Aa
heterosexual hiv risk?
I had unprotected sex with a girl 6 months ago, i didnt ejaculate, i have been worrying about HIV, she has been tesed for std and is negative, she has had sex with two people, another man who was a virgin and her ex boyfriend who has only had sex with one other girl who was also a virgin. I lost my virginity to this girl 6 months ago, is there anything to be worried about? i am 18 and the girl was also 18
COMMUNITY LEADER
Very interesting discussion. Highly professional and logical explanation by Nursegirl. In my opinion, one way of halting the spread of the disease is, to have an updated knowledge of our own status. And this should be the responsibility of everyone of us, involved in unprotected sex with anyone outside his/her mutually committed monogamous relationship.
We must remember that HIV/AIDS stays with the infected person till his/her last breath. Until medical science discovers a vaccine to cure HIV, prevention is the only cure known to us.
I also feel that it is highly irresponsible behavior that we ignore the need of a test after a "single" exposure with someone of unknown status. When you can not judge by looking at the faces that who is infected and who is not, it is immaterial to classify people in "high" or "low" risk categories. Risk exists whenever you are involved in an act of unprotected sex with ANYONE outside your committed monogamous partnership. Level and degree of risk may very but it is not ZERO, because sometime JUST ONE exposure is enough for transmission to occur.
We must remember that HIV/AIDS stays with the infected person till his/her last breath. Until medical science discovers a vaccine to cure HIV, prevention is the only cure known to us.
I also feel that it is highly irresponsible behavior that we ignore the need of a test after a "single" exposure with someone of unknown status. When you can not judge by looking at the faces that who is infected and who is not, it is immaterial to classify people in "high" or "low" risk categories. Risk exists whenever you are involved in an act of unprotected sex with ANYONE outside your committed monogamous partnership. Level and degree of risk may very but it is not ZERO, because sometime JUST ONE exposure is enough for transmission to occur.
ye im gna be so safe, such a steep learning curve, sleepless nights and depression are over now its just so good to be able live without that in the back of my mind, i never thought id b in the situation where i would have to get tested, but i know now if it does happen you cant self diagnose, blind optimisim is dangerous but now its all over x
well that is good to know davidbrent, but remember, you can never trust 100% what a person tells you. The only way to find out YOUR status is to find out for YOURSELF. It can be dangerous to self diagnose youself, especially on the basis of what you think others say. I was with a guy who I thought I knew EVERYTHING about, and after our breakup, I found out things about him. Now I don't think I even knew who he was. Always practice safe sex. And before you get into a relationship, it's a good idea to talk about your past, and get tested together. I know for me, I have to have proof of the results. Just for my piece of mind. There is nothing to be ashamed of. What you don't know CAN hurt you and others too.
i phoned the helpline in my country and they said i have very near zero of having hiv so im not going 2 get tested i dont need to put myself through the unacessary stress it was my first encounter so just got overly paranoid, i know her sexual background and the parties involved in that background and there is no way she can have hiv end off, iv moved on i will not be reading or commenting on this forum again
I will try to get clarification from the doctors the next time I see them advise someone that they don't need to test from a medical perspective. My understanding has always been that their advice is usually not to blow the exposure off, but just get a test as part of regular STD/HIV screening if they are sexually active.
That is the advice that I have been trying to advocate here (in general and for this particular poster). Unprotected sex is a risk but the take home message I received from the site is that, based on the costs and benefits, regular screening makes more sense than testing after every sexual act. Of course there are exceptions such as people who are overly anxious. Perhaps there are others that I am not aware of. I do not usually challenge the advice on this forum as most people that come here are anxious and worried enough that they need to test for psychological reasons. This poster appeared to be an exception.
I admit I have not read the entire CDC guidelines, but again they seem to advocate screening at regular intervals rather than testing after individual episodes.
Whenever I attempt to advocate regular screening it always seems my credentials get attacked preferentially over my argument. I just think it would be more productive to hear people's thoughts on why they feel so strongly that regular HIV screening is inadequate or even dangerous.
Again, I will try to get the doctors to elaborate on this the next time a similar situation comes up. Their advice always seemed pretty clear to me but I suppose it's possible that I may have misinterpreted something. I'm going to be taking a hiatus from this forum for awhile- it just eats up too much of my time right now- but I think this is an important issue that I do not want to leave unsettled.
That is the advice that I have been trying to advocate here (in general and for this particular poster). Unprotected sex is a risk but the take home message I received from the site is that, based on the costs and benefits, regular screening makes more sense than testing after every sexual act. Of course there are exceptions such as people who are overly anxious. Perhaps there are others that I am not aware of. I do not usually challenge the advice on this forum as most people that come here are anxious and worried enough that they need to test for psychological reasons. This poster appeared to be an exception.
