Aa
Possible Transmission?
I am a 21 year old white female who had vaginal sex with a 20 year old heterosexual hispanic male. Although it was a one night stand, I am almost positive he was never in jail, or injected drugs. Initially a condom was used during intercourse but towards the end, the condom was falling off, so he re-adjusted it. I was drunk at the time so I did not know whether or not he ejaculated but when he pulled out the condom must have fallen off again because I ended up falling asleep for a few hours and when I woke up and went to the bathroom, I realized the condom was still inside me. This is my first one night stand, and I intend on never doing it again. Up until that point, I was in a monogamous relationship for 6 years. My question to you is what are the possibilities of getting infected with HIV? I am so scared and I am going to get tested this week but I wanted to be evaluated before hand. Is there a greater chance of getting HIV due to the fact that the condom was left in my vagina for 2 hours before noticing this? Take care.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The odds of acquiring HIV from such an encounter are extremely low. The context suggests you are in the US. Like a lot of young Americans today, you seem to have an inflated perspective about how common HIV is and the sexual exposures likely to result in transmission -- largely the fault of an educational approach to sexuality in general and STDs and HIV in particular that is at best incomplete and often subejct to abject interference by political and religious forces that either naively or intentionally provide very biased information.
Nobody can say your risks are zero, since you don't know your partner very well. But in the US HIV is extremely rare in people like your partner-- i.e. 20 year old heterosexual men who are not likely to be injection drug users. And even if he happened to be that very rare infected guy, the average risk of transmission from male to female during a single episode of vaginal sex is estimated at one in 1,000, without a condom -- and your risk was lower than that, since the condom apparently was used successfully (even if "readjusted" before completion). The retention of the condom in your vagina might have increased the risk somewhat, but not to a point equivalent to not using a condom at all.
In other words, from a risk assessment standpoint, the chance you were infected is not sufficiently high to require HIV testing. However, it is a good idea for all persons who are sexually active outside mutually monogamous relationships to have routine STD and HIV testing once in a while -- at least once a year for people in their early 20s. So if you haven't had STD/HIV testing recently, this is a good time to do it, since it's on your mind. But not because of this particular even. (In response to a common concern by some forum users, this does not mean that I really think you were at risk. I do not.)
So if you will sleep better knowing a blood test is negative, wait about 6 weeks then see your routine reproductive health care provider (or visit your local STD clinic) and have an HIV test -- along with a syphilis blood test and urine or cervical test for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Finally, congratulations for what seems to be a rational approach to sexual safety. True, it would be best not to has sex in one-night stands with guys you don't know, but it sounds like you have already learned that lession. Importantly, you had the sense to use a condom -- and your comments suggest you at least learned something about your partner's lifestyle and would not be likely to hook up with a guy at real risk for HIV. Keep up those attitudes and you'll likely never be at serious risk for HIV.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Nobody can say your risks are zero, since you don't know your partner very well. But in the US HIV is extremely rare in people like your partner-- i.e. 20 year old heterosexual men who are not likely to be injection drug users. And even if he happened to be that very rare infected guy, the average risk of transmission from male to female during a single episode of vaginal sex is estimated at one in 1,000, without a condom -- and your risk was lower than that, since the condom apparently was used successfully (even if "readjusted" before completion). The retention of the condom in your vagina might have increased the risk somewhat, but not to a point equivalent to not using a condom at all.
In other words, from a risk assessment standpoint, the chance you were infected is not sufficiently high to require HIV testing. However, it is a good idea for all persons who are sexually active outside mutually monogamous relationships to have routine STD and HIV testing once in a while -- at least once a year for people in their early 20s. So if you haven't had STD/HIV testing recently, this is a good time to do it, since it's on your mind. But not because of this particular even. (In response to a common concern by some forum users, this does not mean that I really think you were at risk. I do not.)
So if you will sleep better knowing a blood test is negative, wait about 6 weeks then see your routine reproductive health care provider (or visit your local STD clinic) and have an HIV test -- along with a syphilis blood test and urine or cervical test for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Finally, congratulations for what seems to be a rational approach to sexual safety. True, it would be best not to has sex in one-night stands with guys you don't know, but it sounds like you have already learned that lession. Importantly, you had the sense to use a condom -- and your comments suggest you at least learned something about your partner's lifestyle and would not be likely to hook up with a guy at real risk for HIV. Keep up those attitudes and you'll likely never be at serious risk for HIV.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
In low risk situations like yours, 6 weeks is plenty; the chance you would be positive at 12 weeks after a negative 6 week test is zero, for practical purposes. Official advice from various doctors and health agencies sex 3 months for maximum assurance, but that is very conservative. For more information, you can pick just about any 10-20 threads at random on this forum to find discussions about reliability of HIV testing at various periods after exposure.
Doctor,
Thank you so much for advice. I went to a clinic today and took an OraQuick Advance HIV test with oral fluid. The results were negative which I was extremely relieved about. It has been 6 weeks since my possible exposure and the nurse recommended I come back at the 12 week marker just because I am still in that window period of becoming infected. In your opinion, how accurate is the negative test result for the OraQuick Advance when taking it a 6 weeks? Thank you for your encouraging words in the last post. This will be my last question.
Thank you so much for advice. I went to a clinic today and took an OraQuick Advance HIV test with oral fluid. The results were negative which I was extremely relieved about. It has been 6 weeks since my possible exposure and the nurse recommended I come back at the 12 week marker just because I am still in that window period of becoming infected. In your opinion, how accurate is the negative test result for the OraQuick Advance when taking it a 6 weeks? Thank you for your encouraging words in the last post. This will be my last question.
You are reading content posted in the HIV - Prevention Forum
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
