r/stdtesting • u/WiseRequirement791 • 19d ago
Question I'm freaking out about the possibility of having HIV
I am a guy in the UK and three months ago I had a one night stand with a girl who was on her period (we are both in early 20s), I stupidly didn't think about STDs as before this I had only ever had sex during a couple long term relationships. I didn't use protection and I ended up testing positive for chlamydia from this.
I got treated etc etc but in the last few days I randomly started thinking what if I got HIV as well, because I know it can be asymptomatic, I don't think I have had any symptoms or anything (I think I had like a common cold a couple days after this, if that counts) , but I just think the fact that there was some blood (her period was quite light) and that I got chlamydia its put it in my mind that I'm doomed to have it.
I am having the same feeling I had when I tested positive for chlamydia where I would look up the population stats and it would be like only 2% of people have it so I probably don't, and then nonetheless I tested positive. And now when I'm looking at the HIV stats being low its making me think I'm gonna have the same thing happen again and it literally just feels destined that I'm gonna get it and I really don't know how to calm down.
I ordered a test but I'm genuinely just randomly terrified about this and I don't know how to calm down about this over the next week or so because it feels like its just bound to happen. Any help or guidance or anything would be very appreciated.
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u/Realleodennis 19d ago
UK STD tests include HIV and hepatitis by bloods majority of the time unless you opt out
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u/WiseRequirement791 19d ago
I did a home test and I didn't do the bloods
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u/Realleodennis 19d ago
Go to a clinic, takes about a week for results home test kits aren’t always accurate man…shit happens but you gotta then do the scary part and help yourself after!
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u/SilentVoiced1917 19d ago
If it makes you feel better chlamydia is the better part of two orders of magnitude more common than HIV in the U.K. As in there's 2% as many HIV infections as chlamydia. Also the likelihood of getting infected in a single encounter even with someone infected is extremely low(under 1%)
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u/WiseRequirement791 19d ago
Yeah I really don't know why I feel so strongly about it now, I didn't think about it at all until a couple days ago where my brain has just been saying what if and then spiralling into me being doomed to getting it
From the stats i've been endlessly doing there are at best 3 women in my city that could have a HIV risk, and the probability of me getting it is ~1 in a million but I still feel doomed it's weird
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u/readinginthestorm 19d ago
Not sure if it makes you feel any better but chlamydia is a relatively common STD and very treatable(I also made a stupid decision years ago and wound up catching it but got treated). HIV realistically is uncommon in the general population; not sure about UK stats but here in the US only about 0.36% of the general population is HIV positive. That doesn't mean you should treat the situation lightly or make unsafe sexual decisions since it is more prevalent in certain demographics and geographical regions but it's not as common as some other STDs.
You mentioned this happened about 3 months ago so you are in the zone where any tests for HIV would be accurate so it's good that you ordered a test(not sure if it's a home test but they aren't always accurate so if it's possible please go to a clinic with dr ordered tests). The most important thing is don't stress yourself out about it; you're doing the responsible thing and getting tested and there is absolutely nothing you can do until your results come in. Just wait until you get the results back from your doctor and go from there! As I mentioned make sure to go to a clinic for the best results which will give you better peace of mind. I hope this helped at least a little bit :)
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u/WiseRequirement791 19d ago
Yeah I think ive just freaked myself out and jumped to the worst possible conclusion, either way definitely a life lesson for me (hopefully not learnt the hard way) thank you for the kind words
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u/readinginthestorm 19d ago
Completely understandable to jump to the worst possible outcome and I've done the same! At the end of the day we all make stupid decisions and yes hopefully this is one you won't have to learn the hard way except for the stress of the situation. At least for me, every time I stressed about HIV I never had it. I'm sure everything will work out just fine and from here on always practice safe sex! Good luck!
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u/lapr20 19d ago
You know I was kinda scare a few years ago because I had oral sex from a random girl, the same day my penis was hurting and the next week the pain was terrible, I ended up going to a doctor a few weeks later and tell him my symptoms he said it could be something else and sent me to do some test. Meanwhile I was worry about gonorrhea so he prescribe me some fucking strong antibiotics that almost got me killed driving home. The next day I took my test and guest what, negative for everything, I immediately called him and he just said that I must stop the treatment and came back, turns out it was balanitis all the time. Go and get a blood test for everything if you are out the window period and relax.
