| Ask GMHC
I had unprotected sex outside of my marriage seven months ago
and I'm afraid to be tested.
Question
I am extremely worried. I have been married for over 9 years
and I had unprotected sex with someone else about 7 months ago.
I think I'm having some early infection symptoms now but I can't
tell. And I'm very scared about getting tested. I have a family
to consider. Please help.
Answer
Hello,
I can hear from your email that you are very concerned about an
incident of unprotected sex that happened seven months ago. You
mentioned that you have a family, which is adding to your anxiety.
I'm not sure what kind of symptoms you are having, but it is not
really effective to diagnose infection through symptoms. When a
person initially becomes infected with HIV and the body attempts
to fight off the infection, symptoms can occur which often look
a lot like the flu. But these symptoms don't occur for everyone,
and when they do, it is usually within a few weeks after infection.
However, if your symptoms are serious, you should see a doctor.
You also said you are scared to get tested. Testing in general
can be stressful, but knowing your status can also put your mind
at ease. It sounds like your situation is making this decision
particularly difficult. We have an anonymous Hotline that people
call to talk about things like this. Please give us a call if you
would like to talk (see below).
Good Luck,
The GMHC Hotline
Questions or concerns? Email us at hotline@gmhc.org.
For more information, visit our Hotline.
© 2003 Gay Men's Health Crisis |
home
