unprotected 6 weeks post
Submitted by noid1 on Wed, 06/14/2006 - 7:19pm.
i'm male one drunken evening i had sexual relations with a lady of unknown hiv status vaginal penitration. I know i should get tested. i've just been stressing over this since that night it happened and I was wondering if it would be worth while to get tested after 6 weeks ??? or should i just wait the 3 to 6 months?
Dear unprotected,
You are right it probably is a good idea to get a test done for HIV. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about who is or isn't at risk. Risk for HIV infection comes from the behaviours that you engage in rather than who you are doing them with. Unprotected vaginal and anal sex are both considered a high risk for HIV infection because your are coming in contact with fluids such as vaginal fluid, semen and blood that could have a high level of virus in them, if your partner happens to be HIV positive. The friction of intercourse can also cause tiny tears in the delicate skin that surrounds your urethra (pee hole). When these tears come into contact with one of the high risk fluids I mentioned above, there is a potential for HIV infection. Every year more and more people are becoming infected through heterosuexual contact. To reduce you risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, practice safer sex by using a condom/female condom and lots of lube.
In order to get an accurate test done for HIV you do need to wait 3 to 6 months for the antibodies in your system that work against HIV to build up to a point where it is recognizable that you are either HIV negative or HIV positive. If you get a test done before that point the test would be inconclusive meaning they wouldn't be able to give you accurate test results. Remember that during the 3-6 month waiting period it is really important to abstain from any high risk activities such as unprotected sex or sharing drug use equipment, this could also make your test inconclusive.
For more information regarding this topic please call our info line at 250-384-2366 or if you're in the area, come in to talk to one of the Health Promotion Educators at one of our offices on Vancouver Island.
Sincerely,
Erica Williamson BSW
Health Promotion Educator.