High risk exposure.-unprotected/ All ARS symptoms =(

I'm such an idiot for doing this! I just became sexually active this year and I think I just messed my life up.  Earlier this year, I met a guy online. We both assured that we were both negative, he had been tested like 2 and a half weeks before we met (or so he said so). So we had unprotected sex. I tried to bottom twice but quit shortly after because it hurt, so I have mainly been the top. We have met 3 times since then, and nine encounters. He says that he gets tested every 3 months and that I was his only partner since. Well since the last time we met around memorial day, I got sick at one point. It started with a bad headache about 2 weeks and three days after our last encounter. This MAY be because I was on my laptop in complete darkness for like 3 weeks in a row as I did otice my head hurting when i stare at my laptop in the dark for that long. But it also could have been sinuses, because when i laid down or bent over my head would fill more "full". Well anyway that headache kept coming and going, but not as bad as it was when it first came. Then about 6 days later, around the 20th, I noticed that it started to notice very light pain when i swallowed. The pain got worse as the days went by, but only when i swallowed. My throat did not hurt when I was NOT swallowing. It eventually got so painful to swallow that i went to the doctor. He took my temperature and I had a 102 degree temp! At this time, my head was not hurting anymore though. He said based on symptoms it was either a sinus infection, or strep. He said he was goind to treat it like strep. He gave me a shot that made me dizzy for a moment, supposeldy to take the fever down or something (i dont remember the exact reason). He also gave me an antibiotic, prescription strenght ibuprofen, and a nasal spray. I took all the medicines and went home and went to bed. The next day I felt ALOT better, and then that Friday (2 days after the doctors' visit) I felt completely better. I HAVE been to the doctor due to sore throat when swallowing before two times, and do suffer from allergies.  However, about 2 to 3 weeks later, I started getting this rash on my lower-right stomach. It was small red bumps that were really itchy. Around the 1st, I was walking through some wierd smelling bushes that had these oily seeds brushing off on me. that's where i think i may have got the rash from. But this was almost two weeks before the rash appeared. Can poison ivy be delayed that long? The rash appeared around the 14th and has almost completely dissappeared by now.
I know I have done high risk activites and I really regret it. What makes it worst is that I didnt enjoy any of it (i was bi-curious and stupid, but now i regret doing it all) but this is another subject not appropiate for this forum i guess. After this, I dont think I'll ever have sex again. I keep praying for a negative result, I hate myself for doing this to myself. I cant even think straight at this pint. I dont see how I could have been so dumb. If my family finds out about his then I'm afraid they'd disown me. I cant believe I let this happen to myself. But I guess I'll get to the point:

My symptoms were:
Headache- 2 weeks after exposure that came and went, lasted about 2 or 3 days (6/14-17ish)
Sore throat w/ post nasal drip and swollen lymph nodes-roughly 3 weeks after exposure (6/20-23)
Fever- 3 weeks after exposure , lasted about a day(6-23)
Rash- about 6 weeks after exposure (around july 15)

I know you guys say symptoms mean very little but I am freaking out. Been crying and praying and everything to the point where i am dizzy at times.

1. Most of these symptoms occurred at somewhat different times. I have seen that these symptoms usually come at one time in most people. Can they also come sequentially also?

2. Could that rash had been poison ivy or an ARS rash?

3. Can an ARS rash occur that late?

He states over and over that he is clean and that i am freaking out over nothing. But he seems to answer questions about his sexual life very vaguely, and he is always adding "questionable" friends on facebook considering he is not out (neither am i). After this though, I think I am just  completely going to drop this lifestyle, it's not worth it. I hope this is a false alarm and that I dont have hiv. I am also worried about other STds.

And yes, i have already taken the hiv blood test at 9 weeks and two days. I am awaiting the results sometime early this week. I have learned my lesson and I will NEVER have unprotected sex again. I never knew things like this could be so stressful!

[NeuroticShadow]

I also forgot to mention that I had this ringworm on the back of my neck that went away on it's own (or so I thought), and now I can see that it's itching and starting to show up again, but not in a full circle though. Is this a side affect of ARS? Because of my supressed immune system because of the infection or something? Or was it because of my scratching it? This has occured recently since the beginning of August btw.

