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What Causes Bladder Discomfort And Cold After An Unprotected Oral Sex?
Question: 5 days ago, regrettably I recieved unprotected oral sex and protected (condom) vaginal sex with a female sex worker..
For the past 2 days I have had bladder discomfort (not actually sore but just discomforting) and I am urinating more frequently than normal....I was wondering whether these were signs of an STD and if there was any indication as to which ones it could be if this were a symptom?
I have also been experiencing a minor 'cold' which I dont know if it would be connected or whether this is just coincidence?
Could these symptoms be concerned with HIV (worst case scenario) or could they still be something potentially less lethal?
Thanks
For the past 2 days I have had bladder discomfort (not actually sore but just discomforting) and I am urinating more frequently than normal....I was wondering whether these were signs of an STD and if there was any indication as to which ones it could be if this were a symptom?
I have also been experiencing a minor 'cold' which I dont know if it would be connected or whether this is just coincidence?
Could these symptoms be concerned with HIV (worst case scenario) or could they still be something potentially less lethal?
Thanks
Brief Answer:
HIV testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Good to talk to you again. We had a discussion a few days back regarding a cut on the base of your penis prior to sexual contact.
-Was wondering what happened with your visit to sexual health clinic?
-Was PEP offered to you? What did the doctor over there say to you regarding the risk of HIV in your case?
-Were you tested for STI's?
regards
HIV testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Good to talk to you again. We had a discussion a few days back regarding a cut on the base of your penis prior to sexual contact.
-Was wondering what happened with your visit to sexual health clinic?
-Was PEP offered to you? What did the doctor over there say to you regarding the risk of HIV in your case?
-Were you tested for STI's?
regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Dr Kakkar, thanks for your expert opinion a few days past...In fact I spoke to as many doctors as I could (around 7) to build a consensus within the 72 hours following exposure...The general consensus was that my risk should be low, given the protection and the fact that the sex worker is not proven to have HIV...The 'cuts' were also generally seen as increasing my risk slightly but not by any great lengths and not enough to require PEP. In fact around 3 of the doctors I spoke to said they were '99% sure' and 'I'd put my house on it' that I would not have contracted HIV.
At the sexual health clinic I was told the same, and the fact that they only give out PEP for high risk exposures, mainly due to the fact that it is a last resort which can have bad side effects such as liver damage.
I will be getting a rapid 10 day after exposure HIV test and will follow this up at 28 days and 3 months for clarification (and hopefully peace of mind)....As for other STDs I was told to wait 2 weeks to test for this which I will also do.
However, the past 2/3 days I've had what I class as 'symptoms', it may just be me overeacting....For the past 2 days I have had bladder discomfort (not actually sore but just discomforting) and I am urinating more frequently than normal....I was wondering whether these were signs of an STD and if there was any indication as to which ones it could be if this were a symptom?
Also I have been getting a stiff neck/stiff back the last 2 days....
Do you think these are symptoms to anything?
thanks again
At the sexual health clinic I was told the same, and the fact that they only give out PEP for high risk exposures, mainly due to the fact that it is a last resort which can have bad side effects such as liver damage.
I will be getting a rapid 10 day after exposure HIV test and will follow this up at 28 days and 3 months for clarification (and hopefully peace of mind)....As for other STDs I was told to wait 2 weeks to test for this which I will also do.
However, the past 2/3 days I've had what I class as 'symptoms', it may just be me overeacting....For the past 2 days I have had bladder discomfort (not actually sore but just discomforting) and I am urinating more frequently than normal....I was wondering whether these were signs of an STD and if there was any indication as to which ones it could be if this were a symptom?
Also I have been getting a stiff neck/stiff back the last 2 days....
Do you think these are symptoms to anything?
thanks again
Brief Answer:
HIV Infection
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
The risk was definitely increased by the cut/nip, sufficient to qualify for PEP. I am sure if this thing had happened to any of the doctors you have consulted, they would have wasted no time in taking PEP.
The guidelines are clear cut for PEP, to avoid any confusion: "PEP should be provided following exposure of non-intact skin (through percutaneous sharps injury or skin abrasion) or mucous membranes (through sexual exposure or splashes to the eyes, nose or oral cavity) to a potentially infected body fluid from a source that is HIV-positive or has unknown HIV status. Body fluids that may transmit HIV include blood, genital secretions and cerebrospinal, amniotic, peritoneal or pleural fluids".
