Aa
Swolin tonsil, lymph nodes
Hi,
I had unprotected insertive anal sex with a man for about 1-2 minutes, I believe there is a highly likely hood that he had HIV given is willingness to do this.
After 9 days I started to get slightly swollen lymph nodes on my face,neck and jaw. It is day 5 and I have a reduced version of these symptoms I also have a slightly swollen tonsil. I have had no fever at all but am experiencing malaise and haven't eating as much. Im not sure how much of that is from anxiety. I tested negative for strept throat and mono. How likely is it that I am experiencing ARS and have HIV now.
- Thank you very much
I had unprotected insertive anal sex with a man for about 1-2 minutes, I believe there is a highly likely hood that he had HIV given is willingness to do this.
After 9 days I started to get slightly swollen lymph nodes on my face,neck and jaw. It is day 5 and I have a reduced version of these symptoms I also have a slightly swollen tonsil. I have had no fever at all but am experiencing malaise and haven't eating as much. Im not sure how much of that is from anxiety. I tested negative for strept throat and mono. How likely is it that I am experiencing ARS and have HIV now.
- Thank you very much
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It's good to hear this isn't habitual behavior for you. But I am always skeptical of pledges like "I do not plan on having casual sex ever again". Lifelong monogamy is not a normal sexual behavior for most people, and for the most part sex can be done safely, short of lifetime commitment. Most people who make extreme pledges like this fall off the wagon somewhere along the line. While your intent is excellent and I applaud it, I also strongly urge you to always have a condom with you when you are in social situations that could be tempting. And consider whether a less extreme pledge might be easier to adhere to, such as discussing HIV status with potential partners and consistent condom use for anal sex (or no anal sex with casual partners). I'm not trying to discourage you from total safety -- just hoping you'll go about it realistically.
Do let me know the final outcome after all your testing is done. Until then I won't have anything more to say. Good luck.
Do let me know the final outcome after all your testing is done. Until then I won't have anything more to say. Good luck.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
There are 3 aspects to your question: the chance your partner has HIV, the risk of transmission if he does, and whether your symptoms might be due to ARS. The bottom line is that the odds are in your favor, i.e. probably you didn't catch HIV. But the risk is high enough that you should be seeing a health care provider who is familiar with acute HIV infection, then follow his or her advice about diagnostic testing. Most likely that will include an early test for HIV RNA in your blood, followed later by HIV antibody tests. Taking the various elements one at a time:
First, I agree that HIV rates are high in men who have sex with men, who also have anal sex with new/unknown partners. But I have no way of guessing whether the chance he has it is 10%, 50%, or even higher.
Second, if he has HIV, the average transmission risk for the insertive partner in anal sex (top) averages somewhere around 1 in 500. But I stress "average". It could be quite a bit higher if he has a new infection, a high viral load, not taking anti-HIV drugs, if either of you has other STDs (especially HSV-2). Or the risk could be near zero if on treatment, low viral load, etc. Logically, your risk might be on the low side given the brevity of exposure, but there are no data on this, so it's only a guess.
Third, your symptoms. If there are ARS symptoms at all, almost always there is fever; lymph node enlargements are body wide, not limited to a single location like the neck and face; and symptoms last a cowpoke of weeks. Your symptoms are much more likely due to a cold virus than to HIV.
Considering all these factors, the chance you were infected probably is very low, probably under 1 in 1,000. But perhaps you'll agree that even those odds are too high for comfort. Hence my advice above about getting expert care ASAP. In the meantime, if you can identify and contact your partner, you should do that and ask about HIV status, treatment, and the other things I mentioned above. The answers, if you can find them, might make a significant difference in the recommended tests, etc. (Had you sought care within 72 hours of the exposure, anti-HIV treatment, i.e. post exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, might have been recommended.)
I won't give my lectures about condoms and discussing HIV status before sex. You're probably lecturing yourself. But I do hope you realize that if you continue to have sexual exposures like this, you should definitely expect to have HIV someday. A word to the wise.
Please return with a follow-up comment after you have been professionally evaluated and let me know how it all works out.
Regards-- HHH, MD
There are 3 aspects to your question: the chance your partner has HIV, the risk of transmission if he does, and whether your symptoms might be due to ARS. The bottom line is that the odds are in your favor, i.e. probably you didn't catch HIV. But the risk is high enough that you should be seeing a health care provider who is familiar with acute HIV infection, then follow his or her advice about diagnostic testing. Most likely that will include an early test for HIV RNA in your blood, followed later by HIV antibody tests. Taking the various elements one at a time:
First, I agree that HIV rates are high in men who have sex with men, who also have anal sex with new/unknown partners. But I have no way of guessing whether the chance he has it is 10%, 50%, or even higher.
Second, if he has HIV, the average transmission risk for the insertive partner in anal sex (top) averages somewhere around 1 in 500. But I stress "average". It could be quite a bit higher if he has a new infection, a high viral load, not taking anti-HIV drugs, if either of you has other STDs (especially HSV-2). Or the risk could be near zero if on treatment, low viral load, etc. Logically, your risk might be on the low side given the brevity of exposure, but there are no data on this, so it's only a guess.
Third, your symptoms. If there are ARS symptoms at all, almost always there is fever; lymph node enlargements are body wide, not limited to a single location like the neck and face; and symptoms last a cowpoke of weeks. Your symptoms are much more likely due to a cold virus than to HIV.
Considering all these factors, the chance you were infected probably is very low, probably under 1 in 1,000. But perhaps you'll agree that even those odds are too high for comfort. Hence my advice above about getting expert care ASAP. In the meantime, if you can identify and contact your partner, you should do that and ask about HIV status, treatment, and the other things I mentioned above. The answers, if you can find them, might make a significant difference in the recommended tests, etc. (Had you sought care within 72 hours of the exposure, anti-HIV treatment, i.e. post exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, might have been recommended.)
I won't give my lectures about condoms and discussing HIV status before sex. You're probably lecturing yourself. But I do hope you realize that if you continue to have sexual exposures like this, you should definitely expect to have HIV someday. A word to the wise.
Please return with a follow-up comment after you have been professionally evaluated and let me know how it all works out.
Regards-- HHH, MD
I am sincerely gratefull for your response I needed something to put my mind at ease. I am have had one test taken and should get the results within a week or two. It was also suggested that I take a rapid test.
This is a life changing experience for me and hopefully everything will be ok.
I realize there is a significant risk and I do not plan on having casual sex ever again.
I need to persue a mongomous long term relationship.
This is a life changing experience for me and hopefully everything will be ok.
I realize there is a significant risk and I do not plan on having casual sex ever again.
I need to persue a mongomous long term relationship.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I knew that.
"Cowpoke" is supposed to be "couple". Sorry for the typo. Touch keyboard plus iPad's program predicting misspelled words.
"Cowpoke" is supposed to be "couple". Sorry for the typo. Touch keyboard plus iPad's program predicting misspelled words.
I am also a man. I was the insertive partner
You are reading content posted in the HIV - Prevention Forum
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