I admit I have not read the entire CDC guidelines, but again they seem to advocate screening at regular intervals rather than testing after individual episodes.
Whenever I attempt to advocate regular screening it always seems my credentials get attacked preferentially over my argument. I just think it would be more productive to hear people's thoughts on why they feel so strongly that regular HIV screening is inadequate or even dangerous.
Again, I will try to get the doctors to elaborate on this the next time a similar situation comes up. Their advice always seemed pretty clear to me but I suppose it's possible that I may have misinterpreted something. I'm going to be taking a hiatus from this forum for awhile- it just eats up too much of my time right now- but I think this is an important issue that I do not want to leave unsettled.
Well, it's just my observation that people who are close to a disease tend to be emotionally biased. I did not mean to offend.
I really sense that I will continue to provoke emotional reactions with the regulars here if I keep expressing my views and I do not want to create problems. I do respect what you're doing and the motivations behind them. Perhaps as Nursegirl suggested this is not the right forum for me as I have never been up close and personal to HIV+ people in real life. I don't feel particularly welcome here anyway.
Thanks for what all of you are doing.
J.
I really sense that I will continue to provoke emotional reactions with the regulars here if I keep expressing my views and I do not want to create problems. I do respect what you're doing and the motivations behind them. Perhaps as Nursegirl suggested this is not the right forum for me as I have never been up close and personal to HIV+ people in real life. I don't feel particularly welcome here anyway.
Thanks for what all of you are doing.
J.
Read my profile. I've made efforts to educate myself about this disease with my own time and money. I don't just limit my information to this site.
Do you live with HIV? NO... Do you have an educational background in HIV? NO Do you work in the HIV field? NO...End of discussion.
help----it IS very ironic. Lizzie Lou's thread "Moving On" addresses exactly that. I totally understand that these "worried wells turned advisors" have nothing but the best intentions, but it is not healthy for them...and not always the best thing for the forum, due to lack of education on the topic (case in point here). Reading a forum for a few days, or weeks does not make someone "educated"...it makes them well read. It truly takes real life experience to be able to remain level headed and factual when dealing with a heated topic such as this one.
We have seen it time and time again....a poster decides to stay and "help" and ends up right back into the grips of paranoia, phobia, fear...due to overexposure to the topic. Truly the very BEST thing for these people is to call it a day...move on and put the whole subject behind them.
We have seen it time and time again....a poster decides to stay and "help" and ends up right back into the grips of paranoia, phobia, fear...due to overexposure to the topic. Truly the very BEST thing for these people is to call it a day...move on and put the whole subject behind them.
Excellent nursegirl !!! You have put down the points perfectly.
There are people like Teak, Lou, you, driver and many others who are helping people selflessly. High experienced and capable people they are.
However, i would also like to bring to the notice of the distinguished board that there are some people who were panicking from risk a few days earlier and are still gripped in panic but they are seen advising people on their risk status. What an irony !!!!
There are people like Teak, Lou, you, driver and many others who are helping people selflessly. High experienced and capable people they are.
However, i would also like to bring to the notice of the distinguished board that there are some people who were panicking from risk a few days earlier and are still gripped in panic but they are seen advising people on their risk status. What an irony !!!!
davidbrent---Testing is absolutely the right thing to do. The doctors have said many times that while they wouldn't insist upon a test for one exposure...they do not state NOT to test, that would be ridiculous. They say what they say so they do not cause panic in people. I have read enough of their posts to be able to interpret what they are advising...and it isn't that unprotected sex doesn't warrant testing.
Joggen....I understand that other than your own scare with HIV, that you do not have a background, which is why you've chosen to take the doctor's posts and apply them to every piece of advice you give (including down to actual quotes you consistently use without actually giving the docs their credit due). The docs on the expert forum are not "alarmists" which is why you see advice that you do. I think you are greatly misinterpreting their advice. Unprotected sex IS a risk, plain and simple...and your advice is only going to feed into people neglecting to test, and possibly passing on a new infection as a result....this is how the epidemic got to this point. I have seen them recommend testing PLENTY of times for one episode of unprotected sex....you have to read more, and carefully interpret what they are saying.
It is fine to tell people that their "odds" are good, and that their risks were not high, but IMO...it is highly irresponsible to suggest that people do not need to test as a result of unprotected sex. God forbid someone gave YOUR next sexual partner that same advice...did you ever think of that?
HIV is not about "opinions", which is why I often cringe at a lot of your posts (which as usually just copy/pastes from the MD forum anyway)...it is about facts, reality and risks.
MY advice is based on direct medical knowledge, and direct experience with HIV/AIDS patients, Teak's advice is based on living with it and being an HIV educator, Lizzie Lous's advice is as result of her having a son living with it....your advice is based solely on posts you have read from Dr. Hook and Dr. HHH. That forum already exists for people to read....this forum is a way that posters can receive ADDITIONAL advice based on posters with real life experiences. Anyone can post here....but anyone who does really ought to be educated on HIV...more so than just copying posts from the doctors.
