STD Risk Obsession after protected sex

[Notmyusualname]

Hi! I had protected encounter from sex worker from Colombia almost 5 months ago. Received protected oral and gave protected vaginal sex, the whole thing may lasted for 4-5minuted. I’m extremely worry about and STD. I’ve been having trouble peeing and testicular pain and groing pain for a few months now. Tested for all commons STDs 4 months after exposure which was 3 months after antibiotics treatment (for another reason)

HIV 1/2 AG & AC = negative
HBasg = negative
HSV 1-2 = negative
Clamidia blood test = negative
RPR VDRL = non reactive

Clamidia urethral swab = not detected
Gonorrea urethral swab = not detected

Now experiencing skin rash on neck and freaking out.

[Sara_MHModerator]

Your question has been thoroughly answered by our members. As AJ states, continue to work with your urologist. ]]

***  thread closed ***

[auntiejessi]

Have you actually seen a doctor, or are you doing testing through a service?

You may have something totally unrelated to the encounter, or maybe you are really dehydrated. How's your water intake? Caffeine and alcohol intake? Do you need to cut back on caffeine and alcohol and increase the water?

You mention "obsession". Is it time to see a therapist?

[auntiejessi]

Also - "notmyusualname" - do you have another name? Do you have history here that would be useful for this?

[Notmyusualname]

I have seen several urologists regardin this and all assure I’m clear of these STDs whith the tests I’ve taken. But I can’t see to find peace with this and still think may have contracted something.

Dehydration is not a problem and caffeine and alcohol, just 1 cup of coffee a day and maybe a few beers once a week.

I want to be sure that with this timeframes and testing negative for all these STDs 4 months after possible exposure or is there still a risk? Should I retest again?

[auntiejessi]

You had very little risk - you had protected everything. Have you considered that this is something you should be discussing with a therapist?

Have they only done STD testing, or have they looked for other causes? Have they done any imaging - ultrasounds, cystoscopies? Prostate exam?

You do not have an STD, and you are doing yourself a disservice by only focussing on that. Your tests are conclusive as you had no risk for the STDs that would cause these symptoms.

[Notmyusualname]

The thing is Ive read a lot about STDs not protected by condom, specially Syphilis which also seems pretty hard to test for and Ive been given several RPR and VDRL test the last 4 months and all came back negative but all I read is that is only accurate in the “middle stages” or “a few weeks after a chancre form” but Ive not seen any chancre and I dont know when the middle stage happens so this will become conclusive. Little bit lost there if you can give me some clarity please. Can this rash on my neck be the famous “secondary stage rash”?

They have done other tests and recently diagnosed with prostate enlargement and its supposed to explain the symptoms which currently are: testicular pain, groin pain, difficult urinating and pain around anus. but what bacteria caused this? They say it most sure a bacteria Shouldnt it appear in one of this tests?

I spend most of my days just looking for info about all these and false negative seems to happen a lot and a lot of different ideas about window periods for example HIV would be 3, 6 or 9 months.

Sorry for all the info

[auntiejessi]

Syphilis wouldn't give you just a rash on your neck, and it's not all that hard to test for. The RPR and VDRL are accurate tests. At 90 days, they are considered 100% conclusive.

Condoms don't offer full protection against syphilis, but they do offer significant protection. Given that it's not nearly as common as other STDs, it wouldn't cause your symptoms (problems with urination, testicular pain, and groin pain), and you have several negative RPR and VDRL tests, you can be reassured that you do not have syphilis.

An enlarged prostate would indeed cause your symptoms. There are different types of prostatitis:

*acute bacterial
*chronic bacterial
*non-bacterial chronic or chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) *asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15319-prostatitis

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostatitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355766

https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/p/prostatitis-(infection-of-the-prostate)  

I'm assuming they've done urine testing to look for white blood cells and bacteria. If they didn't find one, you have non-bacterial.

The window periods for HIV used to be longer. You used a condom - you had no risk for HIV, which wouldn't cause these symptoms anyway. If you had a 4th gen DUO test, it was conclusive at 28 days.

"I spend most of my days just looking for info about all these" - this is problematic. It's time to get some therapy. I don't know why you are so focused on an STD being a cause - I don't know if you went outside a relationship, or you have some other reason to feel guilt and shame, but it's time to let it go. It's NOT an STD. You have a diagnosis - prostatitis.

Your rash could be from any number of things - I couldn't begin to address that. It's not related to this.

[Notmyusualname]

Thank you so much for your answers.

