Q and A

Question

Do I need an HIV test after sex with a condom?

Hi there, please could you answer my question as it is tearing me apart with worry.

Approx two days ago i paid a woman to have sex in Nottingham (UK). I was extremely stupid to do this as i have a beautiful wife and three amazing children.

I was very drunk at the time and the woman firstly put on a condom on my penis and then gave me oral sex, after which we had penetrative sex in the vagina from behind.

Although the condom stayed on throughout the whole experience, my main worry is that i was not fully erect at any point in the whole experience as i was drunk. My penis was not fully erect during the penetration. the prostitute squeezed on the base of my penis whilst penetration (i think she did that to get me more erect). I did not ejaculate either.

Although the condom stayed on throughout the whole process, i am worried that due to the fact that i was not erect, i may have caught HIV from her. I suspect that she is a drug user, and therefore i am becoming extremely worried.

Answer

From what you describe, you have not been at risk for catching HIV.

You wore a condom through the whole encounter, and therefore there is no chance that you could have caught HIV. It doesn’t matter that you were not fully erect – the barrier from the condom would still be very effective.

The fact that you used a condom for oral sex too. means that it is very unlikely to have been exposed to any other sexually transmitted infection either.

If you want to discuss this in confidence with a health advisor, then your local hospital will have a sexual health clinic – often called GUM clinic (Genitary Urinary Medicine) or STI clinic (Sexually Transmitted Infections), and they can give you information over the phone, and also make an appointment for free confidential testing.

You can find an NHS clinic by putting in a town or the first part of a postcode into the search box on the NHS site:

Search for HIV test site.

Note: this page was edited in January 2018 to update the NHS link.

34 comments

  1. dominic

    hi I’m Dominic from Nigeria, I had sex with a random girl from school, I was wearing a condom throughout the whole process. if the girl was positive I’m I safe?

  2. Lisa Thorley
  3. rana

    I’ve just tested negative for HIV, but the girl I’ve been sleeping with is positive. Is this possible?

  4. Lisa Thorley

    Hi Andrea,

    Please see question one here:

    http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions

  5. Andrea

    So I had sex with a random girl in August, I wore a condom during vaginial sex and wore a different condom when she gave me oral sex. I tested myself a few days after for any STI and it came out as negative. However, I read that after 4 months you should test yourself for HIV, and now I’m really frightened and scared that I may be at risk. I haven’t had any symptoms I don’t think, I wore a condom throughout the whole time, but I had a small cut at the end of my penis.

    Please help me guys, am I at risk?

  6. Lisa Thorley

    Hi Lorenzo,

    Please see question one here:

    http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions

  7. Lorenzo

    Good day, I had a sexual encounter with condom with a working girl for 2 mins doing missionary position. As I finished and removed the condom I saw a tiny fluid on the penis foreskin near the bladder. Went shower immediately to wash it off.

    Am I at risk of HIV?

  8. Simon Collins

    Hi Dutta, please see question 1 at this link:
    http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions

  9. Dutta

    Hi , I had sex with hijira with double condom should I go for the hiv test ? I worried plz help

  10. Simon Collins

    Hi Michael – question 1 here explains why I can’t answer your question and that the info you need is already online:
    http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions