Paresh asks: How contagious is HIV? I did something really stupid last weekend. I was liquored and allowed anal sex to happen without a condom! now I have the 3 month wait for the blood test. I have not slept or eaten for 4 days. Tried to get down a baked potato tonight, just couldn't swallow it! I am making myself ill with worry! I did do some reading, and found an article (based on some research done in the US) that suggested that the chances of getting HIV through anal sex is actually quite low. The figures they gave on infection rates were tiny; 0.87% chance if the person was HIV positive, and 0.27% if the HIV status was unknown. Have you seen figures like this? Is it indeed likely to be less than one chance in over 350 of getting HIV through unprotected anal sex or am I just clutching at straws. I know all I am after is some sort of reassurance and only the results of a test in 3 months time will truly tell. At this rate, however, I will be in a psychiatric ward well before then!!
Advisor says: Hi Paresh, you know I think there are a lot of guys who have done exactly the same as you so don't feel you are the only one. HIV is a highly contagious virus and as we all know it only takes one time to catch it, however there are some activities which are considered to be more high risk than others.
If you are top then you are considered to be at less risk than if you are bottom and there are higher risks when the active guy actually comes inside the bottom guy. There is also a higher risk if you have cuts inside your ass or mouth. As you know, none of these activities are safe, it's just some put you even more at risk than others.
At the end of the day each situtation is individual and only you can really determine whether what you did with the other guy was really very risky or not. But that doesn't mean that even if you had what can be considered as high risk sex that HIV was passed on. If both of you were negative at the time then you will be OK. But only, OK this time.
It would be a really good idea now to make an appointment at an STD clinic as soon as you can and talk to them about your concerns. They will be able to offer some good advice about what you should and what you shouldn't unecessarily worry about. I need not say that in order not to worry yourself further you should avoid putting yourself in this risky position again.
