Aa
HIV EXPOSURE
Hello
Here is my story:
I'm a gay man and I met a guy on 23rd of March. We deeply kissed each other using our tongues. Condomless oral sex also took place (I sucked his penis intensively despite having a thrush in my mouth). We rubbed our dicks together. Finally I put my finger into his anus and played with his hole. He didn't ejaculate at all. I masturbated and ejaculated on the floor. After that he disclosed to me that he is HIV positive.
I was really afraid hearing that. On 25rd of March I went to an emergency clinic and took PEP exactly 42 hours after the incident. I also tested the same day for HIV which came back negative.
But the same day that I began PEP I developed fever (38.5 C), I had night sweats and my tonsils get enlarged and full of pus. I visited the doctor again on 26th of March and he put me on antibiotics (doxycycline for 7 days). All these seven days I had low grade fever (till 37.5 C), night sweats were insisting and my tonsils were still enlarged. I'm afraid that I'm seroconverted but the doctor said that perhaps something else bothers me. He ran a throat culture which revealed a severe streptococcal infection. He put on a new round of antibiotics (amoxillin for 10 days) since streptococcus was not sensitive to the previous antibiotics (doxycycline). My tonsils seems better day by day but night sweats are insisting. I'm waking up in the middle of the night and my pillow and my clothes are all wet.
Could all these be early symptoms of HIV infection? Could I have already seroconverted despite taking PEP? Did I begin PEP too late? What's the rate of PEP failure?
Here is my story:
I'm a gay man and I met a guy on 23rd of March. We deeply kissed each other using our tongues. Condomless oral sex also took place (I sucked his penis intensively despite having a thrush in my mouth). We rubbed our dicks together. Finally I put my finger into his anus and played with his hole. He didn't ejaculate at all. I masturbated and ejaculated on the floor. After that he disclosed to me that he is HIV positive.
I was really afraid hearing that. On 25rd of March I went to an emergency clinic and took PEP exactly 42 hours after the incident. I also tested the same day for HIV which came back negative.
But the same day that I began PEP I developed fever (38.5 C), I had night sweats and my tonsils get enlarged and full of pus. I visited the doctor again on 26th of March and he put me on antibiotics (doxycycline for 7 days). All these seven days I had low grade fever (till 37.5 C), night sweats were insisting and my tonsils were still enlarged. I'm afraid that I'm seroconverted but the doctor said that perhaps something else bothers me. He ran a throat culture which revealed a severe streptococcal infection. He put on a new round of antibiotics (amoxillin for 10 days) since streptococcus was not sensitive to the previous antibiotics (doxycycline). My tonsils seems better day by day but night sweats are insisting. I'm waking up in the middle of the night and my pillow and my clothes are all wet.
Could all these be early symptoms of HIV infection? Could I have already seroconverted despite taking PEP? Did I begin PEP too late? What's the rate of PEP failure?
COMMUNITY LEADER
The only risks for HIV in adults are:
1) Having unprotected anal or vaginal sex, or
2) sharing intravenous needles with IV drug users.
You really didn't have a risk, so I am not sure why you are taking PEP. There are no exact statistics for PEP efficacy, but it's estimated at 80-90% effective - it's highest when taken every day for 28 days, and started within 72 hours of an event.
Your medical symptoms have nothing to do with HIV. You would NEVER get symptoms that soon. It's just not possible.
Again, you didn't have a realistic risk for HIV.
1) Having unprotected anal or vaginal sex, or
2) sharing intravenous needles with IV drug users.
You really didn't have a risk, so I am not sure why you are taking PEP. There are no exact statistics for PEP efficacy, but it's estimated at 80-90% effective - it's highest when taken every day for 28 days, and started within 72 hours of an event.
Your medical symptoms have nothing to do with HIV. You would NEVER get symptoms that soon. It's just not possible.
Again, you didn't have a realistic risk for HIV.
11 Comments
Thanks for your immediate response.
Since I ' ve already catch a streptococcal infection through this incident, I would like to ask if this would make easier a possible transmission of HIV?
I would also like to ask if PEP can have side effects like night sweats?
Since I ' ve already catch a streptococcal infection through this incident, I would like to ask if this would make easier a possible transmission of HIV?
I would also like to ask if PEP can have side effects like night sweats?
1) No
2) Ask the doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects. You should also be able to look them up by Googling. Anxiety can certainly cause night sweats.
2) Ask the doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects. You should also be able to look them up by Googling. Anxiety can certainly cause night sweats.
