Panic striken UK female...please help!

May 15, 2010

Dear Dr Bob, I am sorry to bother you but I am in such a flap and only you can reassure me and put my idea of risk back into context as I am blowing it out of all proportions (excuse the pun). I have been seeing someone for about a month now. We have not had unprotected sex, always used a condom (all twice we have done it). However, he has occasionally become a bit over-zealous rubbing himself on me before putting the condom on, which has worried me. Plus I once gave him brief oral sex unprotected, and I think there was a small amount of pre-cum which is absolutely terrifying me. I have since made him go and get tested for everything, which he has done - we are waiting on the results, but he was found to have NSU which he (and I) had antibiotics for. However, that has scared me even more. He tells me he was tested for HIV and everything in January and was negative, and has been with one woman since, who apparently was tested during their short relationship and did not have anything. However I am in such a state I don't know what to do with myself! Assuming worst case scenario he had HIV, would the risk still be pretty low? I would put myself to sleep for the next week until the test results come through but I have two children to care for! Thank you so much, I will be making a donation. Isla

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello Isla,

Even with your extremely unlikely "worst case scenario," your HIV-acquisition risk would be negligible at best.

I'm confident your HIV test result will be negative. Regarding the anxiety-inducing wait for results, rapid HIV tests can give results in as few as 20 minutes.

Thanks for your donation to The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org). It's warmly appreciated. In return I'm sending you my good-luck/good-health karma that you are now and will always be HIV free.

Good luck. Be well.

Dr. Bob