QUESTION
I had unprotected anal sex with an HIV+ top who claimed he was negative when we had sex about 4 weeks ago. He ejaculated twice inside me. Two weeks ago he tested HIV+. In this situation, will I be 100% HIV+ since he ejaculated inside of my rectum?  He thinks that he got HIV from someone he knows right before he had sex with me. Please let me know if I have any chance of being HIV-negative.

ANSWER
There is always a chance that you're still HIV negative. HIV is a lot harder to transmit than most other STDs because it is a weak virus and there are a lot of factors that weigh into transmission. For example, gonorrhea, Hepatitis B, and syphilis are much more easily transmitted than HIV from an infected person. Another thing to know though is that risk of transmission is highest when a person is newly infected. It's important that you get tested soon.

You would probably be a good candidate HIV RNA testing, now available at City Clinic and in some other clinics and doctors' offices. With RNA testing, the virus can be found in the body a few weeks before antibodies show up, detecting recent infections. When you go in for testing, have a full STD screening done to cover all your bases. Having an STD can greatly increase the chances of transmitting or acquiring HIV.

If you need to talk to someone in person, try calling the HIV/Hep C Niteline at 1 800 273 AIDS. Trained phone operators are available from 5pm to 5am PT, 365 days a year to help ease the anxiety of an exposure, the trauma of being diagnosed HIV-positive or the trials of living with HIV/AIDS.

To your health,
Dr. K