I need some advice

[Stomachknots]

Hello

5 weeks ago I had oral sex with a friend of mine (I'm female) it was brief, maybe 5 mins and no ejaculation occurred.  He is heterosexual middle class white male, who has had multiple partners in the past.  He has reassured me over and over again he is fine, and was tested 2 months ago.  However I also know he has a much more relaxed attitude about sex.

So, I've thoroughly read the boards and studies that say I'm not at risk at all and don't need a test.  However I am anxious and wanted to be tested out of an overwhelming amount of caution.  

I have started to research the types of tests and I have developed a fear of a false positive result (as I see some tests do give false positives). I will absolutely lose my mind if I end up with a false positive.

So now...I'm trying to decide if I should just skip the test all together and assume the best, or if I can rely on an certain type of test to be accurate?

[malbat]

Hi.. Let me try to help. This is how testing works. First a diagnostic test is done to screen a person. This would be the 6th week antigen /antibody test followed by the conclusive antibody test at the 12th week time frame. You would read through you the forum that this is the recommended screen method that we always advise. Now in the event that any of this test turns positive, a confirmatory Western Blot test has to be taken to confirm whether a person is hisv positive or not. Only when the Western Blot shows a positive result, the person is deemed to be HIV positive.

Now in your scenario, you will be advised not to test because oral sex poses no risk at all for HIV infection. Why?. Because no one has been infected by having oral sex alone. No confirmed reported case so far. If it was a risk we would say it is a risk. But its not. The things you read over the internet aren't always true. If you sear the forum, you will not come across a person who has come back to say that he/she was infected by oral exposure. HIV just doesn't work that way.

False positive does do happen, when they do, a Western blot will follow. But the question here is, are you willing to go through the agony of a series of testing that you don't need in the first place if you hit a false positive?  I'm not saying that you will hit a false positive but in the rarest of rare circumstances if you do?

Hope what I've written helps you to make a decision. As a final word, you really don't need testing as you had no risk.

Malbat.

[Stomachknots]

Thank you Malbat.  I really don't want to open a can of worms if I don't have to.  

I did go to my doc 2 weeks ago for my annual exam and he did all standard STI screenings.  All came back negative.  I also have not had any symptoms of anything.

I did not tell my doc about this exposure, guilt and embarrassment I guess.

Thank you so much for your thoughts.  I think it helps me to just let it go.

If anyone else here has any additional comments or advise, I'm open to listen.

Thank you

[Stomachknots]

I just wanted to post a follow up in the hopes it may help someone else.   I ended up getting a lab test, and as predict it was negative.  Thank you all for your support.

[malbat]

Thanks for coming back to us. I wish you well.