I need to know if I got it

hi there, I am a man and I have had sex with a woman once on March 8th and another on April 3rd, it was safe sex as I was wearing a condom but only during vaginal sex, I had uncovered oral sex and also I used my finger to stimulate her vagina while she was performing the oral sex, I noticed the second time that that my finger had small sores around my nails as i just had them cut and i was worried that I might get HIV through this sores if the woman was HIV positive, I don't know if this is possible or not? I had flu symptoms on April 12th with sore throat, night sweats, difficulty swallowing and I had stiff muscles on the right side of my neck and several small swollen lymph nodes in the right side of my neck, I know these are possible signs of HIV infections so I paniced and got very anxious which I think is increasing the symptoms.
I went and made and HIV test on April 13th and it was negative but I think the testing period was too short to tell especially for the second sex on April 3rd.
I went to a doctor who said I have sinus infection that caused these symptoms and that the lymph nodes are due to cuts i had during shaving that have inflated my neck on the right side, he gave me an antibiotic for a week and I am feeling better, the lymph nodes are much smaller, night sweats are gone, no more sore throat BUT I keep thinking that i was infected with HIV, I don't know if it is anxiety or stress or what?
Is it possible to have been infected during uncovered oral sex?
Is it possible to have been infected throught a small sore in my finger aroung my nails?
Is this test I made enough or should I do another one an when?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Relax.  The odds are strong your partner didn't have HIV; you had protected vaginal sex and could not have been infected that way; HIV transmission to the genitals by oral sex has never been shown to occur, and if it does is too rare to even measure; hand-to-genital HIV tranmission also has never been documented, with or without cuts on the hands; your symptoms don't sound much like HIV (despite your statement about "possible signs"); and you had a negative HIV test 5-6 weeks after exposure, by which time more than 90% of infected people would have had a positive result.  If you add up the odds, the chance you have HIV is less than 1 chance in many million.

Bottom lines:  Your doctor is right.  You really don't need additional testing.  However, the standard recommendation is that 100% certainty requires a negative test 3 months after exposure.  If you need reassurance that is stronger than "1 in several million", get retested in early June.  But in the meantime, relax, stop worrying about it, and don't worry about transmitting to other partners; you have nothing to transmit.

Good luck-- HHH, MD

[Brian123]

I think myself, as well as the MD often sees that numerous people say that they have "possible symptoms" related to HIV after a "risky" situation.  All too often, and I empathize with MD HHH, that symptoms are not at all a likely indicator for HIV infection. (He has anwered this on more than one occassion).

Nonetheless, knowing full well that someone named "Bonner" or "Will" will read this, maybe they too can help me....
I contacted Home Access about what generation test they provide via testing kit.
Their response was their test was a "1st generation test".  Will, or Bonner, do anyone of you know what the differentiation is bewteen a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation test is concerning HIV?  (In other words, "How does this test differ from a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation test?).  I have searched the archives of this forum and have not found an answer, nor via Internet. Any viable websites you know of concerning this testing information?

Thanks

[Willl]

1st Generation - uses infected viral cell lysate as antigen.
2nd Generation - uses glycopeptides (recombinant antigens)
3rd Generation - synthetic peptides are used as antigens.
4th Generation- tests for simultaneous detection of p24 Ag (HIV-1 Ag) and HIV-1/HIV-2Ab

If it makes you feel better, a 6-week negative test with Home Access is considered conclusive in the state of Massachusetts according to their AIDS hotline.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Your new question should have been a follow-up here, not a new thread.  Only a limited number of threads is permitted each day and the demand generally is greater than can be accommodated - so unnecessary questions prevent someone else from posting a new one.  Your new thread will be deleted.

In any case, I already answered your follow-up question in my original reply: "Hand-to-genital HIV tranmission also has never been documented, with or without cuts on the hands."  Zero risk.

HHH, MD

[amralex]

In the answer the M.D wrote to me, he said that the symptoms I mentioned I had are not HIV symptoms, this got me confused as when I searched the net for symptoms of infection with HIV , all site are mentioning, mild fever, night sweets, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpits!!!!!! so are really these flu like symptoms also early symptoms for infection oh HIV???

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

All symptoms caused by acute HIV are caused more frequently by other, more common infections.  It is unlikely you had true night sweats, which are drenching--the result of high fever breaking during the night.  Acute HIV doesn't cause stuffy nose or sinus congestion.  And 75% of people with acute HIV have skin rash, which you don't mention.  And I told you why you almost certainly could not have acquired HIV during the sexual exposure you describe.  Most important, your blood test results show that your symptoms cannot be due to HIV, period.  You caught a cold, nothing more.

You came to this forum for my professional opinion, presumably for reassurance.  I gave you a strongly reassuring assessment.  Why are you stretching to hard to confirm you are infected??  Relax, you really don't have it.

HHH, MD

[amralex]

Dear M.D, your opinion was a great help and relief and I am very grateful, I mentioned in my original message that I had 2 sexual encounters ( Both in the same manner ), the second one was on April 3rd ( only 10 days before I made the HIV test )Despite of this being not enough period to show reliable result and despite the fact that I had noticed only yesterday that i have many slightly itching small red pimplelike rash on my back, chest, shoulders and belly , I am now assured from your reply that I could not have caught HIV from oral sex or from my finger being inside the vagina. I guess I was just being paranoid!!

[twitty155]

A related discussion, what is that was started.