Could It Be???? AIDS

[been_there123]

Friends,

I has an encounter with a girl, she should be safe to the best of my knowledge. However there are a few unknows.

On the 12th of February I received a quick oral tease, lasted maybe a few seconds. After a night out and a few drinks, we came back to my place and we had sex, with a condom. Well no worries there right? Well on the 22nd of February I developed a dull ache in my right tactical. My friend same girl was there and she thought I just needed to release so oral sex again. Well I saw the doctor the same day and he physically checked me down there. All seemed fine. Fast-forward to the 11 of March, I noticed a small white blister on the back of my throat. I went to the doctor and he did a swab. The doctor said it is a viral infection. As he can’t give anything for it he sent me on my way. My throat turned all red everywhere, and I was feeling pains all over my body. I read this can happen with a lot of Viruses, but I am focused on HIV. Well I got tested on the 15th of February for all STDs. The HIV was a Combi test P24 + AB ELISA. All was Negative. It is now the 23th and my throat still looks pretty red, and I am running hot to the touch. I feel like I am starting to have Night Sweats, however all symptoms are very mild. CBC has been done and all is normal. Lymphocytes levels are normal. What is happening to me, and why can I not recover from this red throat aka Phayrngitis.

I have a strong immune system. No sickness in 2 years.

Timeline
Feb 11  Received Oral sex
Feb 12  Protected Sex
Feb  22 Dull ache Right Testy + Oral Sex again
Mar  8 feeling pains in other parts of the body
Mar  11 Spot on Throat
Mar  15 STDs Negative (21 days from last exposure)
Mar  22 CBC all Normal Urine Normal, No VD (HIV not tested)
Mar  30 More HIV testing to come.

In your Opinion how dose my risk look.

Thank you for your time.

[Teak]

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[Draines]

I sympathize tremendously with your anxiety -- I feel the same way myself after unprotected oral sex and brief penis-vaginal contact, in my case with a prostitute. So I'm in worse shape than you. But I think you have to accept what people are saying, and separate your very real and understandable fear from what is medically likely or unlikely. In some very technical sense you may be right -- anything is theoretically possible. But when you look at the probabilities you are in very good shape. Extremely good shape. From what I've read there are virtually no documented cases of transmission via either of the routes you describe.

So, again, try to accept the fear for what it is, a real and scary thing, but not necessarily rational.

I'm there with you, trying to cope with my own exposure, and only on day two. Also very, very scared.

Take care

[been_there123]

I think I am getting worse.

Last few days, I have been waking up hot a sweaty feeling fatigued.
Sore throat with no pain still there. Lost 10 pounds. Feeling depressed and anxious.
I am burning up hot all day long.  

First it started with my lymph nodes and moved all over my lymph system. Strange Sore Throat showed up at 3 weeks after my contact with this girl. I can't explain any of this, my health normally is like that of an athlete. Please help me figure out what I am feeling, it can’t all be anxiety...

I think I need help. I am not in the states. I starting to question the accuracy of the tests. I am convinced that I have HIV. I have never felt like this in my life.

First test was at 3 to 4 weeks negative, I am now at the 5 to 6 week period. I am testing again on the 30th. I fear the worst....

[been_there123]

all

From what everyone is saying.... I, and others in my situation, should have nothing to worry about. I feel really awful about this whole thing. Nervous, Anxious, Scared... Real fear. Yet it’s not the worst kind of disease that can happen to a person. Cancer is a terminal illness, that you can get from just living. People with HIV can live long healthy lives. Why is it so scary to think about HIV? I wish no one would have to go through this. I wish that there was a cure. We have to conquer this Virus. We just have to. I want to help. I am scared for myself and at the same time I feel for each and every one of us on here. We have to pull together as people to come up with new ideas and new ways to fight this. I mean everything from stigma to the Virus itself.

