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Possible HIV Exposure

I am a 28 y/o male. Four weeks ago, I had unprotected sex with a questionable woman in her early thirties. A day or two after, I noticed a large lump on my penis, in between the head and the foreskin. There are two other smaller bumps next to it, both on the head. They are not painful and have not changed much in four weeks.

I immediately saw a doc who said it wasn't an STD but maybe balanitis. He gave me antibiotics and a cream. All of my blood work came back negative.  After ten days, with no change in my symptoms, he gave me a steroid cream. After no change I went to a free clinic, where the doc took one look and said Herpes.  

A different, very reputable PCP examined me more closely than the other two docs, and said it didn't look like an STD, with none of the classic symptoms of herpes and they didn't look like genital warts. He put me on stronger antibiotics. He said that it may take ten days. It's been five, the symptoms haven't gone down, and there's even a new spot that looks like a mole on the head of my penis. It does not resemble the other three areas. He did a culture and blood test for herpes.

I didn't know at the time she hasn't had an HIV test in about four years. She said she's had unsafe sex since then with people she trusts. She also just told me that her latest pap smear indicated that she has either HPV or cervical cancer, but has never had any other symptoms.  

I am worried I had open skin on my penis right before we had sex.  We were on a beach and the sand may have irritated it.  

Could she have given me HIV and that's why my symptoms haven't responded to any treatment? I had an ingrown hair on my arm that got infected and hasn't healed in a few days.  They took blood five days ago, and yesterday I noticed a bruise on my arm from the needle.  Both are very unusual for me.  

Yesterday, 26 days from exposure I got another HIV test.  Would the antibiotics cause a false positive?

Am I an extremely high risk for HIV?
4 Responses
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I forgot to answer your question about antibiotics and HIV test results.  No antibiotic (or any other medication) has any effect on the reliability of HIV testing.
Helpful - 1
239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
First, the HIV issue:  Statistically, it is unlikely your partner has HIV, even with her sexual history and not being tested recently; and if she had it, the chance you were infected was very low.  Sand exposure or unnoticed genital lesions is speculation and undoubtedly makes no difference.  But You are well on the way to solving your concern about HIV, by being tested.  About 90% of newly infected people have positive HIV test results 4 weeks after catching  it; the negative test result (which is what you can expect) should be highly reassuring.  For even more security, have a second test after another month or so.  Almost certainly you didn't catch HIV.

That your partner has had an abnormal pap and apparent HPV infection really doesn't mean very much.  Any particular younger, sexually active woman has a 20-40% chance of carrying HPV that could be sexually transmitted.  That your partner knows about her infection doesn't pose any more likelihood of transmission than any other female partner who is carrying the virus without symptoms or diagnosis.  Most likely her HPV is not a wart-causing type.  Still, you should keep your eyes open for penile warts, which could show up in the next couple of months.  In that case, see your doc for evaluation and treatment -- but most likely nothing will come of this and it isn't a cause for worry.

I have no comments or advice about the penile problem.  It sounds like you are under high quality care and can rely on your doctors' opinion that it isn't an STD.

Good luck--  HHH, MD
Helpful - 1
239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The help is not to me but for you, in having an accurate diagnosis.  Follow your doctor's advice about treatment.  And don't lose a lot of sleep over it.  Genital warts aren't fun and certainly are inconvenient, but they are not serious and will respond to proper treatment, without any long term health problems.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dr. Handsfield,

I thought it might be helpful to follow up and let you know that I went back to the doctor today.  As other treatments have not been working, he diagnosed GW.  Hope this is helpful to you in some way.
Helpful - 0

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