Over a year ago I hooked up with a random guy and rubbed my penis on his anus unprotected. I’m worried I may have penetrated for a second or two, however, when I asked him after the encounter, he said I did not. He claimed to be HIV negative and stated he gets tested several times a year. I have taken 3 Oraquick tests at 6 weeks, 16 weeks and 20 weeks post encounter. I have finally decided to get a blood test today and am awaiting my results. Can I be atleast somewhat confident that it will be negative? Thank you!

You describe a zero risk exposure in regard to HIV. Most people are truthful when asked directly about HIV status, so it is unlikely your partner is infected; but even if he is, the events you describe carried no chance of catching it. You really didn't need testing at all.

That said, if you were going to be tested at all, you are right to question the value of the oral fluids test (Oraquick). It misses 2-5% of HIV infections no matter how long after exposure. (There's a lot less HIV antibody in fluid from around the gums than in blood, so it's more challenging for testing to detect low levels of antibody.) Still, your negative results so far are very reassuring, and you definitely can expect another negative result from the blood test. If you become worried about risks following future exposures, I suggest you skip Oraquick and go directly to a lab-based blood test.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD