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multiple (potential) exposure risk analysis required, please kindly do assist
Dear Esteemed Doctors/Volunteers,
I have been trying for ages to register on the POZ forum but for some reason I have yet to be approved, hence I can't post there! Nonetheless, I hope that the experts here at MedHelp will help me with my risk assessment.
Firstly thank you for all the information that you have provided in response to the various queries posted in this forum. I have taken great care to read through most of them; however, being a clinically diagnosed OCD/depression/chronic anxiety sufferer, I need to bring to light certain recent events and would love for your analysis on the HIV transmission risk posed.
Last Thursday, on the 25th of April, while working with a mechanical pencil, I managed to cut myself slightly on my lower lip. The cut was long (perhaps 2-3 cm) but not deep. At that moment, I checked and it wasn’t bleeding whatsoever. It seemed to have recovered quickly and I didn’t notice it from Friday onwards.
On Friday night (the 26th of April), I went to a bar (I am in Singapore) frequented by Commercial Sex Workers and got pretty drunk. The following are the activities engaged in with 2 different CSWs (one was a Male-to-Female transsexual and the other a biological woman):
- Shared drinks with 1 or both of them (between a few sips and 1-3 glasses intermittently)
- Kissed one or both of them on the cheeks. Might have also had engaged in light mouth to mouth kissing with both of them. Unable to recall there being any deep tongue kissing, but seems unlikely from my memory.
- Might have touched transgenders breast with my bare hand and also kissed it with my lips. Again the touch as well as the kiss was very short (under 2 seconds - quite sure I did not suck on the breast or nipples)
- When I was leaving, the transgender might have scratched my right hand, at that time I don't recall there being any blood. Only noticed the wound the next day after scrutinizing my body closely. I am actually quite worried about this particular incident, because at that time the transgendered CSW was pretty aggressively asking me to "take her home" (i.e. pay her for sex), and I kept refusing. My OCD fears have surfaced to a great extent here and I am worried that she might have pricked me intentionally with a needle or syringe with her blood while I wasn't noticing. Please note that this was a crowded bar setting and if she had done something like that, I guess someone would have noticed, but then again, as I was pretty much inebriated, I really can't seem to recall exactly how I got that scratch.
- After the bar went to have dinner with the female CSW and shared utensils with her momentarily. Might have also shared a drink from the same glass.
The next morning, on Saturday the 27th of April, I went to my General Practitioner and he checked for any open sores in my mouth. He found none.
Thereafter, feeling stressed, I stupidly went to a “questionable” massage parlour where I received a full body deep massage (with lotion) and a handjob without a condom. There was no other contact between me and the female masseuse who was fully clothed at the time of the incident. Unfortunately I do not recall if she was wearing panties at the time, and she did sit on my back while giving me the massage.
Below are my primary areas of concern from these episodes:
1. Sharing of drinks with CSWs
2. Kissing with CSWs since my lip had been slightly cut the day before (but no bleeding noticed)
3. Kissing fondling the transgenders breast/nipple (any possible transmission via lactation?)
4. The scratch on my hand (not 100pct sure it was caused by the CSW but still worried, and frankly, based on the knowledge I currently have about HIV/AIDS, this is my PRIMARY and MAIN concern and it's causing me sleepless nights, I need to take 3 Xanax everyday just to get through the day)
5. Sharing eating utensils/food with the CSW
6. Possibility of catching something during the massage/handjob as it was a deep rub / rough massage and I didn't get a chance to see the girl’s hands. Also I have some perpetual pimples on my back and concerned that deep rubbing could have transmitted something although I didn't notice any bleeding after the massage. However, on 30th April, I noticed some itching on my back and seem to have developed a minor rash in a specific area. There is itchiness but no bleeding. A similar rash seems to have developed on my left bicep. Please do note that before I noticed the rash, I scratched the areas repeatedly due to the itch. As of today (4th May, the rash seems to have subsided with just some minor residues) Also, if the masseuse was not wearing panties while she sat on my back (and on my stomach during the "face-up" portion of the massage), what kind of risks would there be. Especially if she wasnt wearing panties and her vagina came in contact with the pimples on my back.
7. After the General Practitioner didn't find any sores in my mouth on Saturday morning, I went home, had some food and went to sleep. When I awoke 2 hours later there was slight soreness on my tounge and lower lip which cleared up in a day. Should this be a cause for concern? (This has been known to happen to me on previous occasions after a night of intense drinking and smoking etc.) Thereafter, I had another small sore in my mouth on the right side, but then again it feels exactly like sores that I do get from time to time, just minor mouth "lacerations" with no bleeding whatsoever. I am smoking heavily now, about 20 sticks a day and sometimes when I smoke heavily I do get these sores in my mouth.
