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What Are The Chances Of HIV Infection After Protected Intercourse?

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Posted on Tue, 2 Jun 2015
Question: Dear Dr,

I have had protected sex (both oral and intercourse with condom on)with several prostitutes during the past month. After the sex, I saw semen and sperm inside the condom. Should I worry much about HIV infection?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (13 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
do a hiv screening test.

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome to HCM and thanks for choosing us.

I share your concerns about sexually transmitted diseases as you had sex with prostitutes several times. However you have used protection, so you are unlikely to get the infections. Presence of semen in condom after sexual act is a proof that it has been used properly.

Iwas going through your earlier question. You had mentioned about syphilis. If you had contracted syphilis, you can get hiv too. Because presence of STD increases chances of getting HIV.

I would advise you to go for hiv screening tests to remove the doubt as it is a serious disease. Rapid screening tests are available which are very sensitive and reliable. If those tests are negative , breath easy. If positive you need to meet STD specialist or hiv clinic for medicines.

Take care in future, don't indulge in such activities.

I hope my reply will help you. Please write to us for more information and follow up queries. I wish you good luck and health. Kindly rate this reply. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (5 minutes later)
Dear Dr XXXXXXX

The case is like this. I checked for syphilis last Friday and my RPR is 1:1 with TPPA to be reactive. But I don't have any symptom at all. Also, on this Tuesday I used oralquick which is about 5 weeks 4 days from the potential exposure on April 4 and it comes back negative. I am so afraid that I can get HIV. However, the one that had sex with me on April 23 had tested herself all right on May 11. So can you evaluate my case based on these fact again?

Best wishes, XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (19 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
do a retesting after three months

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX welcome again and thanks for the follow up question.

You can get syphilis lab reports reactive, even if you don't have symptoms. When infection is of mild nature with low organism titre, you don't get clinical symptoms but only reactive reports on laboratory tests.

Its good that your oral quick report is negative and also your partner has normal reports. So you are in my opinion safe from HIV as you have done test after one month of potential exposure.

However I would advise you to go for a retesting after three months to rule out possible miss out in oral quick tests. You should also ask your partner to go for retesting at three months.

Take care. I wish you good luck. Please feel free to contact me for further assistance.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (6 minutes later)
Dear Dr XXXXXXX

You know when I post this question in the forum every one replies that I don't have risk for HIV. I am so freaking out right now because I don't even notice how I got syphilis and the RPR is so low.I just cannot understand because usually if you got syphilis for an amount of time your RPR should be high. I am so freaking out that I might also get HIV based on what you told me.....

Best wishes, XXXXXXX

Dear Dr. XXXXXXX

Actually I have a question, because if I got infected by syphilis early then my RPR test should be high instead of 1:1. But if I got infected late then for how much time will the test be accurate? Although I don't have any sore or symptom of syphilis I still have higher chance to get hiv from protected sex?

Best wishes, XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
that's why your tests are negative.

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome again. Thanks for more details.

Your rpr titre is low or non confirmatory but REACTIVE TPPA in the absence of confirmatory rpr indicate possible syphilis infection. With your history of contact with prostitutes, it has to be taken as positive for syphilis. Let me again inform you that with any std chances of getting HIV are higher. You may not get symptoms when your general immunity levels are good or mild symptoms may go unnoticed.

Normally rpr test becomes reactive early but at times it may take one to three months.

If you don't have clinical symptoms of SYPHILIS , you are unlikely to get HIV, that's the reason behind your negative reports of hiv oral quick test. So stay relaxed but please avoid such acts in future.

I hope I have answered your questions. Kindly rate this reply. I again wish you good health. Thanks
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (33 minutes later)
Dear Dr. XXXXXXX

So can I understand like this? Because I got syphilis that I have high risk of infection? But how can syphilis transmit through protected sex?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (14 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
accidental failure of protection

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome again.

You have higher chances of hiv because you indulge in sexual acts with sex workers. If you have clinical syphilis chances of getting hiv virus are more. However it can only happen when there is no protection.

