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Symptoms HIV+?
Dear Dr
About 6 weeks ago I had protected intercourse with a SW. I fell asleep with my condom on. When I woke up, I noticed a kind of red rash on the right side of my penis. My urologist and told me that it was nothing to worry about since it was most probably a reaction to the condom. After some cream it went away. I got so scared I took a std and general blood test after one week and everything came back OK. I became really anxious.I developed a sore throat about 3 weeks ago along with general discomfort and headache. My dr said it was psichological. Then the night sweats came (moderate) which my dr said that also were psychological bacuse the days I took some clonazepam for the anxiety, I did not sweat a drop.Last sunday night I was 102.7º. The following day I had a general blood and urine test that showed elevated liver enzymes and some protein the yellow urine. My dr said that the results were more likely afected by the high fever. By monday afternoon the diarrhea started (with some blood in the loose stools) and the fever went down. I have had no fever since monday night without taking any medicine for that. However, discomfort, headache and the diarrhea have not gone away. I have been at home and resting since sunday.3 weeks ago I was intimate with someone. We kissed for about 3 hr but did not have intercourse, genital rubbing or anything else like that (I gave her pleasure with my fingers although above her clothes and I had no ctus or sores).We kept our underwear and pjs. Last friday she developed sore throat and yesterday some back pain, general discomfort and fatigue.
My dr say I have a pretty bad intestine infection. Could all this be HIV?
Can the psychological stress ( the worst I have ever felt in my life ) contribute to experience the symptoms?
It has been 6 weeks now since that encounter, should I get HIV tested?
If I am HIV +, could I have passed it on to my partner although no genital rubbing, intercourse, oral sex or anal sex was performed?
About 6 weeks ago I had protected intercourse with a SW. I fell asleep with my condom on. When I woke up, I noticed a kind of red rash on the right side of my penis. My urologist and told me that it was nothing to worry about since it was most probably a reaction to the condom. After some cream it went away. I got so scared I took a std and general blood test after one week and everything came back OK. I became really anxious.I developed a sore throat about 3 weeks ago along with general discomfort and headache. My dr said it was psichological. Then the night sweats came (moderate) which my dr said that also were psychological bacuse the days I took some clonazepam for the anxiety, I did not sweat a drop.Last sunday night I was 102.7º. The following day I had a general blood and urine test that showed elevated liver enzymes and some protein the yellow urine. My dr said that the results were more likely afected by the high fever. By monday afternoon the diarrhea started (with some blood in the loose stools) and the fever went down. I have had no fever since monday night without taking any medicine for that. However, discomfort, headache and the diarrhea have not gone away. I have been at home and resting since sunday.3 weeks ago I was intimate with someone. We kissed for about 3 hr but did not have intercourse, genital rubbing or anything else like that (I gave her pleasure with my fingers although above her clothes and I had no ctus or sores).We kept our underwear and pjs. Last friday she developed sore throat and yesterday some back pain, general discomfort and fatigue.
My dr say I have a pretty bad intestine infection. Could all this be HIV?
Can the psychological stress ( the worst I have ever felt in my life ) contribute to experience the symptoms?
It has been 6 weeks now since that encounter, should I get HIV tested?
If I am HIV +, could I have passed it on to my partner although no genital rubbing, intercourse, oral sex or anal sex was performed?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum. I see that you have asked the same question earlier of Dr. Handsfield and have asked this questions as two separate questions on this Forum. I have deleted your second question on this Forum and have read Dr. Handsfield’ response to you. I agree with what he has said to you. The exposure you describe was no risk for HIV. Even if your partner had HIV and that is unlikely, condom protected sex is safe sex and does not put you at risk for HIV.
If you have looked at other posts on our site, you have missed our repeated statements that the symptoms of early HIV infection and/or the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection. When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of persons seeking medical care for early HIV or "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions). For a person to try to judge their HIV risk based on symptoms is a waste of time. In your case, the symptoms you describe are virtually certain not to be due to HIV and are likely to represent some other illness, most likely an non-STD, community acquired viral infection of the sort that we often call "the flu" or "a bug".
An HIV test at this time would be expected to detect over 98% of HIV infections acquired 6 weeks earlier and in your case would prove that the symptoms you reported are not due to HIV. If you choose to get tested for HIV at this time you should first promise yourself that when you get the result, you will believe them. I am confident that any HIV test that you get at this time will be negative.
I hope this comment is helpful to you. You are not at risk for HIV from the exposure you describe and you should not worry.
Finally, do not start additional questions on this or the STD site. We only permit 2 tests per client over and 6 month period in order to allow others to have access to the site. EWH
If you have looked at other posts on our site, you have missed our repeated statements that the symptoms of early HIV infection and/or the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection. When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of persons seeking medical care for early HIV or "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions). For a person to try to judge their HIV risk based on symptoms is a waste of time. In your case, the symptoms you describe are virtually certain not to be due to HIV and are likely to represent some other illness, most likely an non-STD, community acquired viral infection of the sort that we often call "the flu" or "a bug".
An HIV test at this time would be expected to detect over 98% of HIV infections acquired 6 weeks earlier and in your case would prove that the symptoms you reported are not due to HIV. If you choose to get tested for HIV at this time you should first promise yourself that when you get the result, you will believe them. I am confident that any HIV test that you get at this time will be negative.
