[Question #7076] unprotected vaginal with a gypsy

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61 months ago
Dear Doctor Greetings.  I am a male.  32 years old, uncircumcised, Hep B immune. 

I paid for sex two times in my life with a Gypsy Romanian CSW in the UK.  She charged me £100 per hour.  1st date I had sex three times with her at end of june.  2nd date I had sex 3 times with her 4 days ago.  All sex was unprotected vaginal sex and unprotected oral sex. French Kiss also. 

 She did fresh botox on lips last time I saw her. She is 34 years old, mother of 3 children and said she tested some months back and does not have HIV.  

She had condoms but we bonded with each other and one thing led to another and led to unprotected sex.  Each sex session was 20 minutes or so.   I don't know if I should believe her.  I tried to contact her to get her to test but she is unreachable.   I read on internet that my risk is high and I am worried.  I have never had sex with a stranger like this before.  I was in a monogamous relationship for 12 years until my fiancé passed away last year in a car accident.  I feel really stupid now and am ashamed.  I never dated outside and never had any STD.  

The CSW said she does not use hard drugs and is healthy.  She has asthma she told me but smokes.  She got a couple chesty cough when smoking which i heard.  She said I am only client she had unprotected sex with.  It was more like making love for her and she bonded with me.  I don't know if she is telling the truth or if its just to get my money.  She said she did not have unprotected sex with other clients but I am very scared and don't know if she is lying.  The fact she is a Gypsy Romanian and all that are just making me worried if my risk is really high, especially HIV.So I had sex with her 6 times in two occasions for 20 - 30 minutes each sex session.   We talked a lot and she said she is disease free but I am very scared.  I am planning to test for all STDs.  

When should I test to be 100% sure?  What are my odds?  Will I survive?  I am really worried.

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61 months ago
Just to add: i was eating i had bitten my cheeks inside about an hour before the sex on last occasion. Big Wound inside. I performed oral sex on her also. Unprotected. For 5-10 minutes. I'm super ashamed and worried. Sorry. 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
61 months ago
Welcome to our forum and thanks for your question.  I’ll be glad to comment.  The encounters you describe are low but not no risk events, both for STI and lower still for HIV.  Most commercial sex workers take precautions to avoid infections, get checked regularly (although getting tested “some months back” is a bit imprecise), and do not have STIs.  Here in the U.S. only a small fraction of 1% of CSWs have HIV.  Even in the the unlikely circumstance that she had HIV, the infection is transmitted on average only once in more than 1200 episodes of vaginal sex and far less often by oral sex.  Putting all of this together, your risk for HIV is quite low.

With regard to other STIs, the absence of symptoms is a good sign although asymptomatic infections do occur.

I would not worry that the recent bite on the inside of your cheek change your risk for HIV or other STI’s meaningfully.

At this time, with no evidence of infection I see no reason for taking medications of any sort. Get tested in order to rule out the low possibility that you were infected.

I agree with your plans to seek testing.  Testing for chlamydia, Gonorrhea and most other traditional STIs will be reliable at this time.  Testing for HIV and syphilis will not be completely reliable until about six weeks after your last exposure.  

Going forward, as you begin to date or perhaps see this partner again I would consider periodic testing for STI’s as a good sexual health activity. For most people routine testing, even in the absence of symptoms (screening) is appropriate about once a year. Persons with larger numbers of partners or particularly risky partners may wish to be tested more often.

I hope this information is helpful. If there are further questions or any part of this reply is unclear please don’t hesitate to use you were up to two follow-up questions for clarification. EWH

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61 months ago
I thank you for your answer doctor.  I just got very very worried since this incident and riddled with shame also.  Just to clarify - the lady CSW said she tested for HIV in March (as per her version) here in the UK.  She said she does not have unprotected sex with clients ever and it happened only with me but I do not know for sure if she is lying.   

If I test negative for all STDs including HIV after 6 weeks, can I put this behind me?  Im just really worried.  I am no longer in contact with the CSW and she has moved away I guess.  I am not seeing her again.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
61 months ago

Thanks for the additional information.  If your partner was tested in March your risk for IV is even smaller and close to non-existent. 

If you test negative at six weeks you can certainly move forward without concern from the exposures you have described. 

As for the issue of shame, I would only say to you that I do not she what the issue of shame is for you and would urge you to move forward.  Sex and sexually are part of normal human interactions.  I personally do not feel that you need "permission" or have anything to worry about.  If you continue to worry, I would suggest you talk through this with a trusted, confidential counselor.  EWH


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61 months ago
Thank you very much doctor!