But sometimes protection may fail because of improper use or rupture of condom or leak from the sides if not withdrawn immediately after ejaculation of semen. If you have syphilis (believe that tests results are perfectly correct), you must have got it through any one of the above mentioned reason.

I hope my reply is helpful for you. I wish you good health. Thanks
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (8 minutes later)
Dear Dr. XXXXXXX

So based on your analysis, syphilis can only be transmitted through sex? Not kissing or other kinds of behaviors? I heard that condom break is very obvious. But I am sure after the behavior my penis head is covered so I just can not accept the fact that I got syphilis. As well, you mean that the TPPA test can not be false positive? I have searched the forum and found some one who has the same test result with me and retest and found out it was a false positive.

Best wishes, XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
your diagnosis of syphilis is mainly based on contact history

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome again and thanks for the follow up questions.

Yes, you are right. You can contract syphilis by deep kissing, oral sex without condom when bacterial load is higher in your partner. Let me again tell you that with your test reports, it is not confirmed that you have syphilis. There is possibility of syphilis. With unconclusive test reports history of contact with sex workers becomes more important. Based on this your doctor might have given you a dose of penicillin.

TPPA is very sensitive test (85% sensitivity) and specific test (98% specificity). So chances of false positive are less, although can not be completely ruled out.

I hope my answer will benefit you. Please contact us or me for more information and questions. Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (5 hours later)
Dear Dr. XXXXXXX

Thank you so much. I have a question, you said syphilis can increase the risk of hiv infection. But can I understand like this? Because usually syphilis can lead to a sore or a rash bump which increases the risk of hiv. However, I don't have that kind of sores or say symptoms so it is still not that risky?

Best wishes, XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (9 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
yes you are right. if you have symptomatic std, chances of getting hiv armore

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome again.

You are absolutely right. Chances of getting hiv are less as you don't have rash or bump or soreness. Chances of getting hiv increase with syphilis or any other std because of rashes or bumps or soreness, which one gets with std.

Since you don't have clinical symptoms of syphilis, your hiv reports are negative. Most probably you have notgot hiv, but still I would advise you to do a test after three months to finally rule it out.

Best wishes. Please feel free to contact us for more information and any health related question.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (13 minutes later)
Dear Dr. XXXXXXX

Thank you very much. One more question, based on my syphilis RPR test result to be 1:1 and I only had protected sex on April 4, 23 and May 5, can you have a guess when I got infected by syphilis?

Best wishes, XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (9 hours later)
Brief Answer:
its difficult to make a guess. ask your partners to do screening tests.

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome again.

I am sorry, its very difficult to find out, which day you got syphilis infection. However if I have to make a guess, I would think of 23rd Apr or 5th May, if your rpr values increase on subsequent tests. If there is no rise in values, it will not be possible to make any guess.

Else you can request your partners to get their tests done. It would be for their benefit too.

I hope my reply will benefit you. Please feel free to contact us for more information on health related issues. I wish you good health. Thanks
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Answered by
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Dr. Heera Lal Poonia

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 506 Questions

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What Are The Chances Of HIV Infection After Protected Intercourse?

Brief Answer: do a hiv screening test. Detailed Answer: Dear XXXX, welcome to HCM and thanks for choosing us. I share your concerns about sexually transmitted diseases as you had sex with prostitutes several times. However you have used protection, so you are unlikely to get the infections. Presence of semen in condom after sexual act is a proof that it has been used properly. Iwas going through your earlier question. You had mentioned about syphilis. If you had contracted syphilis, you can get hiv too. Because presence of STD increases chances of getting HIV. I would advise you to go for hiv screening tests to remove the doubt as it is a serious disease. Rapid screening tests are available which are very sensitive and reliable. If those tests are negative , breath easy. If positive you need to meet STD specialist or hiv clinic for medicines. Take care in future, don't indulge in such activities. I hope my reply will help you. Please write to us for more information and follow up queries. I wish you good luck and health. Kindly rate this reply. Thanks.