Symptoms a couple of weeks after encounter with CSW - Possible ARS??

[Svenb]

In May this year I had sex with two CSW:s in the Czech Republic. Regarding the first one, an ukranian girl, I know the condom was on during the whole act. Both oral and vaginal.

The second one, a girl from Ghana, I'm almost positive the condom was on at all times, but not 100% sure there wasn't any condom breakage or so since I was pretty drunk. We talked a bit during our time together (about 1.5hrs) and at one occasion she voiced concern and was a bit upset that some of the girls in the establishment didn't always use protection. I took this as a good sign since she was apparently more aware of the risks than some of her colleagues.

Didn't think more of it until a couple of weeks ago when I got some symptoms and saw that some of them could be attributet to ARS. Then I started to freak. Considering my activities above and my symptoms below, could any be ARS-related?

- 2 weeks and 1 day: Sore throat for 3-4 days + muscle pain in my calves for 2-3 days. Keep telling myself this could be attributet to a lot of smoking (not a smoker) and lots of dancing (don't usually dance) one day before the symptoms showed up.

- About 3.5 weeks. An itchy rash under my right sole only. A couple of days later I check my right sole and see two smallish red spots that later becomes 4 in the same area. After about a week the itch disappear and the red spots started to fade away. I also had an oral ulcer this period.

- Five weeks and 1 day. Sore throat, runny nose and chestpain when coughing, going on third day today. Almost like a bronchitis. No fever, at least not high or over 100F.

I will get tested but I find the 3 month wait so long, especially since I'm thinking of this all the time and get worried.

I know ARS-symptoms doesn't come and go like above but could any of the three descriptions, individually, be attributed to ARS ?.



A worried swedish guy !

[boondock]

always wear protection.

[Svenb]

Thank you for the time responding nursegirl6572. I appreciate it and feel a bit calmer after reading your reply.

I will do the testing to get a peace of mind at 6 and 12 weeks. Should I refrain from sex during this time?. The reason I'm asking is I've already declined once for fear of possibly putting someone else at risk, even if I always use condoms (they do break sometimes after all).

Anyway, I feel a bit better now after your explanation.

[nursegirl6572]

You can call yourself  "safe swedish guy"...you have nothing to worry about.  First....the chances that the CSW even HAD HIV are pretty low...especially considering the conversation you had with her.  Remember, that even with their risky profession...most of these CSW's are very conscious about protecting themselves, the last thing they want is to become infected.

Secondly...you wouldn't have a doubt if the condom broke.  When they break...they do so catastrophically....no in some kind of vague way.  You're either left with a hula hoop-like fragment of the condom around the base of your penis...or a condom that looks like a peeled banana skin...leaving your penis wide open/exposed in either case.  You BOTH would have known if the condom broke.  No doubts.

Therefore...safe sex is just that....SAFE.  So, you had no risk for HIV.  

All of that being said...if you HAD a risk (which you didn't)...your symptoms are NOT consistent with a TRUE ARS.  Almost EVERY case of ARS is accompanied by a very significant fever (over 101)...something you wouldn't question.  You'd be down and out in bed if you had ARS....it isn't fleeting occasional random symptoms that come and go like you described.

You don't require testing...if you are having trouble moving on...and want peace of mind...then you can test (simple antibody test) at 8-12 weeks post the exposure.

It would be negative.