shingles and test results

[hypo287]

dr.. in late august i had protected sex w/ a sex worker.. she put the condom on.. didnt see her take out of wrapper.. afterward i finished  she took condom off and masturbated me manually..  within weeks after i had symptoms like aches/burning tingling in muscles.. etc.. took and hiv test 13.5 weeks post exposure.. elisa blood test.. came back negative.. now at 6 months post exposure.. i have come down w/ the shingles... totally freaking out all over again.. could this be related? i keep reading that shingles can be due to weak immune system.. also stress can cause it which i sure have been stressin over hiv lately.. is my negative test at 13.5 weeks conclusive and can i look at this shingles as something totally different? thanks.. please respnd as im freakin out.. thank you..

[hypo287]

thanks for all of your help doc .. being the loony that i am i got another test done yesterday (24.5 weeks post exposure) and it was negative.. i guess all of us worried wells should just listen you guys the entire time.

[hypo287]

thx doctor.. i guess it is just the timing of the shingles in relation to my massage encounter that got my mind going.. thx for your help

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

See point 7 in my reply above.  Did you think I might have changed my mind already?

;-)

[hypo287]

so dr .. you are saying that my 13 week test is definitive? no matter what symptoms i have now.. thank you ...

[hypo287]

thank you doctor.. my mind has been messing with me.. appreciate your guidance.. i guess the 13 week test sums it up..

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Let's analyze the reasons you cannot have HIV.  1) Iterms of the sexual exposure, the fact that a condom was used, and that it remained intact, is all that matters.  How it was taken out of the package, how it was removed after sex, and that sort of stuff makes no difference.  2) Contrary to popular assumptions, in the US HIV infection is rare in most commercial sex workers.  3) No symptoms reliably indicate new HIV infection, because the same symptoms are much more commonly caused by other things that are far more common than HIV.  4) Your symptoms don't sound like HIV anyway.  6)  Shingles is not a sign of HIV in people who aren't otherwise at risk.  (I had it myself a couple of years ago.)  Finally 7) it is not possible to have HIV and have a negative antibody test 13 weeks later.

You have no HIV worries, assuming no other exposures than the one you describe.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD