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Your Assessment Please
Dear Doctors,
First let me thank you for the wonderful service you do to anxiety-filled people like myself. I'm tremendously ashamed of lapse in judgement and hope that it won't negatively affect the rest of my life and my family's life. I hope you can provide me some guidance. I'll be brief ... you've heard this one before ...
Unprotected vaginal sex with stripper, very early hours of 2/28, in the US at a "reputable" (for what that's worth) establishment. Unknown status, was taken completely off-guard, was not in the mental state to ask. She didn't even ask or suggest protection -- leads me to believe she already knows she's infected and doesn't care (that would be quite evil) or knows she isn't and strangely trusted I wasn't either. Very brief (3-5 minutes) and didn't finish. Only time I've ever done this in my life, therefore 0% risk of any prior infection.
Your words in other postings has given me some comfort and I'm very thankful for what you do. I probably won't be functional without reading some of your other responses. I hesitated to ask my own questions since you've already answered them a million times, but I read that Dr HHH said in 9 years of doing this forum you hadn't seen a person confirmed positive from the incident they asked about -- I want to be a part of that streak.
1) Please provide your opinion on my risk. Medically (not psychologically) would you test in my case?
2) Today is Day 21, I want tested ASAP. It's accurate that with a duo next Wed (on Day 28) I can trust the results and move on? I haven't tested for anything yet, but will get the full battery whenever I go. Any chance I could go today and trust the results at 21 days (I've read that somewhere)?
3) I've stayed away from sex with my wife out of respect for her until I have results, is that advisable in your opinion?
Thank you again for all you do. You are a blessing to those of us that have made terrible mistakes.
First let me thank you for the wonderful service you do to anxiety-filled people like myself. I'm tremendously ashamed of lapse in judgement and hope that it won't negatively affect the rest of my life and my family's life. I hope you can provide me some guidance. I'll be brief ... you've heard this one before ...
Unprotected vaginal sex with stripper, very early hours of 2/28, in the US at a "reputable" (for what that's worth) establishment. Unknown status, was taken completely off-guard, was not in the mental state to ask. She didn't even ask or suggest protection -- leads me to believe she already knows she's infected and doesn't care (that would be quite evil) or knows she isn't and strangely trusted I wasn't either. Very brief (3-5 minutes) and didn't finish. Only time I've ever done this in my life, therefore 0% risk of any prior infection.
Your words in other postings has given me some comfort and I'm very thankful for what you do. I probably won't be functional without reading some of your other responses. I hesitated to ask my own questions since you've already answered them a million times, but I read that Dr HHH said in 9 years of doing this forum you hadn't seen a person confirmed positive from the incident they asked about -- I want to be a part of that streak.
1) Please provide your opinion on my risk. Medically (not psychologically) would you test in my case?
2) Today is Day 21, I want tested ASAP. It's accurate that with a duo next Wed (on Day 28) I can trust the results and move on? I haven't tested for anything yet, but will get the full battery whenever I go. Any chance I could go today and trust the results at 21 days (I've read that somewhere)?
3) I've stayed away from sex with my wife out of respect for her until I have results, is that advisable in your opinion?
Thank you again for all you do. You are a blessing to those of us that have made terrible mistakes.
Dr. Hook:
Thank you tremendously for your response. I don't know what to make of her cavalier attitude and I go back and forth on if I should feel more comfortable or very uncomfortable as a result.
One last follow up ... I should have mentioned, here on Day 21 I'm still asymptomatic with no fever at any time and no other "typical signs". However a rash showed up all over my abdomen and chest just today and I think I can attribute that to another cause and it seems to be subsiding nearly as fast as it popped up over night.
Can I feel any additional comfort from my seemingly complete lack of symptoms? Am I correct in my reading that the symptomatic rash is localized and wouldn't be bumps all over my abdomen and chest and therefore I actually am still completely without symptoms?
After 3 weeks, I've read most people have symptoms that are going to right?
Thank you tremendously for your response. I don't know what to make of her cavalier attitude and I go back and forth on if I should feel more comfortable or very uncomfortable as a result.
One last follow up ... I should have mentioned, here on Day 21 I'm still asymptomatic with no fever at any time and no other "typical signs". However a rash showed up all over my abdomen and chest just today and I think I can attribute that to another cause and it seems to be subsiding nearly as fast as it popped up over night.
Can I feel any additional comfort from my seemingly complete lack of symptoms? Am I correct in my reading that the symptomatic rash is localized and wouldn't be bumps all over my abdomen and chest and therefore I actually am still completely without symptoms?
After 3 weeks, I've read most people have symptoms that are going to right?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. Please don't let stigma and shame get to you. You had a lapse in judgment- now it is time to get pat that and address your concerns. Your causal partner's failure to even consider condom use and the setting where you met does suggest that there is some risk for classical STDs, and perhaps HIV associated with the exposure. The risk is not great but I think it warrants testing, both for your safety and for your peace of mind. In the interim however, please don't worry- the odds are very much in your favor and there is little risk of infection. Even "high risk" partners are rarely infected and, even when they are, most single, brief exposures do not lead to infection.
Let's address your questions:
1) Please provide your opinion on my risk. Medically (not psychologically) would you test in my case?
See above. While the chance of infection is low, I would test, particularly for common STDs such gonorrhea and chlamydial infection as well as HIV. The testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia can be done at this time on a urine specimen.
2) Today is Day 21, I want tested ASAP. It's accurate that with a duo next Wed (on Day 28) I can trust the results and move on? I haven't tested for anything yet, but will get the full battery whenever I go. Any chance I could go today and trust the results at 21 days (I've read that somewhere)?
The earliest we recommend results as being definitive for HIV is at 28 days (4 weeks). I realize that some web sites and labs claim that with PCR tests they can provide accurate results sooner, as soon as at 2 weeks but their claims are not validated by carefully performed, large studies. Get a DUO test or, if that is not available, a PCR test plus a standard, lab-based HIV antibody test will give you equivalent results.
3) I've stayed away from sex with my wife out of respect for her until I have results, is that advisable in your opinion?
It is certainly reasonable.
I hope my comments are helpful. Take care. EWH
Let's address your questions:
1) Please provide your opinion on my risk. Medically (not psychologically) would you test in my case?
See above. While the chance of infection is low, I would test, particularly for common STDs such gonorrhea and chlamydial infection as well as HIV. The testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia can be done at this time on a urine specimen.
2) Today is Day 21, I want tested ASAP. It's accurate that with a duo next Wed (on Day 28) I can trust the results and move on? I haven't tested for anything yet, but will get the full battery whenever I go. Any chance I could go today and trust the results at 21 days (I've read that somewhere)?
The earliest we recommend results as being definitive for HIV is at 28 days (4 weeks). I realize that some web sites and labs claim that with PCR tests they can provide accurate results sooner, as soon as at 2 weeks but their claims are not validated by carefully performed, large studies. Get a DUO test or, if that is not available, a PCR test plus a standard, lab-based HIV antibody test will give you equivalent results.
3) I've stayed away from sex with my wife out of respect for her until I have results, is that advisable in your opinion?
It is certainly reasonable.
I hope my comments are helpful. Take care. EWH
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