8. In addition to the scratch mentioned in Point 4 above, as I was pretty drunk, I fell a few times and noticed some slight lacerations on my palms the next day. My question is, that, if the scratch was open (and potentially bleeding) and if either of the CSWs held my hand and came in direct contact with the laceration, is there any risk?
Other than the above, I can confirm that there was no vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse of any kind on any of the occasions. I did not touch with my hand, mouth or penis, any genital areas of the CSWs and masseuse in question.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could get back to me soon on my queries above. I understand that it’s a very long message and some points may have already been covered in some of the other replies on the forum, but I’m pretty stressed out about the whole sequence of events and suffer from a bad feeling of guilt for letting myself get drunk in the first place.
Please advise if it would be necessary to get tested in this instance. Thanking you much in advance.
If any further information is required for this particular risk assessment, please do not hesitate to ask. I recently started a new job and being the only breadwinner in my family (I'm supporting a family of 4), I would be devastated if something would happen to me. I know that HIV is not a death sentence and its a chronic manageable condition, but in Singapore, we DO NOT have Government sponsorship for the meds and it would take a huge chunk of my income to pay for my treatment.
Dave
I have been trying for ages to register on the POZ forum but for some reason I have yet to be approved, hence I can't post there! Nonetheless, I hope that the experts here at MedHelp will help me with my risk assessment.
Firstly thank you for all the information that you have provided in response to the various queries posted in this forum. I have taken great care to read through most of them; however, being a clinically diagnosed OCD/depression/chronic anxiety sufferer, I need to bring to light certain recent events and would love for your analysis on the HIV transmission risk posed.
Last Thursday, on the 25th of April, while working with a mechanical pencil, I managed to cut myself slightly on my lower lip. The cut was long (perhaps 2-3 cm) but not deep. At that moment, I checked and it wasn’t bleeding whatsoever. It seemed to have recovered quickly and I didn’t notice it from Friday onwards.
On Friday night (the 26th of April), I went to a bar (I am in Singapore) frequented by Commercial Sex Workers and got pretty drunk. The following are the activities engaged in with 2 different CSWs (one was a Male-to-Female transsexual and the other a biological woman):
- Shared drinks with 1 or both of them (between a few sips and 1-3 glasses intermittently)
- Kissed one or both of them on the cheeks. Might have also had engaged in light mouth to mouth kissing with both of them. Unable to recall there being any deep tongue kissing, but seems unlikely from my memory.
- Might have touched transgenders breast with my bare hand and also kissed it with my lips. Again the touch as well as the kiss was very short (under 2 seconds - quite sure I did not suck on the breast or nipples)
- When I was leaving, the transgender might have scratched my right hand, at that time I don't recall there being any blood. Only noticed the wound the next day after scrutinizing my body closely. I am actually quite worried about this particular incident, because at that time the transgendered CSW was pretty aggressively asking me to "take her home" (i.e. pay her for sex), and I kept refusing. My OCD fears have surfaced to a great extent here and I am worried that she might have pricked me intentionally with a needle or syringe with her blood while I wasn't noticing. Please note that this was a crowded bar setting and if she had done something like that, I guess someone would have noticed, but then again, as I was pretty much inebriated, I really can't seem to recall exactly how I got that scratch.
- After the bar went to have dinner with the female CSW and shared utensils with her momentarily. Might have also shared a drink from the same glass.
The next morning, on Saturday the 27th of April, I went to my General Practitioner and he checked for any open sores in my mouth. He found none.
Thereafter, feeling stressed, I stupidly went to a “questionable” massage parlour where I received a full body deep massage (with lotion) and a handjob without a condom. There was no other contact between me and the female masseuse who was fully clothed at the time of the incident. Unfortunately I do not recall if she was wearing panties at the time, and she did sit on my back while giving me the massage.
Below are my primary areas of concern from these episodes:
1. Sharing of drinks with CSWs
2. Kissing with CSWs since my lip had been slightly cut the day before (but no bleeding noticed)
3. Kissing fondling the transgenders breast/nipple (any possible transmission via lactation?)
4. The scratch on my hand (not 100pct sure it was caused by the CSW but still worried, and frankly, based on the knowledge I currently have about HIV/AIDS, this is my PRIMARY and MAIN concern and it's causing me sleepless nights, I need to take 3 Xanax everyday just to get through the day)
5. Sharing eating utensils/food with the CSW
6. Possibility of catching something during the massage/handjob as it was a deep rub / rough massage and I didn't get a chance to see the girl’s hands. Also I have some perpetual pimples on my back and concerned that deep rubbing could have transmitted something although I didn't notice any bleeding after the massage. However, on 30th April, I noticed some itching on my back and seem to have developed a minor rash in a specific area. There is itchiness but no bleeding. A similar rash seems to have developed on my left bicep. Please do note that before I noticed the rash, I scratched the areas repeatedly due to the itch. As of today (4th May, the rash seems to have subsided with just some minor residues) Also, if the masseuse was not wearing panties while she sat on my back (and on my stomach during the "face-up" portion of the massage), what kind of risks would there be. Especially if she wasnt wearing panties and her vagina came in contact with the pimples on my back.
