I am so frightened! Here is the issue. In Jan of this year I had unprotected fellatio with a guy of which he states he is clear of any diseases w/no ejaculation. No symptoms I was tested for everything 3 1/2 weeks later. HIV everything, my doc called me back and said everything was normal and negative. Well, after that I was footloose and fancy free. Then in mid March I came down with what my dr calls Pharyngitis (Sorry for the spelling) that only went away with a "z-pak" ok.... a little shaky there. Then I get a rash a month later on my elbows (flesh colored and nothing to them and they are still there) then a pimply rash on my face followed with blotchy arms. Ok, then a HUGE outbreak of ulcers in my mouth! Have not had something like that since I was 14 or so. Every now and again maybe 3-4 but never a mouthfulls with a white tounge that will not go away and a dry cough that I have had now for over a month!! Joint pain, muscle pain and just the general feeling something is wrong. I went to see my Dr this last friday and she states that it is all fine and that she does not suggest another hiv/std test. I told her of all of the symptoms however she says it is not hiv, just anxiety....why are my symptoms so persistant with hiv?? Why can I not shake the feeling something is wrong? Then every other day something new comes up?? Some other tyoe of something....rash, throat, cold, sniffles....damn what is wrong with me!!! She told me I could test again at the 6 month time line then she looked in my throat and saw no ulcers in the back of the throat, then she felt my lymphnodes in my throat. Why did she tell me all of that, and then check me out after I told her about the dry cough and white tongue??!!! Help I am going crazy! She gave me Valtrex for the Herpes cold soars and Zoloft for anxiety but I have not felt any different!!! HELPPP!!!!

Hey Shal,

I know what you're going through. I developed ALL the symptoms of ARS including tonsillitis and fever of 104 for 5 days exactly 3 weeks after making out with a stripper in Vegas. I also developed neuropathy about 10 days after the illness. I tested negative for flu, mono, strep, etc so I was 100% SURE it just had to be HIV. I've tested negative 8 times now out to 12 weeks. Everyone tells me it's impossible to get HIV through making out yet I had all the symptoms and continue to have the neuropathy. I also had 8 negative tests...I'm assuming one of those would have been positive - all tests were from 5-12 weeks post exposure. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm banking on the fact that maybe I got some weird virus or something...atleast I'm hoping that's what it was. There's always that little thought or doubt in the back of my mind but I guess I have to find a way to convince myself that I DON'T HAVE HIV. So, I just wanted to let you know I know what you're going through and if you have any questions just let me know.

Pea or baked bean sized lymph nodes are completely normal, they are commonly noticeable in skinny or slender people.

You have overreacted and your friend is wrong.  The time for the blood test to become positive has nothing to do with the amount of virus someone is exposed to.  If you're infected, it becomes positive, usually within 4-6 weeks; if not infected, the test stays negative.

1) You describe a zero risk event.  It is very rare to acquire HIV by kissing, if it occurs at all; and people kiss all the time in the presence of mouth wounds.

2) See above.  A negative 6 week test is highly reliable regardless of the dose of virus.  99% is about right.

3) It is dumb to 'assume that the tonsillitis was a symptom of ARS'; a garden variety respiratory virus (or strep) is hundreds of time more likely.  But if it were due to ARS, your blood test would have been positive by 2-3 weeks later.

From the standpoint of the risk in such an exposure, I would not have recommended HIV testing at all.  The odds you are infected, given that exposure plus a negative result at 6 weeks, are far less then the chance you will die someday of a lightning strike.  But if you will sleep better with another negative result at 8 weeks, it's fine with me if you get tested again.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

Chances are your post will get deleted.

You do not get HIV from kissing, even deep french kissing.

A six week test is more than accurate for this exposure risk.....