Since you had zero risk, your illness has no effect on the zero risk. It will always be zero. You had a non-event but have imagined it differently, and so far won't give up your incorrect idea.
The doc probably gave you PEP to get you out of his office. The possibility of a fever should be expected when you don't wear a mask and catch a respiratory illness (or whatever you caught) from someone else.
You should stop taking PEP now, and move on back to your normal life, instead of living with anxiety that taking PEP has a purpose.
The doc probably gave you PEP to get you out of his office. The possibility of a fever should be expected when you don't wear a mask and catch a respiratory illness (or whatever you caught) from someone else.
You should stop taking PEP now, and move on back to your normal life, instead of living with anxiety that taking PEP has a purpose.
Thanks for your response.
The truth is that I'm totally freaked out from this incident. I wish nobody pass through what I'm passing now. It was the first time in my life that a guy with whom I had involved in sexual acts told me that he is HIV positive. I know that HIV can't transmit from deep kissing, touching or fingering. I also know that the risk from oral sex is low but I' ve read that is not zero at all. I had a thrush in my mouth when I perform oral sex to that guy. And I'm constantly thinking what if something had happened from that? I'm having symptoms since then and they are not in my mind. The fever was real. The night sweats are real. The tonsillitis is real. The throat culture results are real. Of course, all these are probably related to streptococcal infection but I can't stop thinking that I had an incident with an HIV positive guy.
The truth is that I'm totally freaked out from this incident. I wish nobody pass through what I'm passing now. It was the first time in my life that a guy with whom I had involved in sexual acts told me that he is HIV positive. I know that HIV can't transmit from deep kissing, touching or fingering. I also know that the risk from oral sex is low but I' ve read that is not zero at all. I had a thrush in my mouth when I perform oral sex to that guy. And I'm constantly thinking what if something had happened from that? I'm having symptoms since then and they are not in my mind. The fever was real. The night sweats are real. The tonsillitis is real. The throat culture results are real. Of course, all these are probably related to streptococcal infection but I can't stop thinking that I had an incident with an HIV positive guy.
No it is zero. No one in 40 years of hiv history got hiv from oral, so you read about someone's theory that you can get hiv from oral - how useless is that? 7 people in the US get the plague every year - last one died and previous got it from his cat yet you don't fear cats giving you plague. Your fixation about getting a disease from oral that no one got in history make no sense when you ignore real diseases like plague - and whatever else you can get from not wearing a mask full time and living in a bubble the rest of your time.
Your sweats, tonsillitis, etc. prove NOTHING about hiv diagnosis. Your illogical attempt to prove you got special cases of sweats and tonsillitis (Apparently you think you have a different strain of them than what the millions of OTHER NEGATIVE people just like you who got them) is not convincing to anyone who thinks logically.
Your sweats, tonsillitis, etc. prove NOTHING about hiv diagnosis. Your illogical attempt to prove you got special cases of sweats and tonsillitis (Apparently you think you have a different strain of them than what the millions of OTHER NEGATIVE people just like you who got them) is not convincing to anyone who thinks logically.
It's been 23 days after the event. My tonsillitis seems to get better on antibiotics. But all of sudden many cherry angiomas have appeared on my torso, back and hands. Could these cherry angiomas have any relation with HIV? After how many days is an HIV test conclusive? My PEP ends next week.
Have you even read the responses we have posted? You are now wasting our time. You didn't have a risk for HIV, as we have told you - so, none of your medical issues are related to HIV and any test you take at any time will be negative.
You don't have hiv but perhaps there's a mental disorder that a therapist can help with.
If oral sex is risk free concerning HIV transmission, then why some guidelines recommend PEP in case of oral sex when an HIV positive partner ejaculates into the mouth of an HIV negative partner? Maybe, under specific circumstances, oral sex has indeed a realistic risk for HIV transmission? Sorry for being so persistent about this matter, but I feel terrible after what had happened to me and I really afraid for HIV transmission, since the guy in my case was definitely HIV positive.
Reread, because you must have a problem remembering> "No one in 40 years of hiv history got hiv from oral, so you read about someone's theory that you can get hiv from oral - how useless is that? "
If you are afraid, you can always test for peace of mind. No one here can stop you from doing that.
Our members can't tell you why people on a different site say something different, and the answers here won't change regardless of how persistent or afraid you are.
*********** THREAD CLOSED ************
Our members can't tell you why people on a different site say something different, and the answers here won't change regardless of how persistent or afraid you are.
*********** THREAD CLOSED ************
This discussion was closed by the MedHelp Community Moderation team. If you have any questions please
contact us.
You are reading content posted in the HIV Prevention Community
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
