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Avatar universal

Expert opinion needed

I'm a 27 year old white female. I starting dating a man back at the beginning of May. We had sex for the first time on May 4th. It was protected sex, but there was a slight mishap with the condom. After we were finish, I went to get up and the condom slipped off his penis, but stayed inside me. I pulled it out and went to the bathroom to clean up. I noticed there seemed to be a stream of semen on my leg which looked to be slightly stained with blood. At first I thought the blood was from me, but after wiping my vaginal area, I saw that there was no blood whatsoever on the tissue. I went back and looked at the condom and it looked as if there was blood inside the condom. I don't believe the condom broke during sex, but I do think the contents of it slipped out when I stood up. I don't think I came in contact with the semen/blood expect for on my leg,which didn't have any cuts/sores on it.I continued to see the man for approximately a month and a half. Everytime we had vaginal sex, we used a condom. We did however engage in unprotected oral sex. While I was giving, I never let him finish in my mouth. After we stopped seeing each other, I was tested for STDs. This was approximately two weeks ago. I had been tested before, back at the end of February for the usual bacterial STDs, as well as HIV, Syphillis and Hep A, B and C. All came back negative. The most recent string of tests I had were 48 days after the bloody semen incident. Again I had all negative results.My question is, should I get retested for HIV again in three months? I'm not sure what my risk is from possible contact with blood tinged semen and unprotected oral sex. I haven't had any real symptoms to report other than a mild sore throat that I had the third week in June that lasted two days. I did notice a post nasal drip with it. For the past two nights, I have woken up in a sweat, but I don't have a fever, rash or anything else that could be considered "flu-like symptoms".
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Good plan.  Glad to have helped.
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Avatar universal
Thank you again, Dr. I really feel like you've put my mind at ease. I'll consider myself good after the test at 7 weeks and will just continue to get tested at my yearly gynological exams.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Correct:  Oral sex can be considered zero risk for HIV and this last exposure does not require additional testing.
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Avatar universal
Thanks so much for your reply, Dr. Handsfield. I did have unprotected oral sex with the same man after the condom slip incident. I don't remember the exact last date, perhaps two or three weeks before I was tested.

I've noticed in other posts you believe that there's a very minimal risk associated with oral sex and contracting HIV. While I was being tested, they did do throat swabs for bacterial STD infection which came back negative. But as far as HIV is concerned, I'm guessing you think additional testing based soley on unprotect oral isn't necessary?
Helpful - 0
239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.  I'll try to help.

The only really important information in your qeustion is that you had a negative HIV test 7 weeks after the last exposure.  Contrary to common beliefs, it rarely takes 3 months for definitive results; 6 weeks or more is sufficient.  For sure you didn't catch HIV.  Blood test results always overrule exposure history, symptoms, etc.  You had a very low risk exposure by several criteria (unlikely your partner had HIV, condom-protected sex, and blood makes no difference and your symptosm are not typical for HIV, which doesn't cause postnasal drip).  But even if your partner were known to have HIV, and even if you had had entirely unprotected sex, and even if your symptoms were typical for a new HIV infection, the test result proves you were not infected.

So from a medical or risk assessment perspective you don't need any further testing for HIV.  However, since common advice from many sources says testing should be done at 3 months, you might decide to do it once more for still more reassurance.  If I were in your shoes, however, I would not do so, and I would continue unprotected sex with my wife.

And by the way, the other STD tests also are reliable at 7 weeks after the last exposure.  You definitely don't need any further testing for those.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD

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