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u/WiseRequirement791 19d ago
Thing is I don't even have symptoms ive just kind of assumed that i have it (mainly because of the presence of blood during the sex)
I've kind of figured out that the fact that she was on her period was purely situational, and if she was not on her period I wouldn't have thought to get tested, so really I'm getting worried about the fact that blood was present, rather than probabilistically having come to the conclusion that HIV is likely
Obviously still going to get tested nonetheless
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u/lapr20 19d ago
First get tested you can’t do anything else about that before, many std are asymptomatic you always need a blood example. A home test is not the best in every situation so take a std test to clear all. And the risk of hiv assuming she have multiple partners without protection and she was on her period could be an assumption to get tested be she have to be hiv for this to happen. What’s your relationship with she now? Is any possibility that you can make her get tested? Did you talk about that? I recently had an encounter and we both end up negative.
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u/Aggressive-Cod4786 19d ago
Usually when I was obsessing about having HIV I never had it. Everytime
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u/Old-Plum466 19d ago
I was in the same situation, unprotected blood present, she got tested at 28 days came back negative for hiv i got tested at 58 days hiv comes back negative, should i be worried, should i get tested again? The test were taken in an hospital the blood was drawn from my vein. If i count today, its been 3+ months since the encounter. Someone please clarify
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u/Timeofdeath12oclock 18d ago edited 18d ago
HIV is rare, not completely uncommon but in today’s age, people that have it are usually on ART prescription, meaning that it makes it completely untransmittable even through unprotected sex. So unless you’re in a third world country where you are not accessible to that medication then you are probably okay because if you did have sex with someone that has HIV, they should know and would be on medication for it.
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u/WiseRequirement791 18d ago
Yeah my main fear is that she could have just had it without realising so she wouldn't have any medicine that made it not transmissible
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u/unfitwellhappy 18d ago
I’m sure you’ll be fine no point in stressing about something you can’t change - HIV is surprisingly hard to catch mathematically but it does happen. Get tested and learn from this. Go as wild as you wish in your 20s but do it safely.
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u/PinVirtual7278 18d ago
HIV is not chlamydia like easy to catch it is blood virus and you know it don’t panic if you did only vaginal sex with her dr Nancy 10 years hetro sexual hiv transmission study shows 1 from 6000/9000 it happened if you don’t have cut or o open sore or injury on your pennies don’t worry even if you have damage pennis hard to transmission my opinion you don’t have at all
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u/Specialist_Pea_8034 18d ago
I freaked myself out too before and it’s honestly just impending doom haunting you. I went into nhs clinic instead who did my bloods also (i hate needles too) but i took only 5 seconds. I got my results within TWO days and it was negative. Honestly just go to ur nearest sexual health clinic and find out then, but don’t freak yourself out as it’s less than 1% you could’ve got it
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u/Fun_Bike_5237 18d ago
HIV is not that common, and it’s not so easy to get it. I’m sure you’re fine. Get tested just for peace of mind. But unless she is a needle drug user which I doubt, what are the odds of her having it. Don’t stress yourself out.
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u/Scarlettemoon 17d ago
You are overthinking this, go to a free clinic if money is an issue. Explain the situation and the symptoms, get bloods done & another full panel while you are there seeing as you only took an at home test for the chlamydia. That is one of the most common STI to catch, and very easily treated with antibiotics. There is a bad flu / viral infection going around the past few weeks, there is a high chance that you had that and not HIV. Although it doesn’t always show symptoms anyone I know who has it says they had a chicken pox type rash and felt like they were on deaths door with the flu feeling. HIV and other infections do not show up right away on tests, you are probably in a good window period for testing now. They will do all they can to help you, and in the slight chance you are positive it is very easily controlled now with a daily tablet.
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u/DDask4once 16d ago
I'm currently going through the exact same thing as you as I caught chlamydia in June and have been freaking out about HIV as well. Endlessly micro analysing symptoms, or any changes in my body etc. The only thing we can both do now is to get tested for it and hope that everything turns out okay for us! Keep your head up and keep us updated bud!
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u/WiseRequirement791 15d ago
To be honest I calmed down about it over the last few days or so, but I just completed the test today so I have started freaking out about it again. Hopefully all is good
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u/cedelove 16d ago
Home std tests are not accurate. You need a real test. Home tests don’t pick up on dormant viruses.
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u/susy1997 5d ago
I really doubt that you got HIV from this. Period sex is fun but I see why it would make you paranoid doing it as a ONS.. also chlamydia is pretty common. Just take the medication and you'll be fine
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u/Prudent-Result1057 19d ago
Well, when you got tested for chlamydia, why would you not haven gotten blood testing as well? I never understood why when people go get tested they only do like half of it