You also ought to read lizzie lou's thread about "moving on"...I think it seriously applies to you.
Joggen....I understand that other than your own scare with HIV, that you do not have a background, which is why you've chosen to take the doctor's posts and apply them to every piece of advice you give (including down to actual quotes you consistently use without actually giving the docs their credit due). The docs on the expert forum are not "alarmists" which is why you see advice that you do. I think you are greatly misinterpreting their advice. Unprotected sex IS a risk, plain and simple...and your advice is only going to feed into people neglecting to test, and possibly passing on a new infection as a result....this is how the epidemic got to this point. I have seen them recommend testing PLENTY of times for one episode of unprotected sex....you have to read more, and carefully interpret what they are saying.
It is fine to tell people that their "odds" are good, and that their risks were not high, but IMO...it is highly irresponsible to suggest that people do not need to test as a result of unprotected sex. God forbid someone gave YOUR next sexual partner that same advice...did you ever think of that?
HIV is not about "opinions", which is why I often cringe at a lot of your posts (which as usually just copy/pastes from the MD forum anyway)...it is about facts, reality and risks.
MY advice is based on direct medical knowledge, and direct experience with HIV/AIDS patients, Teak's advice is based on living with it and being an HIV educator, Lizzie Lous's advice is as result of her having a son living with it....your advice is based solely on posts you have read from Dr. Hook and Dr. HHH. That forum already exists for people to read....this forum is a way that posters can receive ADDITIONAL advice based on posters with real life experiences. Anyone can post here....but anyone who does really ought to be educated on HIV...more so than just copying posts from the doctors.
You also ought to read lizzie lou's thread about "moving on"...I think it seriously applies to you.
I am very confident that my advice regarding testing in this instance is consistent with the forum doctors and is totally appropriate given what davidbrent has said. My advice is based on what I have read from that forum, not my personal opinion. And my recommendations for routine annual testing are consistent with the document you cited.
As I said, I understand that you and others here have a different philosophy about testing after every episode of unprotected sex and I respect that. I will not debate you or anyone else further on this- it's a public forum so you are certainly entitled to your opinion.
As I said, I understand that you and others here have a different philosophy about testing after every episode of unprotected sex and I respect that. I will not debate you or anyone else further on this- it's a public forum so you are certainly entitled to your opinion.
im not from the us for starters and i know the girls sexual history and every other factor would indicate i dont have the virus, there is no way she could have it so thus follows i cant have it, i dont want to put myself under the unessecary stress of testing when there are no risks of her/me having it.
thanks joggen, i didnt think i needed it and i know i dont have it i was just being paranoid as it was my first sexual encounter and i know her exact sexual background which would clearly indicate she does not have the virus
If someone comes to this forum with a risk, they test. That is the only way a person would know their status. There are apx. 250,000 people in the US that have HIV and don't know their status because they haven't been tested. HIV is spread by those that don't know their status and continue to have unprotected sex. You don't have HIV nor a back ground in HIV. This is an assessment forum not your opinion page. You are trying to follow the guidelines then I suggest that you learn them and have a look at the names of the authors. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5514a1.htm
The doctors on this forum never recommend testing immediately after a single episode of unprotected sex unless there are clear risk factors. Certainly the information the poster has provided does not indicate that whatsoever.
I understand that you and several others on this forum have a philosophical difference with that but I am just trying to follow the guidelines of this forum. As Dr. HHH has said repeatedly, people who are sexually active should just have an annual HIV test as part of their STD checkup and not worry about individual exposures.
* This HIV Community is a place to discuss HIV Prevention based upon the criteria established by MedHelp’s doctors.
I understand that you and several others on this forum have a philosophical difference with that but I am just trying to follow the guidelines of this forum. As Dr. HHH has said repeatedly, people who are sexually active should just have an annual HIV test as part of their STD checkup and not worry about individual exposures.
* This HIV Community is a place to discuss HIV Prevention based upon the criteria established by MedHelp’s doctors.
He had unprotected vaginal sex and he DOES need to test. That is the only way he'll know his status.
You do not need HIV testing over your incident. However, if you continue to be sexually active follow up with your plans to wear condoms in the future, and have a routine STD/HIV checkup every year.
im being ridiculous even worrying about it, she had protected sex with a virgin, and her ex boyfriend was a virgin and only had protected sex with another virgin, i didnt ejaculate and no-one is an iv drug user, end off move on
how you know u never have it??
have u been tested recently after ur unprotected exposure??
huh...
have u been tested recently after ur unprotected exposure??
huh...
im obviously not going to have unprotected sex ever again i know i havent got it but obviously i will use protection forever
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