[Question #7109] Hiv worry

61 months ago

Dear dr,

I am a 29 year old gay male . I have never had anal sex .

My exposure in dec 2019 involved oral sex with a condom. My partner also rubbed his penis around my Anus but there was no penetration . I assume I would have felt penetration had it happened .

He was tested Ned feb he says and is negative .

My second exposure was also in dec where I have oral sex to a friend of mine without a condom but that was very brief and I didn’t suck him deep . He also says he is tested negative . That was the first time I didn’t use condoms for oral sex .

My third exposure was in feb 2020. Involved getting rimmed and fingered .

There have been no other exposures. I tested with a fourth gen test on jan 8th 2020.

I have had no symptoms but recently I am feeling very itchy since a few day’s .

Also my weight isn’t increasing much . I am working out everyday but I also am eating well .

I am worried about hiv . Please let me know if I’m at risk of hiv or any other std .

Thanks a lot .

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

61 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.

You describe entirely safe exposures in regard to HIV. The virus is not be transmitted sexually unless one person's penis penetrates another's vagina or rectum. Even oral sex carries little or no risk. Based on the events described, you did not need HIV testing. In addition, feeling "itchy" is not a symptom of HIV, so no worries there. There is also little or no risk for any other STD and I don't recommend STD testing in this situataion.

Is there an error in the date of testing? Your last sexual event was in February but you say you had a blood test January 8. The AgAb (4th generation) HIV blood tests are conlcusive any time 6 weeks or more after the last possible exposure. If that much time passed from the February event until the test, then you can be confident about the negative result.

I'll be happy to comment further if you'd like to clarify when you were tested. But in the meantime, I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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61 months ago

Thank you dr Handsfield .

I was tested on jan 8th as I was going in for a surgery . So all tests were done . However I had a sexual exposure in feb and wasn’t tested after that . The feb exposure involved fingering and getting rimmed .

Also my partner masturbated and then washed his hands and fingered me . My worry is what if their was some semen on his hand before he fingered .

My exposure in the last week of dec 2019 was very unprotected oral sex.

Also just wanted to check , when do Peterson’s exposed to hiv start losing weight . I have not been gaining weight since a month now .

Also is feeling itchy a symptom of any std ?

Thanks for your response one again .

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

61 months ago

Thanks for clarifying. Your negative test result in February probably was conclusive for the December event, assuming it was 6 weeks later. The February event was risk free: HIV has never been known to be transmitted by hand-genital contact, even if fingers or hands are wet with semen or other body fluids. In theory it could happen, but with no know cases, it is apparent that the risk is zero for all practical purposes. The same is true of other STDs as well. S

Weight loss by itself is never a symptom of HIV. When it happens, it's generallly along with multiple other symptoms and several months or years after infection. Weight loss goes along with overt AIDS, not with the initial HIV infection. And no, itching anywhere on the body is not a symptom of any other STD.

On the basis of your exposure and symptoms, you o not need tests for any other STD., and you don't need another HIV test. However, if you would like the extra reassurance from a negative HIV test result, feel free to do that 6 weeks or more after the February event.

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61 months ago

Hi doc , I don’t think it’s been 6 weeks since the dec event but both the persons told me they have tested negative . One in dec and the other on mid February .

Do you suggest I need to be tested ?

Also have u ever seen anyone with hiv have weight loss at around 6 months post exposure .

My only symptoms are itchiness and not gaining weight .

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

61 months ago

As I have said, the chance you are infected is extremely low -- low enough that from a medical or risk standpoint, I don't recommend testing. But as I already said, you might find it reassuring to have another negative test result. If you'll sleep better with another negative test, by all means feel free to do it.

And no, I've never had a patient whose only HIV symptoms were itching and weight loss. On the other hand, in itself that doesn't prove anything. I've also never cared for a patient struck by lightning. That fact has no bearing on your risk of being struck!

That completes the two follow-up questions and answers included with each original question, and so ends this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.

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