Stressed Out - Is this anxiety?

[ImStressedOut]

So about 4 weeks ago I had unprotected sex with a girl I've known for a long time.  I have actually had sex with her the last 2 weekends as well, some unprotected some protected with a condom.  Everytime we have unprotected sex I have never ejaculated inside her.  About two days after the first incident I came up with a severe sore throat which kind of felt like strep.  I gave it about 3 days and then saw a doctor when it didn't get any better.  He did not do a strep test but prescribed zithromax and prednisone for 5 days and that seemed to do the trick and my throat felt much better and everything seemed to be fine.

Now though I seem to have this kind of continuous scratchy throat and my neck kind of hurts right under the jaw bone but its not swollen.  I also seem to have some pains in my groin area but also not any notice of swelling whatsoever.  I have very bad anxiety especially over medical fears so of course I've seen the HIV symptoms list and i'm freaking out that maybe I was exposed to it through her.  She has had about 20 male partners and 6 female partners and I'm kind of concerned if I could have picked up HIV from her even though I don't even know if she has HIV.  I would have used protection everytime but I did not realize she had been with so many people not that that makes any excuse.

I seem to wake up every morning fine but I continuously can't stop thinking about during the day and i'm just wondering if its possible if my anxiety is causing these symptoms or if I should really be concerned.  I know a lot of the same symptoms occur with mono but I have already had mono in my life so I didn't think you could get it twice.  Please help with any suggestions and from now on it will always be with protection.

Sincerely,
StressedOut

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your risk for HIV is very, low.  Despite your partner's relatively large numbers of partners, her chance of having HIV is very low- less than 1% unless she is an IV drug user.  In addition, the risk of getting HIV from a single unprotected sex act, IF she had HIV (and it is unlikely she did), is less than 1 infection per 1000 exposures.  Thus, on the basis of the math alone, your risk of HIV is lower than 1 in 100,000.

As for your sore throat, the combination of prednisone and azithromycin is just about sure to make you feel better, no matter what caused it.  Your continuing scratchy and sore throat is probably left over from your earlier sore throat and is just about certainly not early HIV infection.  Your symptoms do not match up well with those of the acute retroviral syndrome and, even if they did, they are more likely to be due to your non-HIV sore throat than HIV.  

Although you have little to worry about, I suspect that you are still anxious.  Thus, you have two good options.  The first and one that will give you an answer soonest is to ask her about her HIV status and perhaps to ask her if she will go to get tested with you.  When you find out she does not have HIV you will know you have nothing to worry about.  You cannot get HIV from someone who does not have HIV.  Alternatively, if she is not willing to tell you or to get tested, you can go get tested yourself.  The test will be negative and results of testing any time after 4 weeks beyond your most recent exposure to her can be taken as proof that you did not get HIV from the exposures you mention

Hope this helps.  EWH

[unsure1997]

I went through the same thoughts, reviewed the symptoms, etc as you.  Get tested its the only way to relieve your anxiety.  If you know the person why not asks if she has been tested?  Its not an embarrassing questions.  Its your life you have a right to know