HIV worries

[lees6655]

I have started thinking i could have hiv i just wanted to know if i could have had it for 15 years without knowing i had unprotected sex with a couple of girls about 15 to 16 years ago . I have been with my wife for 15 years now and not been with anybody else we have 2 children 11 and 6 both have been tested for hiv when born so i know they dont have it i dont know if my wife was tested when she was pregnant dont want to ask her.I think its my health anxiety going through the roof at the minute because i have not been feeling well so its trying to latch on to anything . I had a low white blood cell count last year when i had a blood test done and i have started thinking about it again now

[Fishmanpa]

You can always go get tested but from what you said, after 15 years you would be pretty sick by now.

Positive thoughts

[lees6655]

Yes I thought that but my health anxiety is going through the roof at the minute

[MRS STRESS ED]

Im sure you wont have it if your children are fine when I was pregnant they tested me ,they said they had to check obviously to keep a count how many people have it ,try not to worry im sure you would no about by now x

[Fishmanpa]

Yes I thought that but my health anxiety is going through the roof at the minute

So there's your answer ;)

Positive thoughts

[lees6655]

Hi been for a HIV test today wont find out until late next week but i spoke to the nurse and she said is is very unlikely that i have it if you have not been with anybody else apart from my wife in the last 15 years and i have 2 kids 11 and 6 years old as my wife would have been tested when she was pregnant with both of them so fingers crossed just the anxiety of waiting now .

[Deckardblues]

I got a false positive one time. I had done a lot of voluntary work abroad with HIV kids, so got myself checked out. I nearly fainted when they told me i was positive. I had to wait three agonising days before they got the next blood done, and confirmed i was negative. Pure hell.

[JB1985]

I was tested recently, and the nurse who did it told me that they do 50 tests every day, which equals to well over 12,000 tests every year. You can assume that most of those 12,000 people have good reasons to test. Out of all those people they only have 25 who test positive. 25 people out of 12,000 - and not just 12,000 random people. 12,000 who has been exposed to a risk. That's only 0,002%!

Please also note that even if you did have sex with an HIV-positive girl - which is highly unlikely - the risk of transmission per vaginal exposure is 0.04% (= 1 in 2380).

Hope that gives you some comfort. Otherwise I'm sure the negative test will in a few days :)

[scared_ter]

I got a false positive one time. I had done a lot of voluntary work abroad with HIV kids, so got myself checked out. I nearly fainted when they told me i was positive. I had to wait three agonising days before they got the next blood done, and confirmed i was negative. Pure hell.

That's a good reason not to test unnecessarily for non risk incidents.
Obviously you had reason to test, but so many who test don't need to at all, and just risk the agony you went thru

[lees6655]

I was tested recently, and the nurse who did it told me that they do 50 tests every day, which equals to well over 12,000 tests every year. You can assume that most of those 12,000 people have good reasons to test. Out of all those people they only have 25 who test positive. 25 people out of 12,000 - and not just 12,000 random people. 12,000 who has been exposed to a risk. That's only 0,002%!

Please also note that even if you did have sex with an HIV-positive girl - which is highly unlikely - the risk of transmission per vaginal exposure is 0.04% (= 1 in 2380).

Hope that gives you some comfort. Otherwise I'm sure the negative test will in a few days :)

Hi thanks for your reply jocobinho85 I know its a slim chance but when your health anxiety spikes it can do all sorts to your mind

[JB1985]

Hi thanks for your reply jocobinho85 I know its a slim chance but when your health anxiety spikes it can do all sorts to your mind

I know! When it happens to me I usually try to find comfort in statistics. And as you can see, it is very unlikely :)

But let me tell you something else. Even if you were infected (which I am very confident you are not). But if you were, you will still be able to live a completely normal life by only taking one pill every day.

[lees6655]

Hi I had my results back and it came back negative so I can stop worrying and I know I dont have hiv thanks for your replys I just have to stop worrying about my other health anxieties now.