The thing is that is a little bit too coincidence for my taste. Aside from this symptoms I also have this sore throat and throat and tonsils irritation for almost 2 months now and all over the internet sore throats are like a very common symptom for almost all STDs.

I’m not married but I am in a long relationship and the thought of maybe putting her in danger hunts me everyday.

The internet is obviously my worst enemy, everywhere you look is all about false negative, non-treponemal tests not being accurate and I should get treponemal test (which I dont hace access to) and window periods varying fron 3 to 6 months in Syphilis and HIV. Hepatitis window periods longer than 6 months. It’s really a nightmare.

[auntiejessi]

First, look up catastrophic thinking. It's a common thought pattern and you're doing it.

Also, I'm not sure what sites you are looking at, but HIV window periods haven't been 3 months in a long time, so long as you are getting a 4th Gen Duo test. Hepatitis window periods are 90 days, and have been for as long as I've been aware of them.

It doesn't matter though. You had no risk for HIV or any of the heps.

Hep A is transmitted only through fecal matter. Most of the time it's spread by contaminated foods, but may be spread by rimming. You don't mention that. There is a vaccine for this.

Hep B is spread by unprotected oral, vaginal and anal sex. You didn't have any of those. There is a vaccine for this that you may have had. Talk to your doctor about a blood test to find out if you have immunity.

Hep C is only transmitted by blood. It is very rarely transmitted by sexual activity, and when it is, it is usually by unprotected anal sex. This is usually transmitted by sharing needles for drug use.

HIV is transmitted by unprotected vaginal and anal sex - you didn't have that.

Syphilis gives you a painless sore, then a rash over your body. You haven't had either, and you would have by now.

None of those would cause the symptoms you are having, which started 2 months after your encounter. No STD gives you symptoms 2 months later. That is actually coincidence.

Catastrophic thinking is "I've done something terrible, so something terrible is going to happen. What is the worst that could happen? I could infect my sweet, dear, loving, innocent partner with a horrible disease because I made such a horrifying mistake."

You had protected everything, including oral sex on her. No one does that. This is guilt, anxiety, and catastrophic thinking. You had little to no risk for STDs and HIV.

It's time for therapy. I don't mean to criticize you - I know it's hard. Think of it as tough love.

[Notmyusualname]

This tough love is actually what people like me need.  Doctors don’t usually take the time to explain all this, they just tell you “everything is fine” and move on to the next patient

Just to clarify a few things:
- I did not perform oral sex on her
- She performed oral sex on me (with condom)
- Testicular pain started 5 days after encounter

About the tests, one doctor even told me that we needed to retake tests for Syphilis and HIV 6 months later because this infections can last this long.

I took all these blood tests monthly after encounter. So I’ve had 4 complete blood panel, the final obviously being 4 montjs after encounter. All negative.

I took 2 urethral swab tests for Clam and Gono, one at 2 months mark and one at 4 months. Also negative for all.

At this point I can be sure that anything that happens is completely unrelated and all this tests are conclusive, I’m on the clear?

Sorry for this. It’s been a very tough couple of months. Even experiencing strong weight loss.

[auntiejessi]

Oops my bad on the giving oral.

"I had protected encounter from sex worker from Colombia almost 5 months ago"
"I’ve been having trouble peeing and testicular pain and groing pain for a few months now."

I don't mean to be picky, but those are your original words. That's why I said that the symptoms were a couple of months apart, and unrelated.

Syphilis infections can last for years. HIV infections last until you die. That doesn't mean it takes that long to test positive.

The RPR/VDRL don't give false negs. If anything, they give false positives. It doesn't matter, though - you've had enough tests that you'd know if you had it or not.

"At this point I can be sure that anything that happens is completely unrelated and all this tests are conclusive, I’m on the clear?" - YES. You also used condoms for everything. You have way overtested.

Stop reading the crap you're reading. You're looking for confirmation that something terrible will happen. It will not.

Continue to work with your urologist. If you google anything, google chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome in men.

If you can't let it go, google how to find a good therapist in your area. You don't have to punish yourself forever for one bad choice.

[Notmyusualname]

I understand that I have prorected everything. My biggest fear is those infections that you cannot protect against, lime Syphilis. Is it true thst symptoms could be so subtle that you don’t notice them? I havent had any chancre (visible) bur I’ve read that they can even show up at places that you can’t see like inside rectum, what if thats the case? Also with the rash I get it wouldnt only be at one part of my body, but I’ve also read it could be so small that you don’t notice them. If all this is true is there any chance I missed something? I’ve been checking my whole body day in day out (visible partes) and havent found anything