[Question #11925] Broken condom - Vaginal Sex

11 months ago

Hello Doctors. I’m from Spain so I’ll try my best with english. I’m a heterosexual male, 27 years. Yesterday I did a mistake. I had sex with a CSW, we had unprotected oral sex and protected vaginal sex until I saw my condom broke, head was full exposed. I think I’ve been having sex with condom broken for about 1-3 minutes maybe. She told me that she tests every 4-6 months and always use condoms and take care of herself.

I had my yearly HIV and STDs tests few weeks ago, everything was fine, and now I feel so bad about being in the same risk moment again, and having to wait so much time until the window period is over.

I’v seen I can take a PCR test and a HIV 4th test at the same time in 28 days, in a clinic nearby where I live. Should I do that? Or wait until the six weeks mark and take a combo test alone?

Also I’ve gone to the hospital asking about PEP and they told me It wasn’t need it at all.

It’s the first time I’m facing this kind of risk, I always use condoms and I’m so scared that I’ve put my self, my work and my life at risk, I feel like It’s going to be positive because I’m being so unlucky.

I’d like to have some advice from you and what I have to do in the uncoming weeks.

Thanks for all.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

11 months ago

Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions I'm sorry to here of your condom failure. This occurs about 1% of the time condoms are used. I agree with the advice you received to not take PEP- the chances of having been infected are tiny. Most commercial workers do not have HIV or other STIs and are good about testing, as your partner said. Further, even in the unlikely situation that she had untreated HIV, the statistical likelihood of becoming infected after a single exposure is less than 1 in 2000- in other words, there is a more than 99.9% chance you would not be infected EVEN if she were infected.

Testing is a personal choice. If you choose to test, an HIV RNA PCR test is virtually conclusive any time more than 11 days after and exposure. If testing is done with a 4th generation, combination HIV antigen/antibody tests, results would be more than 98% conclusive at 4 weeks and entirely conclusive at 6 weeks after your encounter.

I hope this information is helpful. Please don't worry. EWH

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