[Question #13075] Any remaining concern?
2 months ago
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I made the mistake of going to the strip club in a state where I can’t remember all of the details. I know that I spent some time in the VIP area and remember some brief oral play. I don’t remember any intercourse but I can’t say for sure.
This happened around 2-3 am on the morning of 5/19. On the morning of 5/28 around 7:00am I got tested and was negative for Chlamydia/Ghonneria/Syphillis and negative for HIV RNA.
I know based on the syphillis window it wasn’t a reliable result yet, but what do you think of the other three? Should I be concerned and do further testing?
2 months ago
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Correction morning of 5/18. So 10 full days plus change between “exposure” and lab tests.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
2 months ago
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Welcome to the forum. Thank you for your confidence in our services.
Assuming you did not have unprotected vaginal or anal sex, you were at no risk for HIV and little risk for other STIs. I don't know how to interpret. "some brief oral play": brief kissing, licking, etc carries little or no risk, but some risk exists for some STIs (but not HIV) if your penis entered a partner's mouth. If you did have intercourse, of course the risk is higher.
Assuming you had a urine test for gonorrhea and chlamydia, those results were conclusive. However, 9 days after possible exposure is too early for all other STI testing. Almost certainly you were at zero or close to zero risk for HIV, but still the HIV RNA PCR test is not conclusive until 11 days after exposure. Syphilis testing never is conclusive until 4-6 weeks after exposure. However, syphilis probably is almost as unlikely as HIV in this situation,
I might have some additional comments if you can provide any more detail about the strip club events. In the meantime I hope these comments are helpful.
HHH, MD
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2 months ago
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Hello HHH and thanks first of all for the reply and providing this service.
What my normal brain says is that it was an intimate dance where very briefly she kissed/licked my penis and very briefly I licked her vagina. What I assume in this case is that chlam/gon would’ve been main risks and my tests are conclusive I do not have them.
What my OCD brain says is “well you were drunk and what if you don’t remember brief intercourse” which is where the HIV/Syphillis concerns come in. Anyways this may be a better fit for therapy since of course you can’t know what happened or not.
In the event intercourse did happen, I miscalculated the dates originally and my RNA blood draw was 10 days and 4 hours after any potential exposure. Not sure if that makes any difference as I’m sure the the difference between each hour/day is estimated.
Thanks again.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
2 months ago
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Your normal brain is doing better than your OCD brain, that's for sure. But even the better one seriously overrates the risks. If the only exposures were brief licking of each others' genitals, there was little or no risk of gonorrhea and truly zero risk for chlamydia. But regardless of the risk, you are correct that the negative test results are conclusive.
Have you ever had reason to believe you really had intercourse and didn't remember it? If not, why would this be the first time? I'm betting it didn't happen. I suggest you invest your emotional capital in your normal brain and do your best to ignore the OCD one.
At 10 days the HIV RNA PCR test is nearly conclusive. And given that you were at zero risk for HIV anyway, you should accept the result as 100% proof you don't have it stop and have no more HIV tests. It's up to you whether to have a syphilis blood test 6 weeks after the event. Assuming you don't develop a chancre (syphilitic sore) on your penis or mouth in the next 2-3 weeks, you can be certain you don't have it and really wouldn't need testing. Of course you're free to do it for reassurance, but if somehow I were in your situation I would not get tested and would continue unprotected sex with my wife knowing I was not going to infect her.
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2 months ago
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Thanks doctor I really appreciate it. The trick as always (or at least for me since teenage years) is how to quiet the OCD side of the brain. The facts help, now time to quit with the rumination.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
2 months ago
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Thanks for the thanks. I'm glad to have helped.
That completes the two follow-ups included with each question and so ends this discussion. Best wishes and stay safe (as you appear to have done 'til now!).
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