I hope my post is helpful to someone. Have a concern POST IT, It helps really if you need to chat about things. We all need each other and I am thankful to have people like Teak and Vance. You guys make a difference, you are helping countless others. Early heart attack may be averted thanks to you. I thank you for your support and everything.

I am still going to flip out for a while. I just need more tests to say what I don’t know for sure.

[Teak]

You had no exposure.

[been_there123]

just a thought here. About my protected sex I had. There was a small abrasion at the base of my penis at the time. I think it was from a scratch or something. If vaginal fluids got on that, is there 'risk in this situation?

[Teak]

No incident HIV infections among MSM who practice exclusively oral sex.
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WePpC2072)??Balls JE, Evans JL, Dilley J, Osmond D, Shiboski S, Shiboski C, Klausner J, McFarland W, Greenspan D, Page-Shafer K?University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States

Oral transmission of HIV, reality or fiction? An update
J Campo1, MA Perea1, J del Romero2, J Cano1, V Hernando2, A Bascones1
Oral Diseases (2006) 12, 219–228

AIDS: Volume 16(17) 22 November 2002 pp 2350-2352
Risk of HIV infection attributable to oral sex among men who have sex with men and in the population of men who have sex with men

Page-Shafer, Kimberlya,b; Shiboski, Caroline Hb; Osmond, Dennis Hc; Dilley, Jamesd; McFarland, Willie; Shiboski, Steve Cc; Klausner, Jeffrey De; Balls, Joycea; Greenspan, Deborahb; Greenspan
Page-Shafer K, Veugelers PJ, Moss AR, Strathdee S, Kaldor JM, van Griensven GJ. Sexual risk behavior and risk factors for HIV-1 seroconversion in homosexual men participating in the Tricontinental Seroconverter Study, 1982-1994 [published erratum appears in Am J Epidemiol 1997 15 Dec; 146(12):1076]. Am J Epidemiol 1997, 146:531-542.

Studies which show the fallacy of relying on anecdotal evidence as opposed to carefully controlled study insofar as HIV transmission risk is concerned:

Jenicek M. "Clinical Case Reporting" in Evidence-Based Medicine. Oxford: Butterworth–Heinemann; 1999:117
Saltzman SP, Stoddard AM, McCusker J, Moon MW, Mayer KH. Reliability of self-reported sexual behavior risk factors for HIV infection in homosexual men. Public Health Rep. 1987 102(6):692–697.Nov–Dec;

Catania JA, Gibson DR, Chitwood DD, Coates TJ. Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychol Bull. 1990 Nov;108(3):339–362.

There is no debate (among experts) about the HIV risks associated with oral sex. The risk is so low that almost nobody who cares for HIV infected patients has ever had a patient believed to have been infected that way. Among experts, it's a semantic issue about using terms like "no risk" and "very low risk". There is no difference between my or Dr. Hook's use of "low risk" and other experts' "no risk".
DR. HANSFIELD

"And oral sex is basically safe sex -- completely safe with respect to HIV and although not zero risk for other STDs, the chance of infection is far lower than for unprotected vaginal or anal sex. Please educate yourself about the real risks. If you stick with oral sex and condom-protected vaginal or anal sex, you have no HIV worries and very little worry about other STDs. " DR HANSFIELD

"I am sure you can find lots of people who belive that HIV is transmitted by oral sex, but you will not find scientific data to support this unrealistic concern..." DR HOOK

"HIV is not spread by touching, masturbation, oral sex or condom protected sex."- DR. HOOK

in the public HIV Prevention forum of MedHelp, TEAK and the other moderators maintain that oral sex in all forms is a zero risk activity. Would you agree with this assessment?
I TOTALLY AGREE / DR GARCIA

"The observation on thousands and thousands of observations is that HIV is not spread by oral sex (of any sort)." DR HOOK

[Vance2335]

We are all for helping people out, but with all of the posts we get daily it is often difficult trying to explain every little bit of info we can and trying to make people believe what we are saying if they have doubt because if we did then maybe only 1/2 the questions would get answered.

