HIV symptoms and Testing

HI Doctors,
I'm a female and I engaged in unprotected sex with someone I thought I could trust. But, he prooved to be untrusfull. The first time we had unprotected sex was just over two months ago and the last time just over 3 weeks ago. Two weeks ago I got tested for all STD'd and the results wer negative, except for herpes 1. However I am experiencing some strange symptoms which I am aftraid are HIV related. I have swollen lymph nodes in all areas neck, groin, and arm pits and I have a sore throat, and my tongue is white with blister like pink raised spots in the back of the tongue. Are those HIV symptoms? I am so scared so I am constantly shaking and worried. I have had these symptoms for two weeks now but never once did I have a fever. Please help, and is it too early to take another HIV test?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

It would be helpful to know more about what 'untrustful' means.  If the guy just has other female partners, i.e. not gay/bi, and is not an equipment-sharing injection drug user, and not someone from sub-Saharan Africa or some other place with particularly high rates of HIV, then your risk for HIV was minimal to zer.  If those things apply, then your risk is higher.  But even if he has HIV, the male to female risk of transmission for any single episode of vaginal sex averages about 1 in 1,000.

And as I have pointed out many times on this forum, symptoms never are a valid indicator of new HIV infection, because so many other things--all of them much more common than HIV--cause identical symptoms.  Also, lack of fever is strong evidence against ARS, and some of your symptoms clealry are meaningless.  For example, everybody has a row of 7-9 prominent specialized taste buds across the back of the tongue, in a row shaped like a shallow V. Each of them is pink and about 2-3 mm (up to 1/8 inch) in diameter.  White tongue is meaningless, happens with hundreds of minor infections.  And I don't accept that your lymph nodes are enlarged unless you are a health professional or have seen one; a lay person's self assessment of inflamed lymph nodes is highly unreliable.

If your symptoms persist or you otherwise remain concerned, of course see your health care provider and follow his/her advice.  But the chance of HIV seems very slim.  I don't think you have any worries.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[tenisholka]

First off thank you for taking the time to answer.. What I meant abotu untrustfullness, is that I asked and talked to him about STD's before we decided to have unprotected sex. He said he was fine, however I found out from his ex female partner that she has Herpes and they use to have unprotected sex. Thus, I felt like he should have mentioned that to me and he didn't.. That is why I feel that I cannot trust him. Our location is in Florida not in African and his heritage is European and he spends about a month there every year. He is not a drug user and is very sport oriented. I also know that he was tested for HIV four years ago and was negative. For other reasons I had to be tested for HIV and TB in December and I was negative, and he is the second man I have slept with (unprotected) and at all in the last 10 years. As I mentioned we had unprtected sex for almost two months, with the last time being over three weeks ago. As I also mentioned I was tested for all STD's two weeks ago and all negative except Herpes 1. How long should I wait to re-test?  Thank you so much for the inforamtion...

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I don't recommend any further testing for anything. But if you remain nervous about HIV despite the extremely low risk, have an HIV test 6 weeks after your last sex with him.

[tenisholka]

Thank you for the advice.. I will try to stay strong and hold out until 6 weeks after last time to get re-tested..However, if my actual symptoms don't get better I will go to the regular doc to see if I need any medication or if it just a virus.

Thank you once again..

[tenisholka]

Dr. HHH,
I had one more question. What does the acute HIV rash symptom look like and where is it located? I have developed some red little spots with little dark centers on my back. Do i need to be worried?
Please help....I was feeling better after your earlier messages up until this..

Thank you in advance..

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

The rash of ARS is body wide, often measles-like.  And it never occurs without fever.  A few spots on your back cannot be HIV; your description sounds like blackheads and acne.  I cannot stress too strongly:  Since your risk of sexual exposure was zero or close to it, any symptoms you may have simply cannot be due to HIV.  Period.

If you're going to worry about HIV in this circumstance, I have to assume you don't go out of hte house, don't drive, don't cross streets, and don't take commercial flights.  All those carry greater risks of killing you tomorrow than the chance you caught HIV.

All is well.

[tenisholka]

Dr.HHH,
Once again thanks for the resuring comments. I have still had absolutly no fever, and I do not have a rash as you describe. Thus, I will continue to live life normal and get re-tested in a few weeks.
Thank you again.

[tenisholka]

Dr. HHH,
I no longer have HIV fears, however I will get tested in a few months.
Nevertheless, my symptoms of swollen and tender lymphnodes continue in all areas. As well my tongue continues to be very white, as well the throat pain comes and goes. No fever..
Could you please refer me to a different forum where I might ask a specialist in that area.

Thank you in advance.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Med Help has a "symptoms" forum, but it is not professionally moderated.  I strongly suggest you not seek any further information on line.  You will only be unnecessarily frightened when you start to see people's comments about everything from cancer to tuberculosis to strep infections (and still more nonsense about HIV despite your negative test results and low risk).  The fact is that most people with your symptoms have nothing serious.  You probably don't even have enlarged lymph nodes; in my experience, medically untrained people are horrible at accurately judging their own nodes.  The ONLY way to know is to see a health care provider.  You will only waste your time and energy on MedHelp or any other online source.

I won't have any further responses.  This thread is over.  Good luck.

[tenisholka]

Dr.HHH,
Thank for all the advise and information..