There is nothing called as slight increase in risk or greater increase in risk to warrant the need for PEP.
I was never saying that you have definitely contracted HIV and moreover what was the guarantee of the girl's HIV status? It is not written on her face that she was HIV negative.
Moreover the PEP guidelines don't consider the HIV status of an individual before administering: It mentions "exposure of non-intact skin or mucous membranes to a potentially infected body fluid from a source that is HIV-positive or has UNKNOWN HIV STATUS". I repeat "Unknown HIV status"..
Anyways, 10 day rapid test(Detects Antibody by ELISA), followed by 28 day test (HIV DUO Test) and then finally testing at 90 days (ELISA test) is required.
What we need to rule out here is Acute HIV Infection, whether the flu like symptoms in your case are due to HIV or unrelated. Majority of patients who contract HIV develop a non-specific symptomatic illness 1-6 weeks after exposure.
Therefore, it would hard for anybody at this time to confirm or rule out the real cause of the non-specific symptoms that you are experiencing.
regards
stay well and be healthy
HIV Infection
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
The risk was definitely increased by the cut/nip, sufficient to qualify for PEP. I am sure if this thing had happened to any of the doctors you have consulted, they would have wasted no time in taking PEP.
The guidelines are clear cut for PEP, to avoid any confusion: "PEP should be provided following exposure of non-intact skin (through percutaneous sharps injury or skin abrasion) or mucous membranes (through sexual exposure or splashes to the eyes, nose or oral cavity) to a potentially infected body fluid from a source that is HIV-positive or has unknown HIV status. Body fluids that may transmit HIV include blood, genital secretions and cerebrospinal, amniotic, peritoneal or pleural fluids".
There is nothing called as slight increase in risk or greater increase in risk to warrant the need for PEP.
I was never saying that you have definitely contracted HIV and moreover what was the guarantee of the girl's HIV status? It is not written on her face that she was HIV negative.
Moreover the PEP guidelines don't consider the HIV status of an individual before administering: It mentions "exposure of non-intact skin or mucous membranes to a potentially infected body fluid from a source that is HIV-positive or has UNKNOWN HIV STATUS". I repeat "Unknown HIV status"..
Anyways, 10 day rapid test(Detects Antibody by ELISA), followed by 28 day test (HIV DUO Test) and then finally testing at 90 days (ELISA test) is required.
What we need to rule out here is Acute HIV Infection, whether the flu like symptoms in your case are due to HIV or unrelated. Majority of patients who contract HIV develop a non-specific symptomatic illness 1-6 weeks after exposure.
Therefore, it would hard for anybody at this time to confirm or rule out the real cause of the non-specific symptoms that you are experiencing.
regards
stay well and be healthy
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Dr Kakkar, thanks again for your expertise.
I understand the risk has increased with abrasions. I did indeed push for PEP when I saw 2 separate doctors at the sexual health clinic. I had in depth conversations with both however I was never able to secure PEP (I would be taking it now if I could have got access to it). No point looking back at this now unfortunately as I'm out with the PEP window.
Lets hypothetically say she was infected, would it be 100% that I would become infected by this way or do some genital secretion to skin contact not result in transmission?
The only thing I can do now is get tested multiple time like you have suggested for ultimate closure.
In the worst case scenario and I did contract HiV is there anything I could be taking to help reduce the multiplication of the virus etc to make the effects less drastic? for example I have been taking vitamin C supplements each day since as I read that this may slightly reduce multiplication.
Fingers crossed I will be negative. I don't really know what to think at the moment and its actually quite tough emotionally to deal with the 'trauma'.
Regards
I understand the risk has increased with abrasions. I did indeed push for PEP when I saw 2 separate doctors at the sexual health clinic. I had in depth conversations with both however I was never able to secure PEP (I would be taking it now if I could have got access to it). No point looking back at this now unfortunately as I'm out with the PEP window.
Lets hypothetically say she was infected, would it be 100% that I would become infected by this way or do some genital secretion to skin contact not result in transmission?
The only thing I can do now is get tested multiple time like you have suggested for ultimate closure.
In the worst case scenario and I did contract HiV is there anything I could be taking to help reduce the multiplication of the virus etc to make the effects less drastic? for example I have been taking vitamin C supplements each day since as I read that this may slightly reduce multiplication.
Fingers crossed I will be negative. I don't really know what to think at the moment and its actually quite tough emotionally to deal with the 'trauma'.