There have been several studies done that have shown that oral sex is not a risk. And if protected sex was any kind of risk people would not be having random sex using condoms and condom companies would not even exist.

[been_there123]

Don't get me wrong here. I came here for help and to talk to people about something that is hard to talk about in the open with friends and family. Your time you take to reply is much appriciated and everything helps.

Vance I was not trying to start any arguments with science. I am a firm believer in proof and tested truths. Thank you for your replies. Really I was only looking to strike up some conversation about my situation.

Ricky The point is to help people and there are reasons to establish 'risk'. I agree with the comments you make here. I don't have the background or the time invested with risk factors and people that have experienced this.

I thank both of you for your time. I feel a little more at ease. I still have a strong sense there is something wrong going on inside me. I am infected with something. HIV maybe not but as all other STDs are ruled out im just not convinced yet. I just hope I was not to early on my HIV test. 3 - 4 weeks should be enough with P24 + ELISA AB. so everyone says. there is great info on this site and it all is helpful. I only hope is that I can get the test back Negative conclussive at 3 months. I also hope that when my mind is clear, I can help some one on this site as you all help me now.

[ricky_id]

If every 'risk' is perceived that way without exceptions then there's no point of us being here to help people understand which is risk and which is not. I'm fully for Vance2335's words and you'll expect no much difference than those provided by the docs.

[Vance2335]

How are we supposed to change your mind? You believe there is a risk and when I have run into people who have that belief nothing we say changes what they think. So is it not just a waste of our time trying to convince you of science and studies have said? 2 of the best in the HIV field are on this site and they agree with this forum.

[been_there123]

I have seen this type of reply all over the site. I don't have the confidence to say there is 100% no risk or never a risk. I know we might beat this to death as there is no real evidence to back this up. However I think there is a risk, and my fear is that I might be that fraction of a percent that contracted HIV in this way. Can you further your statement of no risk given the information above. I mean if there were cuts in her mouth and my penis touched an open mouth sore, would that not be cause for concern?

I know I know. What ifs and all

[ricky_id]

Oral sex and protected penetrative sex never pose HIV risk.

[been_there123]

Also the Symptoms I am having are still in effect today. Going on 12 days now.

[been_there123]

Ok. Well as you know people have an over inflated fear of HIV. I made the worst mistake ever and tried to Google everything I could find about my symptoms. Well I gave myself the worst anxiety attack of my life.  I am new on this site. I am new to the feelings I am having. The doctors cannot find anything wrong with me but I have symptoms of something I cannot explain or ever encountered in my life time. I do have the fear and I need to find others who have been worried. That’s why I joined and shared my experience.

All these things I am feeling have popped up at one point in time during my HIV symptoms research. I know I maybe a hypochondriac of sorts, but I guess this is what I am asking.

Symptoms, can they be mild? Or for those 30 to 50% who actually have a HIV Acute Infection, have very bad to horrible Symptoms? Or can it even be gauged? I think for some this could help. I think a lot of people including myself, who is not a doctor or plays one on TV, would like to know how gauge the severity of an Acute HIV infection. This is the one thing i could not find anywhere.

Forgive me for lack of knowledge but I am worried about this type of infection. The girl I was with could be considered high risk. As a matter of fact I have reason to believe she may have been recently infected with HIV and possibly bad oral hygiene. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. And thanks again, every little bit helps ease the anxiety.

[Vance2335]

I understand what you told me and none of those symptoms have anything to do with HIV.

[been_there123]

I am trying to think of this as just a normal cold, however this is what i am feeling

1, from the 11th until the 15th my body pains seemed to be coming from my lymph nodes
2, Pharyngitis
3, loss of appetite
4, hot to the touch
5, low grad fever 99
7, loss of weight 8 pounds
8, sweating at night, not drenched, mild

[Vance2335]

Follow up with your Dr, these symptoms have nothing to do with HIV and you never had a risk for HIV.

[been_there123]

sorry about the typos, and the HIV test was March 15th.