Lingering symptoms with negative 4 week.

[stresssssed]

I'll try and make this short, anxiety is killing me.

One time exposure about 3 months ago with girl I've known for many years. Started with condom but had unprotected vaginal for a period of time at the end, with (at least to my knowledge, non-drug using, caucasian female, in city in British Columbia Canada). Day after, had a swollen groin node (has remained for 3 months, not painful, not moveable, has been confirmed by doc, but doctor said it did not seem inflamed and was not worried). Week after, sore throat, mild fever for about 3 days, sore throat went away after 7 days or so. Did not feel all that well for following couple of weeks, but no fever or sore throat, just headache, occasional sore neck, I suspect that may have been due to stress however.

Tested negative at 3 and 4 weeks. Contacted girl a couple times since, says I have nothing to worry about, she just got out of 5 yr relationship only ever had a few partners. Currently waiting for results from 9-10 week test, trying to ease stress and anxiety. Most worry stems from the swollen node that showed up the day after and has remained, as well as neck and back pain, once again very likely due to stress as I have been very depressed about this incident.

Thank you for your help.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You can relax; there is no way you have HIV.  Your partner obviously is zero risk or close to it.  Your symptoms do not suggest HIV, regardless of what you assume (or might have read from websites or other sources). Most likely your symptoms have anything at all to do with the sexual encounter you describe, except for the likelihood that they reflect anxiety over the event.  Certainly the initial symptom cannot be due to that event, since no infection can start to cause symptoms a day later--that is, your enlarged groin node absolutely has nothing to do with that event.  Anyway, a single enlarged lymph node in the groin, like you describe (i.e., not tender or inflamed) really is meaningless, as your doctor undoubtedly told you.  On top of all that, over 90% of infected people have positive HIV antibody tests by 4 weeks, so you're already home free.

If I were a gambler, I would comfortably bet all that I own, at any odds, that you didn't catch HIV.  Aside from the lymph node, which means nothing, your symptoms probably are nothing but stress, as you suggest yourself.  (Whenever a person suggests his or her own symptoms have a psychological origin, s/he almost always is right.)

Bottom line:  relax. You can be sure your 9-10 week HIV test result will be negative.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Sentence 3 of my reply is supposed to read "Most likely your symptoms have nothing [not 'anything'] at all to do with the sexual encounter you describe..."

[stresssssed]

Yeah thats what I had assumed you meant.


Thank you so very much for your fast reply. Its amazing how much better I have felt just after reading those words. Less anxiety makes waiting for the test results a lot easier. Deep down I knew my risk was pretty low, but looking for symptoms combined with internet research can cause a lot of anxiety and worry.

Thanks again.

[Ton_e]

Please let us know when you get your negative result.  We'll be thinking about you...

[stressssssed]

Well I got my results.. 2 days short of 10 weeks. They were negative, I still have some symptoms (swollen node).

Is a 10 week test conclusive enough? I'd have to assume that it is very unlikely to change in the future, correct?

Thank you so very much.