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Poor Judgement

Doctor,

Over the weekend I have unprotected oral and vaginal intercourse with woman from a strip club. She assured me that she had been tested about one month ago and was safe. I am married and quite honestly scared to death that I may have contracted something. My question is how do I proceed? Should I wait and see if I develop any symtoms before I get tested? What is the waiting time before HIV can be accurately tested? I do not have any symtoms now, just extreme guilt.
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Avatar universal
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1. After 5-7 days you should get a swab test for gonorrhea and chlamydia. You can also have a type specific herpes test. You will know if you previously had herpes at this point. However, those tests commonly don't turn positive until you have had Herpes for 3-4 months.

2. After 6 weeks you can have a syphilis and HIV test with pretty definitive results

However, Syphilis and HIV are very low risk in many areas of the world, especially the US.

Go ahead and get tested as indicated in #1. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are pretty common. Herpes is a possibility but are not often transmitted in a 1-time episode. Be aware that you may find out from testing that you already have this. 20% of American men have Herpes Type 2, i.e. Genital Herpes. 50%+ of Americans have Herpes Type 1, i.e. the virus that commonly causes Cold Sores and sometimes genital infections.

How you proceed from there is up to you. Some factors are:

- HIV and syphilis are very uncommon in the US. (Other regions of the world are different.)
- HIV is difficult to transmit
- Herpes is only active a small percentage of days in the year. Therefore, it is possible to catch it, but unlikely from one encounter. If symptoms occur, it will be within 3 weeks.







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207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oops - I'm sorry.  I read that wrong.

If it was over the weekend, you need to wait for a week to test for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and a month for syphilis.  At 1 month, your HIV test would be 90% accurate.

I somehow got it in my mind that it had been a month for you - I'm sorry.

AJ
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207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
You had both unprotected oral and genital?

I would test now for gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis.

HIV can be tested for now, and it would be about 90% accurate.  It can take up to 3 months to show positive on that.

Without symptoms, I wouldn't worry too much.

Aj
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