need to get a more serious handle on sexual safety. Your comment that this won't happen again may be a good start, but self-stated plans to remain sexually safe have, on average, about the same reliablity as pledges to lose weight or stop smoking. Great idea, and if you can stick with it, good show. But please also plan on having condoms handy. You have a good start on safe sex for men having sex with men by asking your partners' HIV status. But of course consistent condom use for anal sex also is crucial. Fail to follow it consistently and there's a good chance HIV is in your future.
But probably not this time. You can expect a negative HIV test.
Regards-- HHH, MD
One of our universal positions and replies on this forum is that symptoms are more or less useless in judging whether or not someone has a new HIV infection. That goes both for internet searching by concerned persons at risk and for any judgment that Dr. Hook and I can make. The problem is that the same symptoms caused by ARS are identical to innumerable other conditions, most of which are more common than HIV. Sometimes a typical pattern of symptoms -- i.e. combinations, not individual symptoms -- given something of a clue. But yours certainly do not. You describe nothing that implies a new HIV infection.
The corollary to the uselessness of symptoms is that test results ALWAYS outweigh symptoms. You need an HIV test. 6 weeks is about the right timing.
As far as your risk of having caught HIV: probably not. Your partner probably isn't infected, since most people don't lie when asked directly. And if he had it, the average chance of transmission for any single episode of insertive sex (for the penile partner, if the anal partner has HIV) has been estimated at around 1 chance in 500. Your test result will tell the story, but in the meantime you can rest assured that the odds are strongly in your favor.
My last comment, however, is that you need to get a more serious handle on sexual safety. Your comment that this won't happen again may be a good start, but self-stated plans to remain sexually safe have, on average, about the same reliablity as pledges to lose weight or stop smoking. Great idea, and if you can stick with it, good show. But please also plan on having condoms handy. You have a good start on safe sex for men having sex with men by asking your partners' HIV status. But of course consistent condom use for anal sex also is crucial. Fail to follow it consistently and there's a good chance HIV is in your future.
But probably not this time. You can expect a negative HIV test.
Regards-- HHH, MD
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