HIV testing and symptoms

Hello Dr. HHH,

My experiences are as follows. sept 29 2006 I had an encounter with a woman of unknown status. Protected vaginal, unprotected oral recieving. After asking her is she was hiv positive, she said "if you got that, it was not from me" so i was worried. Then I started having strong symptoms. 25 days after i had a pimple on my penis, it was a circle of veins with an "x" in it and a pimple in the center. 6 weeks later i had a brown blotchy rash on right thigh, and a medium size blood blister on left thigh. couple months later, got a blood blister on my back. it grew on a mole with hairs in it. got a viral count feb 07, came back <400, 400 detection limit. i have blemishes in my mouth that are white lines where my teeth rest on the insides of cheeks. now have red spots on my thighs. had 4 styes, and a staph lesion on my left leg. i recently tested neg at 8 months. but my neck hurts, not so much lymph swelling, but hurting.
(1 could a plain staph infection cause this?
(2 i am concerned about kaposi sarcoma
(3 is this test conclusive, or should i test to 1 year?
(4 if i do turn positive from this exposure, should i expect to have a normal life expectancy with modern antiretrovirals? i am 24

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You describe extremely safe sex, virtually zero risk and negative test at 8 months PROVES that NONE of your symptoms can possibly be due to HIV.  See your health care provider if your symptoms continue and you are concerned about them.

No continued discussion, please.  By forum rules, I should have deleted this question without response.

HHH, MD

[mikey29]

You wasted $15.  Even the ultra-conservative CDC says a negative test at 3 months is conclusive.  So if you've tested negative at 8 months, what do you think HHH could possibly say?  Obviously your symptoms aren't related to HIV.  Furthermore, your unprotected oral experience is near zero risk.  Move on

[bigcountry]

I asked the cdc, they said if the person says "by the way, im hiv positive" then to test out to 1 year. so whats the deal with the 3 month thing, seems kinda early. especially since i have experienced a bunch of symptoms. things that have never happened to me before in my life. the blood blisters on my body really freaked me out, and now im having red spots on my thighs and feet. Concerned about kaposi sarcoma. my neck is also hurting alot.
could a staph infection cause all of this?

[sweetnss06]

Anxiety can cause imagined symptoms to manifest into real ones. And you are clearly suffering from classic HIV-anxiety. (And the "blemishes" on your cheeks are probably nothing more than trauma from biting the insides of your cheeks when chewing. I have them too). You had no risk. If you read the other questions and responses on the forum, you will see just how many times Dr. HHH has answered your question. You did indeed waste $15. The doctor will tell you that he has never seen a person who previously tested negative turn positive after 3 months, unless they had a real exposure that they didn't mention. Stop researching your symptoms on the internet - it will only make more of them appear.

PS. From what I've read, Kaposi's sarcoma lesions usually only appear once the immune system is severely compromised (as in advanced HIV infection). If you insist on doing medical research on the internet, at least make sure it's thorough.

[bigcountry]

[1]  J Immunol 1992 Dec 1;149(11):3727-34

Effects of cytokines from activated immune cells on vascular
cell growth and HIV-1 gene expression.  Implications for AIDS-
Kaposi's sarcoma pathogenesis.

Barillari G, Buonaguro L, Fiorelli V, Hoffman J, Michaels F,
Gallo RC, Ensoli B

Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) arises more frequently in homosexual and
bisexual men than in other groups of HIV-1 infected individuals.
Clinico-epidemiologic data indicate that homosexuals often are
infected with multiple microbial agents and/or subjected to
other antigenic stimuli, preceding or accompanying HIV-1
infection. Signs of immune activation, in fact, frequently have
been detected in these individuals, and the onset of KS can
precede any sign of immunodeficiency.

I just want the dr.'s opinion

[sweetnss06]

Understandable and I'm sure he'll give it to you when he gets a second. But - you did read what you copy/pasted, right? They were talking about KS showing up early in GAY/BISEXUAL men because they are exposed to other types of germs, bacteria, viruses, etc. I'm assuming from your post that you are straight.

[bigcountry]

im straight, but i did notice a rather large dark lesion on her arm

[monkeyflower]

You had protected vaginal, and unprotected receptive oral. No risk at all, even if she were HIV positive. Besides, you tested negative at EIGHT MONTHS. You most definitely do NOT have HIV, and you most definitely do NOT have kaposi's sarcoma (where would you even get that idea?). As for your CDC contact, well, maybe it was her first day, maybe you misunderstood. Who knows. But no one recommends testing out to a year.

And those lines on your cheeks? They're from clenching/grinding your teeth in your sleep (anxiety'll do that...).

[bigcountry]

where would i get that idea? having sacks filled with blood gowing on my body. and red spots on my arms, thighs, and feet.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

"...having sacks filled with blood gowing on my body. and red spots on my arms, thighs, and feet":  Where on earth did you get the idea that HIV causes such a thing?  NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE, YOUR TEST RESULTS PROVE THAT HIV IS NOT THE CAUSE.

I guess most or all these comments were posted before my reply above. But I meant what I said there:  no more comments or questions, please.  This thread is over. Take it to the HIV support forum if you want to continue getting feedback from others.  But truly, your continued focus on HIV is irrational and unnecessary.

HHH, MD

[windowperiod]

you are safe too even gave blood , I was in the same way u was and took tests out too year from event was negative that was old news beforew testing too one eyar. if u was resure goto bloodbanks and gave blood and they will tell you if you are hiv , dont say nothing about your expose long u are negative . peace roll up your sleeve and gave blood and save a life !!!