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Ask the Experts about General Treatment Strategies
Am I at risk?? Very very anxious
Jun 24, 2001
Dear Doctor,
Please answer my question as I am going crazy!
Three weeks ago I did the biggest mistake of my life.
I picked up a prostitute and took her to the motel room.
This is what happened. We did not have any kind of intercourse. She basically got naked and only had her underwear on. I was caressing and touching her body. I was fully clothed all the time. I also sucked on her ear for 1 or 2 seconds... I still had a tiny cut on my palm (1/3 of an inch long) from a month ago. It was not bleeding, but the skin was still a bit pink. The whole incident lasted twenty minutes.
Am I at risk?? From what I read, I should not be at any risk but I am so afraid that I will be a "fluke" case...
The only symptoms am I having is a persistent light cough but my throat is not sore. Yesterday, I woke up with a sore jaw bone. No fever, no swollen nodes.
Please Doctor, please tell me that I am making a mountain out of a mole.
I am planning on taking the HIV DNA PCR and the Elisa at 4 weeks to keep me from going insane.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks...
Response from Dr. Cohen
I got your questions - posted here with just a little editing of the specifics...
There is no reason to suspect HIV transmission. This is not an easy virus to catch - it is pretty difficult in fact. It may help to know that with old fashioned high risk intercourse, the risk is estimated at perhaps 1-4% - meaning only 1-4% of high risk "events" lead to HIV transmission. Low risk events are much lower - like far less than 1 in a hundred. And given the what if info you sent in - the risk is essentially infinitesimal. also known as Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
Good luck.
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