ARS Fear

Dear Doctor,

thank you very much for this forum and all the responses.
It gave me great advice and faith. Please keep on the great work.

This is my personal situation:

By nature weak immune system. catch constantly colds and flus.
Have a job where i travel constantly around the world. Have to take almost every week 1-2 flights. Therefore get ill a lot.

After an encounter I had last year with a sex worker in argentina, where i was unsure if the condom broke (i know one normally realizes but as there was no sperm but also no hole - i started worrying) i got tested after 7,5 weeks and the test was negative. I had anal sex. I had very strong symptoms for weeks and weeks, mainly all 7.5 weeks long fever, night sweat, flu etc. But the test was negative. When I received the negative test result mainly all symptoms disapeared.
So i moved on with my life, but still had fear from time to time that the test might had been too early and therefore was wrong.

I then a few months ago i started to have too strong allergic reactions, red itchy bumps to insect bites which really go away very slowly. i read that happens to people with hiv.

Mid march this year i had again a sexual encounter with a sex worker in argentina. cunnilingus vaginal and anal. received oral sex. protected vaginal sex. 3 strokes only. checked condom after was intact.
the next day i started to have a sore throat, felt like getting a cold but didnt break out.
Exactly ten days after that i got a flu. sore throat running nose.
antibiotic worked kind of and i felt better.
Now 3 weeks after encounter i still have a bit of a flu and strong pain in stomache, under rip on both sides. my englisg is too bad too describe really detailed.  Last night i had fever 38.5c which went away with paracetamol but returned this evening 38c.

What do you think is the chance of ars/hiv?
Do you recommend testing again? Not for peace of mind but due to risk you think? What is your opinion?

I really appreciate your help and support.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

From your review of the forum, you undoubtedly know intellectually (if not emotionally) that you are at zero risk of having HIV, for practical purposes.

'weak immune system. catch constantly colds and flus':  There is a basic misconception here.  People who catch frequent colds and flu have just as strong an immune systems as anybody else.  In any case, this definitely does not mean you are at increased risk of HIV infection.

'strong symptoms for weeks and weeks, mainly all 7.5 weeks long fever, night sweat, flu etc. But the test was negative.'  Of course.  Test results always are more reliable than symptoms in diagnosing HIV.


'When I received the negative test result mainly all symptoms disapeared.'  Strong evidence that your symptoms were mostly emotional.  The same thing undoubtedly applies to your current symptoms.

'cunnilingus vaginal and anal. received oral sex. protected vaginal sex. 3 strokes only.'  You could not have caught HIV from that exposure.

'the next day i started to have a sore throat, felt like getting a cold':  Cold symptoms are not the same as HIV symptoms, and HIV symptoms cannot start so quickly.

'Exactly ten days after that i got a flu. sore throat running nose. antibiotic worked kind of and i felt better. Now 3 weeks after encounter i still have a bit of a flu and strong pain in stomache, under rip on both sides. Last night i had fever 38.5c which went away with paracetamol but returned this evening 38c.'  Still none of this sounds like HIV.

'What do you think is the chance of ars/hiv?'  Zero, based both on the exposure you describe and your symptoms.

'Do you recommend testing again? Not for peace of mind but due to risk you think? What is your opinion?'  I do not recommend testing for symptoms or risk, only for peace of mind if you cannot otherwise put HIV out of your mind.  Given your sexual lifestyle, you should definitely stop your habit of getting HIV tested every time you have sex. It is unnecessary, emotionally wasteful, and stress-producing.  Just keep using condoms or limit yourself to oral sex, and you can be sure you will never catch HIV.  To be super safe, have a routine HIV test once a year.  That's all you need to do.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[ars_fear]

Thank you Doctor. I wish you a Happy Easter !!!!

http://easter-bunny-rap.funnypart.com/

[ars_fear]

Dear Doctor,

after reading my post again I want to clarify some facts which I missed out or didnt made clear.

--> I am male.

"After an encounter I had last year with a sex worker in argentina, where i was unsure if the condom broke (i know one normally realizes but as there was no sperm but also no hole - i started worrying) i got tested after 7,5 weeks and the test was negative. I had anal sex."

--> I gave a female sex worker anal sex.

"Mid march this year i had again a sexual encounter with a sex worker in argentina. cunnilingus vaginal and anal. received oral sex. protected vaginal sex. 3 strokes only. checked condom after was intact."

--> I gave cunnilingus vaginal and anal. I received oral sex.

"Given your sexual lifestyle, you should definitely stop your habit of getting HIV tested every time you have sex"

--> I just mentioned this 2 situations where I saw a risk. I had in between sex with other partners BUT I knew there negative HIV status plus condom usage - so I didnt mention them.

So if that changes your advice in any form please let me know.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

All those facts were clear in your original question and I took them into account in my reply.