7. After the General Practitioner didn't find any sores in my mouth on Saturday morning, I went home, had some food and went to sleep. When I awoke 2 hours later there was slight soreness on my tounge and lower lip which cleared up in a day. Should this be a cause for concern? (This has been known to happen to me on previous occasions after a night of intense drinking and smoking etc.) Thereafter, I had another small sore in my mouth on the right side, but then again it feels exactly like sores that I do get from time to time, just minor mouth "lacerations" with no bleeding whatsoever. I am smoking heavily now, about 20 sticks a day and sometimes when I smoke heavily I do get these sores in my mouth.
8. In addition to the scratch mentioned in Point 4 above, as I was pretty drunk, I fell a few times and noticed some slight lacerations on my palms the next day. My question is, that, if the scratch was open (and potentially bleeding) and if either of the CSWs held my hand and came in direct contact with the laceration, is there any risk?
Other than the above, I can confirm that there was no vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse of any kind on any of the occasions. I did not touch with my hand, mouth or penis, any genital areas of the CSWs and masseuse in question.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could get back to me soon on my queries above. I understand that it’s a very long message and some points may have already been covered in some of the other replies on the forum, but I’m pretty stressed out about the whole sequence of events and suffer from a bad feeling of guilt for letting myself get drunk in the first place.
Please advise if it would be necessary to get tested in this instance. Thanking you much in advance.
If any further information is required for this particular risk assessment, please do not hesitate to ask. I recently started a new job and being the only breadwinner in my family (I'm supporting a family of 4), I would be devastated if something would happen to me. I know that HIV is not a death sentence and its a chronic manageable condition, but in Singapore, we DO NOT have Government sponsorship for the meds and it would take a huge chunk of my income to pay for my treatment.
Dave
i don't think any one would do that intentionally.
you would have definitely known, even if some one pricks you with some thing.
you would have definitely known, even if some one pricks you with some thing.
Sir,
Thank you. And about the "purposefully infecting me with a needle in the bar scenario", as a layman, would you think that's possible? Have you heard of any cases? Or is it just me being dramatic, and irrational? Please do realise I'm not trying to waste your time here, which I really appreciate since you are spending time on forums posting advice when you could be doing other things or spending time with your family. But I just wanted to be sure.
Thank you. And about the "purposefully infecting me with a needle in the bar scenario", as a layman, would you think that's possible? Have you heard of any cases? Or is it just me being dramatic, and irrational? Please do realise I'm not trying to waste your time here, which I really appreciate since you are spending time on forums posting advice when you could be doing other things or spending time with your family. But I just wanted to be sure.
kissing, massage, masturbation, nail scratch, sharing utensils are NOT a risk.
HIV has NEVER been transmitted in those ways
HIV has NEVER been transmitted in those ways
Dear Sir,
Your prompt reply is much appreciated. I was just concerned because of the string of events that happened that night. Granted, some of my concerns might be irrational, but that's just what mental illness does to a person. And I am taking active steps to get professional psychiatric help in that aspect. If you see no cause for concern based on the above, then I shall not go for any testing for HIV.
Your prompt reply is much appreciated. I was just concerned because of the string of events that happened that night. Granted, some of my concerns might be irrational, but that's just what mental illness does to a person. And I am taking active steps to get professional psychiatric help in that aspect. If you see no cause for concern based on the above, then I shall not go for any testing for HIV.
Just to add, with regards to my OCD/depression/anxiety, I have been recently diagnosed and am currently on a range of 6 different medications (excluding Xanax). I have only been taking them for 2-3 weeks or so, hence the full effects (which would stabilize the chemicals in my brain) have yet to be felt, and this could take a few more weeks. Therefore, at this point in time, my OCD is still in overdrive and that's why I'm taking a lot of Xanax to calm myself during the day. At night, I need to drink alcohol before I can sleep. I keep on replaying the events of that night in my head and am barely able to function in my day to day tasks. The antidepressant medications are also having some serious side effects such as loss of appetite, unstable bowel movements etc which just adds to my depression.
Dave
Dave
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