Regards
Brief Answer:
HIV
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
The risk from insertive unprotected vaginal sex with an HIV positive female is about 0.04%. However, the presence of cuts, abrasions, std's, bleeding etc are biological factors that increase the risk.
It is important to emphasize that a person could become infected from having unprotected sex once or a person could have unprotected sex many times and not become infected, regardless of how low or high the risk per exposure is.
No special measures except getting through the tests.
take care
hope for the best
HIV
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
The risk from insertive unprotected vaginal sex with an HIV positive female is about 0.04%. However, the presence of cuts, abrasions, std's, bleeding etc are biological factors that increase the risk.
It is important to emphasize that a person could become infected from having unprotected sex once or a person could have unprotected sex many times and not become infected, regardless of how low or high the risk per exposure is.
No special measures except getting through the tests.
take care
hope for the best
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi again,
I have just booked an appointment for friday for the rapid 10 day exposure test.....on this day it will be exactly 10 days since exposure...I was just wondering if the results would be accurate on this day or whether I should postpone it until the 11th/12th day?
P.S. I have been told that my bladder discomfort and frequent urination (along with sweaty palms) could just be down to anxiety...could this be true?
Thanks again
I have just booked an appointment for friday for the rapid 10 day exposure test.....on this day it will be exactly 10 days since exposure...I was just wondering if the results would be accurate on this day or whether I should postpone it until the 11th/12th day?
P.S. I have been told that my bladder discomfort and frequent urination (along with sweaty palms) could just be down to anxiety...could this be true?
Thanks again
Brief Answer:
HIV Testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
If this was your first sexual exposure then 10th day rapid test may not reveal anything about this particular sexual encounter as it is too early for the antibodies to appear (seroconversion to occur). It would only detect your past HIV status. May be that is why they want to do it at 10th day. If this turns out to be negative then the focus would be entirely on the most recent risky sexual contact.
HIV has a window period of 90 days therefore even if you test negative before the end of 3 months period, you are not declared clear of HIV.
RT-PCR HIV RNA (Nucleic acid based tests) has the shortest window period for detection of HIV of about 2 weeks but it is expensive and not routinely performed.
The 28 days test, also called the HIV DUO test(both Antigen as well as Antibody based) has a sensitivity of about 99.8%. Thus significantly reducing the incubation period to about 28 days. Even if this turns out to be negative then also it is necessary to repeat the test at 90 days to be 100% sure.
The symptoms could be due to anxiety. Try to relax. Testing will take it normal time.
regards
HIV Testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
If this was your first sexual exposure then 10th day rapid test may not reveal anything about this particular sexual encounter as it is too early for the antibodies to appear (seroconversion to occur). It would only detect your past HIV status. May be that is why they want to do it at 10th day. If this turns out to be negative then the focus would be entirely on the most recent risky sexual contact.
HIV has a window period of 90 days therefore even if you test negative before the end of 3 months period, you are not declared clear of HIV.
RT-PCR HIV RNA (Nucleic acid based tests) has the shortest window period for detection of HIV of about 2 weeks but it is expensive and not routinely performed.
The 28 days test, also called the HIV DUO test(both Antigen as well as Antibody based) has a sensitivity of about 99.8%. Thus significantly reducing the incubation period to about 28 days. Even if this turns out to be negative then also it is necessary to repeat the test at 90 days to be 100% sure.
The symptoms could be due to anxiety. Try to relax. Testing will take it normal time.
regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
The 10 day test I have booked in for is the PCR test (even although it is expensive I would like peace of mind sooner rather than later)...Obviously I will still get the 28 and 90 day follow ups to be 100% certain however my question is how accurate are the 10 day PCR tests?
Regards
Regards
Brief Answer:
HIV testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Usually 1-3 weeks after infection there is enough viral material to be detected by RT PCR RNA test. It is highly accurate, even though there is a small risk of false positive results due to contamination but a negative RNA PCR test almost certainly rules out HIV.
Of course, a Negative or Positive PCR result should be confirmed by antibody test at 90 days.
regards
HIV testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Usually 1-3 weeks after infection there is enough viral material to be detected by RT PCR RNA test. It is highly accurate, even though there is a small risk of false positive results due to contamination but a negative RNA PCR test almost certainly rules out HIV.
Of course, a Negative or Positive PCR result should be confirmed by antibody test at 90 days.
regards
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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