Exposure risk and symptoms

Hello dr .  I had sex with asian csw 3 and a half weeks ago. I had on a condom. It didnt look like it broke when i finished. The first week i had headache but they would come and go. On the 8 the day felt sick but only for that day. No fever. Now for about 4 days (3weeks after) i hbe headache but it comes and goes. I measure for fever. Highest is 98.5

1. What is my risk to te exposure i had?
2. What are common ars symptoms that you have seen? Can ars be only headache? Or is it mutliple symtpoms?  Is fever always present and does fever last for several days or does it occur one day and not the other?  If you have ars is it severe, will it require a person to go to doctor?
3. Can i test at 4 weeks?
4. Can anxiety cause these kinds of symptoms?  

I appreciate your help. Thank you

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum. the exposure you describe is, as you have already heard on the HIV Prevention Community, no risk. Condom protected sex is safe sex and you used a condom which did not break (when condoms fail, there is no doubt that they have failed- they break wide open).  Further the symptoms that you describe do not suggest the ARS. The ARS is not subtle- it involves high fevers, chills, muscle aches and a rash.  You did not have this. A headache which comes and goes is not the ARS.

So, in answer to your specific questions:

1.  Zero risk.
2.  See above. the ARS symptoms all come on at once.
3.  You can test whenever you want. The test results will be negative.  A standard HIV antibody test at 4 weeks would detect about 90% of HIV infections acquired 4 weeks earlier.  
4. yes, anxiety could certainly cause the symptoms you suggest.

I hope this is helpful.  Take care. EWH