More of the same Questions!

[vb12905as]

Recently I had unprotected vaginal with a 43 year old well educated woman. She lives in the Midwest.  We started off with a condom and i was having..issues...with it so i took it off for 4-5 minutes and then put it back on.  I did ask and she said she was completely clear of all stds but she also said that that test was done in the last year so it wasn't overly recent.  At first I was completely fine with her reply then started to panic.  I asked her if she would go get tested and she agreed if i would give her money to do so...Which I was going to do but then I started to think that she was just going to keep the money and tell me she got tested negative.  So I decided I would get myself tested.

First test was at 5 days...I didnt have any idea about testing times and such I got a full panel done and tested negative for everything...It was only after I started reading a bit more that i realized how dumb this initial test was.

Test 2 at 21 days this was a full panel again and everything came back negative..This was done at my county health department through the state..Again everything came back negative (the girl drawing the blood set me into a panic when she told me some hiv facts that made no sense at all she actually said to me that it can take up to 2 years for a positive test)

Test 3 - county health department at 35 days..  It was HIv/Hep/Syph and all came back negative. I have an appointment this monday to get a rapid test this will be my 8 week and 2 day test and im feeling anxious about it.  

I havent had a fever at any point I did have a sinus infection and bronchitis around 1 week after.  Currently I have a swollen neck node on my right side and swollen underarm nodes on my right side and have been getting either sinus headaches or tension headaches.  So thats my story...Tell me what you think (ps I am aware that symptoms or lack of means nothing but I figured id throw them in there anyway)

[vb12905as]

Not that I didn't believe I was fine.. I did go get tested just now 11w 5d oraquick negative... thanks for everything Dr Hook

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Following the testing you've had and given the circumstances of your exposure, your concerns are totally unwarranted.  Beyoond that I have nothing to say beyond my earlier comments.  You need to move forward, not remain trapped in paranoid thinking.  EWH

[vb12905as]

I'm still not super comfortable. Still have underarm pain and what seems like swollen nodes in my right underarm and right side neck.  I was hoping you could throw a few more numbers at me in an effort to completely calm me down.  Thanks for all your help

[vb12905as]

DO you think people will ever catch up to testing now? Both people today said 6 months and my first tests I was told 2 years lol.  Or do they just stay super conservative to keep people safe or something?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

See, you do not have HIV.  Time for you to stop worrying and move forward.  EWH

[vb12905as]

Negative 8 week 2 day oraquick

[vb12905as]

So I've been super nervous all morning .. again the woman told me I need to test out to 6 months.. currently waiting on the oraquick... stressful lol.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Stop takling your temp.  You are outside the range for ARS.  EWH

[vb12905as]

Just to be sure from what I've read I'm outside the possible ars time (tomorrow is my 8 week day) today I got a small 2 inch diameter or so rash under my right arm it could be just irritation as it seems completely flat.  But yeah...  its too late for me to get ars stuff right.. guess I should stop taking my temp too lol.

[vb12905as]

Definitely make helpful with the numbers you say..  Ill post again after this monday.  Fingers crossed I guess.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I am confident that your test next week, which I hope will be your last, will be negative.  Your exposure was low risk.  The chance that a heterosexual 43 YO woman in the Midwest has HIV is less than 1 in 10,000.  Then, in the unlikely circumstance that she had HIV, had your exposure been totally unprotected, your risk for infection would still be only 1 in 1000 acts of intercourse. Thus, even before any testing, your risk for HIV was less than 1 in 10 million if the condom you used did not work at all. These sorts of risks are over 100 times less than your risk of getting hit by lightening, i.e. not something to spend a lot of time worrying about.  

Your negative tests to date make infection even less likely since your 35 day test would have detected over 90% of recently acquired infections.

Obviously you could be the 1 in millions but it is so unlikely that it really is not something for you to worry about.  I hope my comments will help you to note worry.  EWH