HIV-phobia and anxiety

[AnonymousGuy888]

Help !!!

I had sex with a commercial sex worker more than 3 weeks ago. It was totally protected. But I am still freaking out

Dr. EWH in the HIV forum advised me that the encounter - as I described it - is risk free ..... and that my current symptoms are irrelevant and mainly due to anxiety

Can anxiety cause mild fever, body-wide itching?

I also suffer from insomnia, bad temper and can't take the subject off my mind

I feel like I ruined my whole life for 20 bloody minutes of sex ...... What if I am infected? I'd lose my job, family and end up homeless in the streets

what if I infected my wife and our baby she's pregnant with?

I am devastated .... what can I do?

reasonably and medically speaking I know my odds are very very low .... but ..... I keep thinking, what if I was the unlucky one in a million?

[AnonymousGuy888]

No more close calls ....... I will retest at the three months mark since the last encounter just to kill off the 3% chance ...... Although the test tests of both the antibody and viral antigen which minimizes the window period ..... Just to avoid any issues.

[RubyWitch]

Excellent news. No more "close calls," OK?  :)
Now go out there and have some fun!

Peace
Greenlydia

[M4Y0U]

Great news! I'm happy for you!

M4

[AnonymousGuy888]

I tested negative after 5 weeks using the CMIA combo (Antibody/Antigen) test ..... Phewwwwwwwwwwwww that was close !

[AnonymousGuy888]

Thanks everyone

To clarify my general HIV risk .... I am not a drug user, and I am not promiscuous.....

Last time I had an HIV test was in February and it was negative. I had it just for elimination since I had a fever of unknown origin .... I was not worried the least bit about it and was confident it would turn out to be negative..... I was more worried back then about more common infections such as Hep B and Hep C.

Only sexual contact I have had since that negative test - other than with my wife - was

1- Protected insertive oral sex with a CSW in April ..... which I believe is zero risk

2- The encounter I have described in the HIV forum about a month ago ..... which I believe is very very low risk (protected vaginal sex, very brief protected oral sex) .....

I believe my symptoms are due to HIV phobia and I have come to my senses finally ..... I was freaking out ....

A close friend who's a doctor and knows my medical history very well has assured me and brought into my attention that

1- Even before the encounter, I am known to get sore throats very often (once a month or every two months ... sometimes twice a month) and it usually responds very weakly to antibiotics ....  

2- Symptoms could be a reactivated EBV or CMV infection (which - both - were the reason behind my one-month-long low-grade fever back in February).

3- Intermittent fever is not ARS .... Going up and down between 36.5 and 37.8 all day and night long is not ARS ....

I believe I am not infected. Anxiety was killing me ..... I dunno why .... ! Thanks God it's gone now .....

I have also read this piece of news about HIV phobia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8505998.stm

[RubyWitch]

He may very well be HIV+ and of course I have not seen his labs nor have I been following his daily activities. He was not asking about his entire sexual history, he was asking about one specific exposure.
Thank you for the reminder that it's "not safe saying something we don't know to someone that may have it even if the odds are very very very low."
I assume you will be contacting Dr. EWH on the HIV forum and setting his ignorance straight, too?  I'll PM Lizzie and let her know you'll be posting over there soon.

Greenlydia

[M4Y0U]

Yes I suggest counseling too for that HIV phobia...

[M4Y0U]

How do you know he does't have HIV. DId you see his labs or been following his daily activities? It's not safe saying something we don't know to someone that might have it even if the odds are very very very low.

M4

[RubyWitch]

If you had protected sex, you do NOT have HIV, you probably have HIV Anxiety, which is a very real and very treatable condition with therapy.

Also, since you had protected sex, you do not need to be tested. If you decide to ease your mind by getting tested, know that the 3 month ELISA test is the only test that will give you a 100% conclusive result. (There are other tests that you can take sooner, but they will not be 100% conslusive.) There are other tests you can take at three months besides the ELISA, it's just a name, the major point is the 12 week marker.

HIV is still a very misunderstood virus, and it is much more difficult to contract than most people think. The virus must be passed inside the human body. Air and saliva will kill the virus virtually on contact, which is why there is no risk from oral sex or  environmental exposure, such as toilet seats, door knobs, eating utensils, etc.

There are three ways you can contract HIV. If you do not fit into any of these categories, you have NO RISK.

1) UNPROTECTED vaginal/anal intercourse with a known HIV+ partner

2) Sharing drug works, (needles) with an HIV+ person

3) HIV+ mother to her unborn child

I usually tell people to avoid symptom sites since they are already in a state of high anxiety. I think it's better to come here and talk to others who may have your same fears or to contact your local HIV/AIDS Hotline and get answers from real people, many of whom are living with AIDS.

I also encourage anyone who is sexually active to get educated about HIV........to protect yourself and the people you love.

Peace
Greenlydia

[M4Y0U]

Get tested to ease your mind. A ELISA test should be done with a Western Blot confirmation if positive. Another really good test that is good to detect HIV even in the ''window period'' is a PCR.

Since your chances of having contracted HIV are very very low I think a simple ELISA test should do it.

Also yes anxiety can cause all sort of symptoms. You can get a good list of symptoms here on MedHelp. If can basically mimic all symptoms you can think of.

M4