[Question #10919] HIV Risk
18 months ago
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I recently had a male sexual partner and participated in receptive anal intercourse. The condom was on the whole time and there was no break; I tested the condom afterwards with water as well. However, my partner removed the condom at the end to ejaculate on my back and anus. There was no penetration after the ejaculation. I'm worried some of the semen may have touched my anus and the recently shaved portions of my skin and this is the source of my concern for exposure.
I became concerned and went to an STD clinic to acquire PEP which I have been taking for one day, but I am wondering if my concern is justified and if I need to be taking PEP. Are there risks to continuing this medication that should sway me away from finishing the 30 day course?
Thanks
18 months ago
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Will also add that the partner stated he had recently tested negative a few weeks ago but when asked to provide proof, refused to do so.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
18 months ago
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Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions. I'll be glad to comment. This was a low risk exposure. While taking PEP is a personal choice, I would probably have not chosen to take it. Your partner said he was not HIV infected and most people tell the truth, even if he was unwilling to show you the report. More importantly, you used a condom throughout the encounter and conoms reduce the risk of HIV transmission 95-99% when used correctly. Thus, if your partner had untreated HIV (unlikely) and a condom had not been used (this was not the case), then your risk of acquiring HIV would be less than 1% and with a condom, the risk is substantially less than 0.1% (less than in a thousand, probably closer to 1 in 10,000)
That his semen may have touched your anus (and you do not know that it did) does not change this assessment, nor does that you had recently shaved.
As I said above, I see little need for PEP but, of course, this is a personal choice. I hope that the information I have provided is helpful. EWH
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