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HIV/Syphilis Co-Infection Risk
I'm 27 years old and had protected sex with a sex worker around 7 1/2 weeks ago. Initially, I was not worried about contracting any STDs because it was protected and the condom never broke. However, at around 4 weeks, a red pimple showed up in my upper pubic hair region. It has been there ever since. It does not look like the typical chancre (open sore), but also does not itch or is painful.
I also in the past couple weeks have had more headaches than normal, weakness, and small brown stains on a couple parts of my palms. My hands and feet have also felt sore and achy at times, especially at night (perhaps early on-set neurosyphillis?). However, I have not experienced any of the typical symptoms of ARS (fever, sore throat, rash night sweats).
I'm trying to assess my risk for contracting HIV and Syphilis based on this exposure. I have read that syphilis sores can make it easier for someone to transmit HIV to a partner. My question is: How/If HIV can enter my body via genital to genital contact with a syphilis sore during protected sex? For arguments sake that the sex worker had a sore in her genitals that rubbed against mine, could HIV enter my bloodstream this way? I am planning on taking a test later this week for piece of mind.
I also in the past couple weeks have had more headaches than normal, weakness, and small brown stains on a couple parts of my palms. My hands and feet have also felt sore and achy at times, especially at night (perhaps early on-set neurosyphillis?). However, I have not experienced any of the typical symptoms of ARS (fever, sore throat, rash night sweats).
I'm trying to assess my risk for contracting HIV and Syphilis based on this exposure. I have read that syphilis sores can make it easier for someone to transmit HIV to a partner. My question is: How/If HIV can enter my body via genital to genital contact with a syphilis sore during protected sex? For arguments sake that the sex worker had a sore in her genitals that rubbed against mine, could HIV enter my bloodstream this way? I am planning on taking a test later this week for piece of mind.
You had NO RISK for HIV and do NOT need to test.
If you did not engage in unprotected oral sex, you had no risk for other STD's and no testing is required.
You said you're trying to assess your risk for HIV and syphilis based on this "exposure." You never HAD an exposure!
The red pimple in your pubic hair is most likely an ingrown hair.
Since you are going to test regardless of what any of us might say, why not wait for the 12 weeks post exposure at which point, ANY test you take will give you 100% CONCLUSIVE results.
I guarantee your results will be negative.
If you did not engage in unprotected oral sex, you had no risk for other STD's and no testing is required.
You said you're trying to assess your risk for HIV and syphilis based on this "exposure." You never HAD an exposure!
The red pimple in your pubic hair is most likely an ingrown hair.
Since you are going to test regardless of what any of us might say, why not wait for the 12 weeks post exposure at which point, ANY test you take will give you 100% CONCLUSIVE results.
I guarantee your results will be negative.
Thanks for your response. I've read that HIV transmission increases when syphillis sores are present. If sores were present in her genital area where my condom wasn't protecting against, why would there be no HIV risk since u can still get syphillis this way?
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