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Unprotected Exposure - 8 Days
Dr. Hansfield
About 8 days back I had partially unprotected vaginal sex with a female I met at a bar (who I believe is rather sexually active). I used a condom for majority of the time, but in the beginning I believe it was unprotected for about 5 minutes. I called her and asked if she had any STDs, but she said that she was fine. Don't think she has been tested recently.
Since then I have been unable to think about anything else and have all but convinced myself that I contracted HIV. I suffer from pretty bad anxiety, but have never experienced anything like this before. I have been waking up in the middle of the night and unable to focus at work. To make matters worse, since Saturday I felt very sick, with a slight fever, excessive sweating, sore throat, difficulty breathing, some muscle pain and some irritation when urinating. Is it even possible to feel such symptoms this soon? Do you think they are atributable to HIV? Or is my anxiety taking over?
I went and saw a doctor last week and he said based on my exposure, that my nerves were getting the best of me and that I should be fine. And that it was very early to detect anything. He did some baseline to STD tests, but I assume it was early for detection.
My questions are:
- Based on my limited exposure do you feel contracting HIV is a strong possibility or possible at all? Is it less likely to contract from female to male? And if so, Why?
- I have done a lot of research in the past few days and am planning on taking a PCR DNA and PCR RNA test in the next few days. Do you think performing these two tests 10 days after exposure can provide an accurate response? If not then when do you think is the earliest I can get tested? I do not think I can wait the full month 3 month for the anti-body test.
I'm not sure what to do at this point, I just really need some guidance because my mind is racing with terrible thoughts.
I would appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you.
About 8 days back I had partially unprotected vaginal sex with a female I met at a bar (who I believe is rather sexually active). I used a condom for majority of the time, but in the beginning I believe it was unprotected for about 5 minutes. I called her and asked if she had any STDs, but she said that she was fine. Don't think she has been tested recently.
Since then I have been unable to think about anything else and have all but convinced myself that I contracted HIV. I suffer from pretty bad anxiety, but have never experienced anything like this before. I have been waking up in the middle of the night and unable to focus at work. To make matters worse, since Saturday I felt very sick, with a slight fever, excessive sweating, sore throat, difficulty breathing, some muscle pain and some irritation when urinating. Is it even possible to feel such symptoms this soon? Do you think they are atributable to HIV? Or is my anxiety taking over?
I went and saw a doctor last week and he said based on my exposure, that my nerves were getting the best of me and that I should be fine. And that it was very early to detect anything. He did some baseline to STD tests, but I assume it was early for detection.
My questions are:
- Based on my limited exposure do you feel contracting HIV is a strong possibility or possible at all? Is it less likely to contract from female to male? And if so, Why?
- I have done a lot of research in the past few days and am planning on taking a PCR DNA and PCR RNA test in the next few days. Do you think performing these two tests 10 days after exposure can provide an accurate response? If not then when do you think is the earliest I can get tested? I do not think I can wait the full month 3 month for the anti-body test.
I'm not sure what to do at this point, I just really need some guidance because my mind is racing with terrible thoughts.
I would appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As we have said a thousand times on this forum -- probably a lot more than that -- symptoms never make a difference in our assessment. The nature of the exposure and test results tell the likelihood of infection; symptoms do not.
HIV never causes a rash as the only symptom. Never. Only in combination with fever and a bunch of other symptoms. No single symptom ever occurs in HIV. It's always a combination and pattern of symptoms. Always.
Please accept the reassurance you have been given. In the 5+ years I have been doing this forum, not one questioner has turned out to have caught HIV. You aren't likely to be the first. Believe it.
That's all for this thread.
HIV never causes a rash as the only symptom. Never. Only in combination with fever and a bunch of other symptoms. No single symptom ever occurs in HIV. It's always a combination and pattern of symptoms. Always.
Please accept the reassurance you have been given. In the 5+ years I have been doing this forum, not one questioner has turned out to have caught HIV. You aren't likely to be the first. Believe it.
That's all for this thread.
Thank you for the help. Your assurances are truly appreciated.
I am hoping that my anxiety is in fact getting the best of me, and I will be sure to get tested at the six week mark.
One more question for you:
Today I developed rashes across part of my chest and abdomen. They are not raised and they feel warm, also they seem to appear and disappear in a matter of minutes/hours. I have read that this can be a symptom of HIV, but do you think this could also be attributable to anxiety? What does a rash related to HIV look like?
My apologies for all of the questions, but you have been so helpful with all of your answers, I just wanted to get your take on this.
Once again thank you for all of your information and advice.
I am hoping that my anxiety is in fact getting the best of me, and I will be sure to get tested at the six week mark.
One more question for you:
Today I developed rashes across part of my chest and abdomen. They are not raised and they feel warm, also they seem to appear and disappear in a matter of minutes/hours. I have read that this can be a symptom of HIV, but do you think this could also be attributable to anxiety? What does a rash related to HIV look like?
My apologies for all of the questions, but you have been so helpful with all of your answers, I just wanted to get your take on this.
Once again thank you for all of your information and advice.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This information doesn't change my opinion or advice. Anxiety can't cause fever -- but all the rest of those symptoms are typical for the physical manifestations of anxiety. And whenever a person suspects his or her own symptoms have a psychological origin, usually s/he is correct. (And if you just felt like you had a fever, that doesn't count. It isn't a fever if you don't take your temperature and find it to be over 100F (38C).
