Risk of HIV Infection? (unprotected insertive anal with male stranger)

[lecorbeau5]

here goes: I'm an otherwise very healthy 23 year old male American living in Europe. About 3.5-4 weeks ago I stupidly had unprotected penetrative sex with a male stranger. I was active and am circumcised, he was passive, and I did not ejaculate in him. He assures me I was the second person he ever had sex with, the first being someone he had protected sex with. I don't know him at all, so can't say I trust him 100%.

About 2 weeks ago I developed a cold and had an inflamed vein (tonsil? lymph node? something?) beneath my right jaw. I dismissed it. Then a few days ago I woke up in the middle of the night and felt violently nauseous, passed diarrhea, and vomited. Due to the dubious dinner I had that night I chalked it up to minor food poisoning. Within a matter of a couple days I started feeling better. My lymph node is now barely existent.

However, I am starting to worry. Are these not all signs of an early HIV infection? I just got tested, and will get the results next week, but they told me it was still too early, and that I'd have to wait at least another two months before accurate results. I might be overreacting. Do I have reason to worry? Considering my situation, is it worth investing in more expensive tests that don't require significant wait periods (3 months is a long time for me to fret over this)?

Living overseas without the possibility of coming home in the near future is making this all the more complicated: language barrier, insurance pains, etc. What to do?

[jayjay17100]

Hey, I find myself in a similar situation that you were in at this time. I understand that an expert has already answered my previous questions, but I would like to know how this turned out for you.

[Teak]

There are no tests marketed or sold to give a conclusive test earlier than 3 months.

[potter800]

Hi congratulations on your test result.

An 8 week test is virtually conclusive,after your last exposure,as Drs Handsfield and Hook repeatedly say on this forum.So you should be fine....but since your risk was high,it wont hurt to test out to 12 weeks.I dont think you are positive,however,because your 8 week test is negative.

Best regards.

[RainLover71]

Excellent result that is highly unlikely to change at 12 weeks.All the best to you.

[lecorbeau5]

8 weeks: negative.

[Vance2335]

Any negative test is a good test.

[lecorbeau5]

Found out today: after 4 weeks, I tested negative. I will go again for an 8 week test. Then a 12 week.

Do these chances look good?

[mike_no]

PCR / NAT will not yeild conclusive result. However, an 'undetected' result when tested at the correct time frame can be very indicative. PCRs are not stand alone tests and has to be backed up by a standard antibody test at the 3 month's mark from the time of exposure for a conclusive.

Now coming to you specifically, the best testing protocol I could suggest considering your anxiety: A ''duo test'' at the 4th week from the date of exposure, a negative then would be very reassuring back that one with a final one at the 12th week for a conclusive.

[rio_branco]

To ease your mind right now, I can tell you that researchers suggest that the risk of acquiring HIV from an unprotected insertive anal sex is lower than unprotected receptive anal sex. Nevertheless, unprotected anal sex is one of the two riskiest behaviors to contract HIV, the other being drug injection from shared needles.

It is true that you have to wait for some other 2 months to get a conclusive result. But if you can't wait that long, I believe there are advanced tests in many European countries which enable you to get a conclusive result within 1-2 months. Try to ask for a PCR test instead of an antibody test.

Please make sure that you put on condom from now on. You're not only responsible for your health, but also that of others.
Good luck!    

[diver58]

Certainly you did a mistake by exposing yourself to risk which is highest in unprotected anal sex. However having said that, it is also a reality that not everyone catches the infection from a single event of unprotected sex with a positive partner. Here status of your partner is not known (strong chances are, he may not be a positive), add more to the odds in your favor.

Your symptoms do not look like ARS, however we do not value the symptoms much because these could be due to many other reasons including anxiety and stress. Secondly, many actually infected perople remain asymptomatic.

Having said that, your situation requires testing to determine your post exposure status conclusively and for that, you take a test after 6-7 weeks of the exposure, followed by another test and 12-13 weeks to get a conclusive result.

If your 6-7 weeks test comes negative, it will be highly reassuring because test results rarely change after this duration. All the best for your testing.