Jock itch due to HIV

[worried276]

Dr. Hunter,
I read in one of your earlier posts that treatment resistant jock itch can be due to HIV. I am having a case of jock itch that just wont go away. I tried over the counter medications and they didnt work then i got oral prescription and did not work either - it did get better but not a lot. i am 2 weeks into the treatment of 4 weeks
I am very worried it might be due to HIV.
The only risk i had was 2 years ago i had for 20 seconds unprotected sex with a woman. After 20 seconds i pulled out and put on a condom. the reason i am worried is that 3 weeks later i got NGU (not chlamydia). she also gave me oral sex without a condom i dont know if the NGU could have been a result of that.

2 weeks post exposure i had HIV RNA test that came back negative
6 months after i had Abbott Combo HIV test (not sure which) also came back negative
1 year later i had Bio-Rad GS HIV1/2 blood test - also came back negative
i also had 2 oraquick tests but i understand from one of your previous posts that they can only be 85% accurate

Is there any chance that the treatment resistance jock itch is due to HIV? I know there can be rare strains that are not detected...

Thanks so much

[Edward W Hook, MD]

See above.  As I said, you do not have HIV.  Your tests prove this.  EWH

[worried276]

Thanks Doc for the quick reply
Is there any chance that all these tests missed an HIV infection and my jock itch is due to HIV?

The reason i am so worried is i saw on the mayo clinic website that the said that people with HIV have hard time getting rid of jock itch. And dr. Handfiled in one of his comments also mentioned that treatment resistant jock itch can be due to HIV

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  Dr. Handsfield and I share the forum.  You got me.  FYI, the reason we share the forum is because we have worked together for nearly 30 years and while our verbiage styles vary, we have never disagreed on management strategies or advice to clients.  I'll be pleased to comment.

First things first.  You do not have HIV from the brief un-protected exposure that you describe.  Your test results prove this unequivocally.  You have been tested multiple times with different tests at times when the tests are very reliable.   The 85% estimate of sensitivity of the Oraquick is an underestimate of the test sensitivity.  More recent studies indicate that the Oraquick and other rapid tests are just as accurate as lab-based HIV antibody tests.

So, now what about your rash.  Jock itch is a term used to describe fungal infections of the groin.  There are however many other things that can cause itching in the groin and even mimic the appearance of fungal infections. These include certain kinds of bacterial infections (non-STD), dry skin, and other dermatological conditions.  My advice would be to complete the prescription which seems to be helping.  If this takes care of things, fine. if not, you might want to see a dermatologist for another opinion.

Hope these comments help. EWH