I really appreciate your information and reassurance.
A few more questions and clarifications:
I should have probably mentioned this in the original post, but although I met the girl in the US, she is a caucasian female who lives in one of the Caribean countries. Not sure if that makes a difference in your facts regarding chances of exposure. Also does that have any affect on your suggestion of waiting until the six week mark? Does this constitute more high risk and should I be more worried and tested sooner?
Also regarding my symptoms of "fever, excessive sweating, sore throat, difficulty breathing, some muscle pain and some irritation when urinating". Do you feel these are just signs of anxiety? Or related to an STD?
I truly appreciate all of your help. Thank you.
A few more questions and clarifications:
I should have probably mentioned this in the original post, but although I met the girl in the US, she is a caucasian female who lives in one of the Caribean countries. Not sure if that makes a difference in your facts regarding chances of exposure. Also does that have any affect on your suggestion of waiting until the six week mark? Does this constitute more high risk and should I be more worried and tested sooner?
Also regarding my symptoms of "fever, excessive sweating, sore throat, difficulty breathing, some muscle pain and some irritation when urinating". Do you feel these are just signs of anxiety? Or related to an STD?
I truly appreciate all of your help. Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the HIV forum.
You can relax. You are reacting emotionally to a pretty low risk situation.
"...A female I met at a bar (who I believe is rather sexually active)." In the US or other industrialized countries, that describes a woman who is very unlikely to have HIV. The risk isn't zero, but the odds are strongly in your favor; probably under 1 chance in 1000 she has HIV.
"I called her and asked if she had any STDs, but she said that she was fine." Believe it or not, that's actually pretty good evidence she wasn't infected.
"Since then I have been unable to think about anything else and have all but convinced myself that I contracted HIV. I suffer from pretty bad anxiety...." AHA! Now we're getting to the main health problem in evidence in your question. My suspicion is that these feelings are not the result of the HIV risk, but the other way around -- maybe the reason you are overreacting to this event. But this isn't a counseling or psychological advice forum, so that's all I will say.
"I went and saw a doctor last week and he said based on my exposure, that my nerves were getting the best of me and that I should be fine." BINGO! I had not read this statement before I responded above -- but obviously your doctor and I agree with each other.
"Based on my limited exposure do you feel contracting HIV is a strong possibility or possible at all? Is it less likely to contract from female to male? And if so, Why?" Is it "possible" you caught HIV? Sure. It's also possible you'll be struck by lightning someday. The odds are strong that you weren't even exposed to HIV, let alone infected. When a woman has HIV, the risk of transmission for a single episode of unprotecte sex averages around once for every 2,000 exposures. The reasons? Too complex to explain (again) here. It has to do with the biology of HIV and exposure to susceptible cells in the exposed person. That's just the way it is.
As for testing, I recommend against having a PCR test. There is a small but real risk of false positive results -- and think what you would go through for several days if you have a positive result and then have to wait for the results of confirmatory testing that will show you don't have it after all. Just wait until 6 weeks have passed and have a standard HIV antibody test. If this is you only potential exposure, it will be negative. (Three months is old news. Six weeks is plenty. Use this forum's search link for lots of discussion about HIV test timing.)
Regards-- HHH, MD
You can relax. You are reacting emotionally to a pretty low risk situation.
"...A female I met at a bar (who I believe is rather sexually active)." In the US or other industrialized countries, that describes a woman who is very unlikely to have HIV. The risk isn't zero, but the odds are strongly in your favor; probably under 1 chance in 1000 she has HIV.
"I called her and asked if she had any STDs, but she said that she was fine." Believe it or not, that's actually pretty good evidence she wasn't infected.
"Since then I have been unable to think about anything else and have all but convinced myself that I contracted HIV. I suffer from pretty bad anxiety...." AHA! Now we're getting to the main health problem in evidence in your question. My suspicion is that these feelings are not the result of the HIV risk, but the other way around -- maybe the reason you are overreacting to this event. But this isn't a counseling or psychological advice forum, so that's all I will say.
"I went and saw a doctor last week and he said based on my exposure, that my nerves were getting the best of me and that I should be fine." BINGO! I had not read this statement before I responded above -- but obviously your doctor and I agree with each other.
"Based on my limited exposure do you feel contracting HIV is a strong possibility or possible at all? Is it less likely to contract from female to male? And if so, Why?" Is it "possible" you caught HIV? Sure. It's also possible you'll be struck by lightning someday. The odds are strong that you weren't even exposed to HIV, let alone infected. When a woman has HIV, the risk of transmission for a single episode of unprotecte sex averages around once for every 2,000 exposures. The reasons? Too complex to explain (again) here. It has to do with the biology of HIV and exposure to susceptible cells in the exposed person. That's just the way it is.
As for testing, I recommend against having a PCR test. There is a small but real risk of false positive results -- and think what you would go through for several days if you have a positive result and then have to wait for the results of confirmatory testing that will show you don't have it after all. Just wait until 6 weeks have passed and have a standard HIV antibody test. If this is you only potential exposure, it will be negative. (Three months is old news. Six weeks is plenty. Use this forum's search link for lots of discussion about HIV test timing.)
Regards-- HHH, MD
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