How Can I Know That I Am Infected With HIV?

Posted on Mon, 30 Apr 2012

Question: can i get hiv from rubbing my body with dress on especially the genital area. I had my underwears and pants on and also had a condom put on by her. The dance bar girl was in her under wears and she started rubbing vigorously and i ejaculated. Is there a chance of transmitting HIV if she is HIV positive. I asked her to put a condom on my penis and after that i wore my underwears and pants. After about 15 minutes after ejaculation i went to bathroom and found the condom had slipped. This happened 2 and half years back and now i am worried after hearing from someone that HIV can be transmitted through body touching also. Please give me an answer.

Answered by Dr. Robert Galamaga (2 hours later)

Hello,

Thanks for your query.

Let me start by saying I do not think you have HIV. It has been over two years and in the unlikely even you contracted it you would have symptoms by now.

I have to say next that I strongly discourage this type of behavior. The risk of exposure is simply too great to make this worthwhile. It is reassuring that even though the condom slipped that you had a barrier of your underwear and hers between your skin and hers. This makes the likelihood of transmission much lower. It still is not worth the risk. I hope you understand my position on that.

Now - I do recommend that you obtain a screening evaluation for hepatitis virus B and C as well as HIV. This will provide the peace of mind that will help you feel less anxious about this. This is a very readily available test at most health departments. There are even commercially available home testing kits which are available.

Again I think you do not have HIV. I do want you to get screened however for your peace of mind.

I thank you again for submitting your query. I hope you found my answer to be both helpful and informative. Should you have any additional concerns I would be happy to address them.

Sincerely,

Dr. Galamaga.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari

Follow up: Dr. Robert Galamaga (48 minutes later)

But by reading a lot about HIV now I have came to know that even naked frottage is perfectly safe. In my case i had a protection of condom, underwears and trousers and her underwears as barriers between our genitals. Still you think there is a small chance of transmission. I am really confused by your answer. Please clarify.

Answered by Dr. Robert Galamaga (40 minutes later)

Thanks for the followup.

Sir, I wholeheartedly disagree that naked frottage is safe. You can choose who to believe and you can find anyone online who can tell you such activity is of no risk but I ask you - have they done large studies to confirm this is so? The answer is no.

To be clear: You did place yourself at risk. No doubt about that. The risk is low however and not zero. Anyone who tells you otherwise has no way to provide a guarantee.

Get your testing to confirm you are negative and you can have a guarantee of being HIV negative.

Thanks again for the question and followup. I am here for you if there are any other concerns.

Regards,

Dr. Galamaga

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Robert Galamaga (36 minutes later)

even if both partners are fully clothed, is there a need to get tested as in my case. The status of the girl is also unknown. Sorry to bother u with repeated questions, its because of my ignorance on the subject. I was fully clothed during the body rubbing and even had a condom on and she was in her pants. Is it possible for a fragile virus like hiv to pass through 3 layers of clothing and latex condom to infect a person. So, sir according to you any type of contact with an HIV positive person should be avoided, like hugging, light kissing, sharing clothes and swimming pools etc. My case was nothing more than hugging with clothes on and no fluids exchanged. Please clarify sir. Is intercourse a necessary condition for HIV transmission or can it be transmitted outside the body also.
Sorry if my questions are idiotic. I think your answer can increase my awarness on the disease and approach towards HIV positive people in the future.

Answered by Dr. Robert Galamaga (6 hours later)

Hello again,

The bottom line is - no one will ever be able to tell you if the virus can travel through 3 layers of clothing because no one has tested this on voluntary subjects. So we have to assume that yes there is some risk involved but we cannot quantify the odds. The best medicine here is to have a test done. Unless you are unable to afford it I see no negative side to having the screening test done.

I recommend judicious universal precautions if you are in contact with an HIV infected person. Shaking hands or hugging is not an issue - kissing is as is any intimate contact. Intercourse and IV drug needle sharing are more common ways of transmitting the virus. Other routes while much more rare still do exist. Keep this in your mind - risk is possible without sex - so getting tested makes sense. It also makes sense to think about high risk behavior such as intimate contact with someone whom you do not know - while it may be difficult to resist the temptation the risks are there so it should give you enough strength to reconsider.

Again I thank you for your query and hope you found this exchange to be helpful.

Regards,

Dr. Galamaga

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T