I hope this comment is helpful to you. You are not at risk for HIV from the exposure you describe and you should not worry.
Finally, do not start additional questions on this or the STD site. We only permit 2 tests per client over and 6 month period in order to allow others to have access to the site. EWH
Doc,
Just wanted to let you know that I had the 7 week test done and it came back negative. The CBC was normal and the Sphyllis test was negative as well.
I will re test at 12 weeks just to be 100% sure.
This is a very valuable site, please continue with the good work.
Just wanted to let you know that I had the 7 week test done and it came back negative. The CBC was normal and the Sphyllis test was negative as well.
I will re test at 12 weeks just to be 100% sure.
This is a very valuable site, please continue with the good work.
Thank you very much for your help Dr. Hook. I will post my results.
Vance, thank you very much as well. Being in a similar situation (anxiety, regret, etc) as the one I am experiencing, I am pretty sure you understand how I feel. It may feel to you that I am being stubborn but having gone through all the symptoms mentioned above is really imposible for me to not worry and imagine the outcome (not favorable).
Hopefully my test will come back negative and I will begin seeing a mental health professional.
Again, thank you guys for your help.
Vance, thank you very much as well. Being in a similar situation (anxiety, regret, etc) as the one I am experiencing, I am pretty sure you understand how I feel. It may feel to you that I am being stubborn but having gone through all the symptoms mentioned above is really imposible for me to not worry and imagine the outcome (not favorable).
Hopefully my test will come back negative and I will begin seeing a mental health professional.
Again, thank you guys for your help.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Vance is correct. it really doesn't matter how many times you test or when. You had a no risk exposure. Repeated testing will no give you different results than you already have gotten. You did not get HIV from the exposure you describe.
This thread is now over. Take care. EWH
This thread is now over. Take care. EWH
Do yourself and Dr.Hook a favor and re-read everythng he has written to you. He has said 2x's that you were not at risk and if you do test to believe those tests.
The questions you are asking again have already been answered.
The questions you are asking again have already been answered.
Dear Doc, first of all, thank you for work in this forum. It is really an excellent resource and aid for all of us that come here. Sorry to bother you again, but I really could use some opinion here.
12 days have gone by since I had high fever (39.3ºC), and the diarreah with blood started (as explained in past posts). ALthough the fever went completely away in just 36 hrs and did not come back anymore, the loose stool with blood mixed in lasted 9 days. My doctor gave me ciprofloxacino (ciprox, a wide spectrum antibacterian) for a week and now I am almost 100% OK (no blood in stools, just a minor intestine irritation still there) I could tell my body reacted positively to the medicine. He said it was an infection due to Shigella. Also, my sore throat is almost gone, as well as my general discomfort, headache and back pain. Some lymph nodes are still swollen though. Also, now I have this tingling sensation in my scrotum that comes and goes, but they tell me is psychological caused. Night sweats were pretty bad last week, however I did not take clonazepam all of last week. Now that I take it daily, no night sweats at all.
Tomorrow is 7 weeks since the encounter with the SW. I am going to get my general blood testing (HIV included).
Should I be worried about that all this symptoms that came and now are almost gone are due to HIV?
Since I am in Mexico, will the 7 week test be a good indicator? (I will have it done at a private lab, on of the best we have around here)?
Thank you very much for your help
12 days have gone by since I had high fever (39.3ºC), and the diarreah with blood started (as explained in past posts). ALthough the fever went completely away in just 36 hrs and did not come back anymore, the loose stool with blood mixed in lasted 9 days. My doctor gave me ciprofloxacino (ciprox, a wide spectrum antibacterian) for a week and now I am almost 100% OK (no blood in stools, just a minor intestine irritation still there) I could tell my body reacted positively to the medicine. He said it was an infection due to Shigella. Also, my sore throat is almost gone, as well as my general discomfort, headache and back pain. Some lymph nodes are still swollen though. Also, now I have this tingling sensation in my scrotum that comes and goes, but they tell me is psychological caused. Night sweats were pretty bad last week, however I did not take clonazepam all of last week. Now that I take it daily, no night sweats at all.
Tomorrow is 7 weeks since the encounter with the SW. I am going to get my general blood testing (HIV included).
Should I be worried about that all this symptoms that came and now are almost gone are due to HIV?
Since I am in Mexico, will the 7 week test be a good indicator? (I will have it done at a private lab, on of the best we have around here)?
Thank you very much for your help
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
All of this just serves to strenghten the original advice I gave you. You are not at risk. EWH
Dear Doc, Thank you very much for your response.
Just additional facts (please let me know if you suggest anything different than what you already responded):
I have had 2 intercourses in my entire life. (The latter being the problematic one)
For about 3 weeks now I have had stuffy nose, sorethroat,headache (most of the day), night sweats, back pain and now some chest pain (in the middle) Can this be anxiety? (since I just cannot keep the worry and fear out of my head)
Thank you so much
Just additional facts (please let me know if you suggest anything different than what you already responded):
I have had 2 intercourses in my entire life. (The latter being the problematic one)
For about 3 weeks now I have had stuffy nose, sorethroat,headache (most of the day), night sweats, back pain and now some chest pain (in the middle) Can this be anxiety? (since I just cannot keep the worry and fear out of my head)
Thank you so much
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