Concerned about HIV exposure

[tod00015]

Hello Doctors,
I am extremely concerned that I might have contracted HIV at a strip club.  In late August, I got a lap dance from a stripper.  During the lap dance, she reached down my pants twice and rubbed my penis directly (I am not sure if she touched herself at all.).  She also put her mouth on my pants where my penis was.

About 8 days after that happened; I started getting a low grade fever (about 100), pain in the lymph nodes in my neck, armpits, and groin and diarrhea.  These symptoms have been going on for over 3 weeks now.

Prior to this incident happening at the strip club, my urethra was irritated from another illness.  In addition, I was also diagnosed with HSV 2 earlier this year.  So, I am not sure if this information would increase the changes of me contracting HIV.

Could these symptoms be related to anything else or should I be concerned?

Thank you,
Tod

[worriedsick200]

I'm by no means a doctor but I'm sure they'll say that your symptoms not only could be related to something else, they are related to something else. The exposure you describe carries no risk.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You were given accurate responses over the past 2 days on the HIV community forum.  You cannot catch HIV from the events you describe, regardless of your genital herpes.  Assuming you have had no other HIV exposures, something else is causing your symptoms.  There are large numbers of other, non-serious infections that could cause the same symptoms -- and all those causes are much more common than HIV.  See a health care provider if your symptoms continue or you remain concerned, but you have no worries about HIV from the lap dance.  You don't need HIV testing on account of that event.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD