[Question #975] Deeply Concerned.

100 months ago

I sincerely respect your advice and knowledge. Thank you for your help and advice in advanced.

I was raped 2 weeks ago. I have not consulted with the police yet because I am scared and want to figure out my health status first. This is a very hard circumstance, so please understand.

I was raped by someone with an unknown status. From what I was told, he used a condom and i vaguely remember him pulling the condom off at the end. Therefore, he did use a condom. I am afraid of being pregnant or contracting HIV. My nipples hurt, but I also used plan B the month before with my ex-boyfriend- condom protected. I do not know the status of this man and am very worried. I have no symptoms to date.. 2 weeks post encounter. But my nipple pain is starting to go away and i have tested negative for all other STD's, other than HIV, pregnancy and herpes because I know it takes some time to develop antibodies. From what I have been told, he used a condom but "came" in me with the condom on. I am concerned maybe it had broken. I have anxiety and OCD so I think about all of the "what ifs".

QUESTIONS:

1. What are the chances i have contracted HIV or am pregnant?

100 months ago

Also, is there another way i can blur my name or use a false one so no one knows who I am??

Edward W. Hook M.D.

100 months ago

Please accept my heartfelt sympathy for having been assaulted. I'll try to provide some information. Typically nipple tenderness, as opposed to breast tenderness, is not associated with prognancy. Even more importantly however is that if you became pregnant two weeks ago you are at a time when a pregnancy test will provide far more accurate and definitive information than symptoms. I would suggest you get tested. Home urine tests, particularly when performed on a first morning urine specimen are quite accurate and is likely to be positive if you are pregnant, particularly if you are overdue for a period. Blood tests become positive even earlier than urine tests but you would need to be seen by a health professional to get one.

The odds that you are pregnant are low and the odds of HIV are lower still. Most people (including rapists) do not have HIV and even if the person who assaulted you had untreated HIV, your statistical risk for infection is less than 0.1% (1 in 1000). You can test for HIV at 4 weeks after the event using a 4th generation, combination HIV antigen/antibody test and get definitive results at that time.

Finally, you will have to contact our site administrator to learn more about the issues of confidentiality. It is my understanding that others do not have any access to identifying information.

I hope my comments are helpful. EWH

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100 months ago

Thank you for your condolences Dr. Hook.

Good news- I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. YAY!

I was unconscious during the assault but vaguely remember coming to after the assault was over and saw the man remove the condom after he came. I have also been told that he used a condom on me, which gives me great solace to know. My worry is not that he didn't use a condom, but whether it broke or had holes in it; which brings up my fear of contracting HIV. I do plan on getting tested when week 3-4 roles around.

Questions:

1. What do you think about my situation given the information I have provided?

2. Should i be worried about contracting HIV?

3. Would you be worried?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

100 months ago

1. Condoms rarely break and the fact that your assailant removed the condom suggest that this was likely the case for you. When they break, it is obvious.

2. I suspect your risk for HIV is quite low from what you have told me.

3. If I were you, while I would certainly feel traumatized, I would not be worried. EWH

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