[avonelle38]

Hey there- such a long post! I am sorry you are so worried about your incidents. I know how scary this can be. First off, take a deep breath. Most people will not lie about their statuses if directly asked, and especially in your case when you have been so worried about it and the guy knows this. The chances he has HIV seem to be very low.

However, you did place yourself at risk, as you are aware of. Truly, your symptoms do not mean anything. I know this is a hard thing to accept, but the ONLY way to know your status is to test. Your symptoms do not sound indicative of ARS anyway. It was probably the common flu or cold. Try not to focus and dwell on these symptoms as you will only drive yourself crazy with worry.

Your test result for your 9+ weeks test will be VERY accurate. If negative, when you go to get your 3 month conclusive test, you can pretty much expect a negative result. The doctors on the expert forum both agree that a negative test at 9 weeks is "proof positive" you were not infected. But, the window period is still 3 months according to the CDC and so you need to get a final test at the 3 month mark. I wish you the best of luck, and please try not to worry so much.

[NeuroticShadow]

Thank you so much for the support and info. It's just so hard not to worry.I keep thinking that he's lying because he seems to be avoiding me, but that maybe because I questioned him. Which I can understand I guess, but I just had to know. I also had burning urinating at one point also. Isn't that a sign of other STDs? It went away after a while though.  

I am trying to keep calm by keeping myself occupied, but it keeps coming in my mind. The health department said that they would call if something came up positive. They said it would be 7 to 10 days, but she also said the blood work usually comes back first. Tomorrow would be the sixth day, but I still think I will call up there tomorrow, and through day 7 to 10. I cant sit by the phone and wait for a call that will be nothing but bad news, because I wont move for 3 days. So I have decided to cal the health department between these times to see if the results are in.  

I will try to keep calm through these days and will try to keep you guys updated. Again, thank you so much for the support and info.

[NeuroticShadow]

GREAT NEWS!
I just called for my test results today and they came out negative, ALL of them! The last two weeks have been full of stress! But I'm glad this scare happened to me. It taught me a lesson to not engage in such risky activities. I take the threat of HIV more seriously now  and sympathize even more with HIV+ people now! I want to do more to help the community! Although I feel like I'm not completely out of the woods yet, since it is recommended to test at 3 months, I can now at least relax a bit.  Anyways, thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate your time and wish you all the best! God bless you all. =)

[reallyregret]

Congratulations on your negative at 9 weeks, NeuroticShadow

Glad you have the heart and soul to want to do more for the needy in this world.

May God bless you for your upcoming 3 months conclusive.


reallyregret

[NeuroticShadow]

Today I went for an hiv test at the student health center on my campus (it would have been 14 weeks since exposure) . I already tested negative at 9 weeks and they guy i was with claims to be negative, but I am suspicious he's hiding something from a number of verbal clues.

So I go into the office thinking that 12 weeks would be conclusive, which was reaffirmed by the nurse when she said that most people would have seroconverted by 6 to 9 weeks. So I was pretty relieved thinking my 12 weeks test would be conclusive.

But then I talked to the doctor and he said that in a medical setting, they test at 1, 3, and 6 months. He said I should come back in 6 months and asked if i just wanted to wait until then.  I said,"No I'd rather be tested now. "
I  always thought 3 months was conclusive? Now I dont have as much confidence in my results because he said around 85-90% of the cases seroconvert by 3 months after exposure. (I thought 3 months was around over 97% accurate!) MUST I WAIT 6 MONTHS? I am not an IV drug user or have cancer (that i am aware of).  

I get my results tomorrow and have went from thinking they may be negative to 50/50 again. =(

[Vance2335]

The Dr you spoke with has no clue what he is talking about. 3 months is conclusive. The Dr's on this site say 8 weeks is conclusive. The CDC, FDA use 3 months. 85-90% people seroconvert by like 4 week.

[ajay2010]

3 months is conclusive. please take the test. it will be negative. and move on as u promised to help the society.
god bless