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Concerned @ Symptoms
Hi Doctors,
I have a concern that I would appreciate your thoughts on.
I am a heterosexual women. On Feb 20, I gave unprotected oral sex to a man (he did not ejaculate). I had a canker sore (not herpes) in my mouth during this time. He also rubbed his penis rather vigorously on the outside of my vagina. There was no penetration although his penis definitely rubbed against the opening of my vagina. He also gave me oral sex.
I am always overly concerned about these things and put it out of my mind until of course I got sick 3 weeks (24 days) later. I woke up in the middle of the night to vomit (only once). During that evening and the next day I had a low fever (never measured above 100.5). The next night I sweated pretty badly in my sleep and the fever was gone in the morning. Then the diarrhea started and has not stopped… it has been 5 days of that now. Every time I eat my stomach begins gurgling (VERY loudly) and not long after the diarrhea starts. I thought I also had a sore throat, but it feels more like canker sores possibly in my throat. I was under the impression that if it was stomach flu or food poisoning things would have cleared up by now and that is what is making me nervous.
I requested a HIV test via my GP and evidently won’t hear back on the results for a week or longer. She chalked it up to food poisoning, but it is not going away.
I know the risk is fairly low… I guess I am just wondering if my symptoms sound like they could be acute hiv from the incident described above. It worries me that I had fever and that the diarrhea persists. Thank you for your time.
I have a concern that I would appreciate your thoughts on.
I am a heterosexual women. On Feb 20, I gave unprotected oral sex to a man (he did not ejaculate). I had a canker sore (not herpes) in my mouth during this time. He also rubbed his penis rather vigorously on the outside of my vagina. There was no penetration although his penis definitely rubbed against the opening of my vagina. He also gave me oral sex.
I am always overly concerned about these things and put it out of my mind until of course I got sick 3 weeks (24 days) later. I woke up in the middle of the night to vomit (only once). During that evening and the next day I had a low fever (never measured above 100.5). The next night I sweated pretty badly in my sleep and the fever was gone in the morning. Then the diarrhea started and has not stopped… it has been 5 days of that now. Every time I eat my stomach begins gurgling (VERY loudly) and not long after the diarrhea starts. I thought I also had a sore throat, but it feels more like canker sores possibly in my throat. I was under the impression that if it was stomach flu or food poisoning things would have cleared up by now and that is what is making me nervous.
I requested a HIV test via my GP and evidently won’t hear back on the results for a week or longer. She chalked it up to food poisoning, but it is not going away.
I know the risk is fairly low… I guess I am just wondering if my symptoms sound like they could be acute hiv from the incident described above. It worries me that I had fever and that the diarrhea persists. Thank you for your time.
Thank you so much for your speedy response. That is very reassuring. My actions were atypical as are my current symptoms so I couldn’t help but link the two… especially after doing a little research online.
That is the strange part… nobody around me / that I have been close with is sick. I do however eat out for most meals. My doctor mentioned a stool culture if things didn’t not clear up so I will follow up with her about that tomorrow.
I will let you know…thank you again and have a great evening.
That is the strange part… nobody around me / that I have been close with is sick. I do however eat out for most meals. My doctor mentioned a stool culture if things didn’t not clear up so I will follow up with her about that tomorrow.
I will let you know…thank you again and have a great evening.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You could also have a viral GI infection, like norovirus -- although your symptoms have lasted longer than usual. Have you been in contact with anyone with a similar illness, especially a child?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
The news is good: I'm very confident you don't have HIV and your test will be negative. Do your best not to worry about it while you await the result.
First, this was a virtually zero risk exposure for HIV. Assuming your partner isn't bi, an injection drug user, or otherwise at special risk, the odds he has HIV are very low, under one chance in many thousand. Second, even if he is infected, there is llittle or no chance of transmission from the exposures described. HIV is rarely if ever transmitted by oral sex or by genital apposition without penetration.
As for your illness, I'm also worried that you have "had fever and that the diarrhea persists" this long -- but not because of HIV. Although diarrhea sometimes occurs in acute HIV infections, it's not the dominant symptom. Your doctor is undoubtedly on the right track in believing this is some sort of garden variety gastrointestinal infection.
Still, don't treat this lightly; with fever and diarrhea for 5+ days, it could be a serious infection. You should have some more tests to determine the cause, in particular a stool culture to check for salmonella and other potentially dangerous causes, whether or not acquired from food. Also, you might check with your local or state health department about whether there have been reports of salmonella or other food poisoning in your area.
But I am very confident, and you should be too, that this isn't HIV or any other STD. I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with your sexual contact a month ago. If you'd like to return to let me know your HIV test result, feel free.
I hope this has helped. Best wishes for a speedy recovery -- HHH, MD
The news is good: I'm very confident you don't have HIV and your test will be negative. Do your best not to worry about it while you await the result.
First, this was a virtually zero risk exposure for HIV. Assuming your partner isn't bi, an injection drug user, or otherwise at special risk, the odds he has HIV are very low, under one chance in many thousand. Second, even if he is infected, there is llittle or no chance of transmission from the exposures described. HIV is rarely if ever transmitted by oral sex or by genital apposition without penetration.
As for your illness, I'm also worried that you have "had fever and that the diarrhea persists" this long -- but not because of HIV. Although diarrhea sometimes occurs in acute HIV infections, it's not the dominant symptom. Your doctor is undoubtedly on the right track in believing this is some sort of garden variety gastrointestinal infection.
Still, don't treat this lightly; with fever and diarrhea for 5+ days, it could be a serious infection. You should have some more tests to determine the cause, in particular a stool culture to check for salmonella and other potentially dangerous causes, whether or not acquired from food. Also, you might check with your local or state health department about whether there have been reports of salmonella or other food poisoning in your area.
But I am very confident, and you should be too, that this isn't HIV or any other STD. I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with your sexual contact a month ago. If you'd like to return to let me know your HIV test result, feel free.
I hope this has helped. Best wishes for a speedy recovery -- HHH, MD
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