[Question #8624] A night to forget

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41 months ago
Dear Doctors,

Last Saturday I had unprotected sex with 3 prostitutes in a day. I have known two of them for many years. They two, said me that was tested HIV Negative in the last three months. The third (recently known) I could contact her today, and she will be tested for HIV tomorrow. She said me last three months was tested for HIV negative. I need kwon what are my odds for HIV and what test I should take. Thanks.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
41 months ago
Greetings. Thanks for your question. Looking back, I see you had a similar question 5 years ago (it also involved 3 sex workers in a short period of time). It was no. 1806, in case you'd like to take a look. My answers today will be quite similar.

In general, people seem to usually tell the truth when it comes to informing partners of their HIV status, and that's probably especially true for partners (or clients) they know. So it is very likely all three women are HIV negative; and you'll know for sure about the last partner in the net day or so. Even if one of them has HIV (and not taking anti-HIV drugs), your risk would be around 1 chance in 2,500. All things considered, I would put the chance you were infected at no higher than one chance in a million.

Of course the risks for other STDs are higher, but still fairly low -- although this depends a lot on the nature of your partners' other commercial sex contacts, whether they have been tested recently, and so on. Over the next 2-3 weeks you should be on the alert for abnormal discharge from your penis (suggesting gonorrhea, chlamydia, or nongonococcal urethritis) and for genital area sores (herpes, syphilis). Assuming any symptoms, of course get medical care immediately. If no symptoms, you could have a valid gonorrhea/chlamydia urine test after 4-5 days. Syphilis and HIV blood tests would have to wait:  you could have initial testing after 2-3 weeks, when negative results would be partially reassuring, but you'll need to wait until 6 weeks for conclusive results.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD
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41 months ago
Thanks Dr. Handsfield. Only one thing for close the answer, in the worst case scenario if the three sex workers have HIV, what is my risk? Thanks for all.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
41 months ago
If all three had HIV, your risk would be somewhere in the range of 1 chance in 2500 for each event, or 1 in 800 overall. But that's a silly figure to rely on -- the chance all three have HIV is microscopic.---
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41 months ago
Dear doctor, At the moment, no symptoms (discharge, burning or another), which are the ARS symptoms, and what I do if the symptoms appear? I hope obtain a negative HIV result unfortunately the last girl has not been tested, but she said that two months ago was negative. Thanks for all.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
41 months ago
Many or most newly infected people develop no ARS symptoms at all; and most with typical ARS symptoms have something else. The four most common ARS symptoms are sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes (usually in the neck) and a body wide, non-itchy skin rash. Most people have at least three of these symptoms, rarely just one or two. So don't panic even if you develop some or all of them.

That completes the two follow-up questions and replies included with each original question and so ends this thread. Stay mellow -- the odds you caught HIV are minuscule. (And you may be further reassured to know that in the nearly 17 years of this and our preceding forum, with thousands of questions from persons worried about a possible HIV exposure, nobody has reported they tested positive. You're not likely to be the first. If and when that happens, almost certainly it will be a genuinely high risk exposure, not a minor or low risk exposure of this sort.

I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.
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