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Avatar universal

Anxiety ridden

Hello and thank you in advance for answering my concern.  I had a blood test done 10-12 months (not exactly sure, but definately between 10-12 months) after an exposure that concerned me (one time protected vaginal, 2X unprotected oral).  The result came back non-reactive.  Two years later, which brings us to present, I watched a 20/20 episode or something like that, of a man (NOT the man I was with) who knowingly infected women with HIV.  For some odd reason this got me concerned again about my exposure three years ago.  As soon as I became concerned again, I started having non-stop shooting muscle pains in my arms and legs on top of back pain that I was having before worrying about HIV.  The only other symptom I have experienced is occasional tiny bumps in the back of my throat.  Can I rely on just the one blood test 10-12  MONTHS after exposure to be sure I am negative for HIV?  Is it possible to get a false negative after that time frame or it be negative due to human error?  Also, is it possible that my aching muscle "symptoms" are just a result of anxiety because I knew in advance that was a symptom of HIV?  
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry, but you're just going to have to accept the hard truth that you do not have HIV.  Something else is causing your symptoms.  It is not normal to remain so fearful despite such overwhelming evidence.  You might benefit from counseling to get over this; I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.  But this forum is not a counseling service, so that's all for this thread.  No more comments, please, and do not start a new thread about the same episode and symptoms.
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Avatar universal
Doctor please reply to me once more...I am really freaking out. On top of all else, I have had a sore throat the past couple of days and just looked in the back of my throat and see this large lump (back behind my uvula and off to the left) with a white patch on it.  Could all of this be HIV???  I am really scared.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you.  My worry stems from the fact I contracted genital herpes from this person and encounter described above.  That makes me fear what else he had. Would you be at ease with a negative test at ten months in this circumstance?  Even with strange symptoms popping up?   If so then so will I.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
My reply will be very brief, since virtually the identical questions have been asked and answered innumerable times.

It probably is unlikely your partner had HIV; if he had it, the chance of transmission from that sort of exposure was zero or close to it; the tests for HIV are among the most accurate blood tests ever developed, for any disease; and your symptoms do not suggest HIV.  The odds that all 4 of those near-zero probabilities would all break the wrong way (partner with HIV, transmission despite condom, symptoms that are due to HIV after all, and false negative test after several months) are astronomically low.  The chance you will die of a meteorite strike is literally higher than the chance you caught HIV from that event.

You can use the search link to scan this forum for many other replies to similar questions.  Please accept this reassurance and put this episode out of your mind:  you have no worries about HIV from the sexual exposure you describe.

Best wishes--   HHH, MD
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