My Risk

Hi I had unprotected sex with a potentially HIV+ female (other people have told me its possible but she wont answer me one way or another). I am going to test this Friday which will be 24 days (3 weeks/3 days). I know how stupid this was. And then ill do a final testing at 12 weeks. But for the time being so I do not lose some of my sanity:

1) Based on 24 days being hopefully negative, what is your best guess estimate of the percentage of people who would have tested positive by this time using Oraquick?

2) I think ive seen in this post that Oraquick is just as good and sensitive as ELISA testing?

3) Im starting to get some sniffles and flem (phlegm) (slight fever), and muscle aches, my only question is usually when people who are HIV + have symptoms how high is there fever usually? Is it usually mild or is it usually very high?

Thank You

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  Before I address your specific questions, a few comments.  Importantly, the only information that you have about this person is hearsay evidence and that is not something to be believed.  I am not trying to talk you out of testing, that's always a fine idea (not only for HIV but for other STDs as well) but as I read your post there is little reason to believe that she has HIV- few heterosexual women who are not IV drug users to.  Finally, let me mention that even if she has HIV, your risk for HIV form a single episode of vaginal intercourse is less than 1 infection per 1,000 exposures, thus the odds are in your favor.  

Now let's address your questions:

1.  There are no data to tell us what proportion of infections will be detectable at 24 days.  At 14 days over 50% are detectable and by 4 weeks (28 days) the proportion goes up to close to 90%. thus at 24 days you are somewhere in between and probably closer to the 4 week figure than the 2 week one.  Obviously a negative test at this time would be good news and markedly reduce the likelihood that you got HIV (which as I noted above, was low to start with).

2.  The performance of the Oraquick is comparable to the ELISA tests that are used.  have confidence in the result.

3.  You are most likely getting a cold and trying to figure out what temperature might be suggestive of HIV is not a good use of your or my time..  The symptoms of the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection.  When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of persons seeking medical care for "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions).  For a person to try to judge their HIV risk based on "ARS symptoms" is a waste of time.

Hope these comments are helpful to you.  EWH

[anonymousone77]

Wow, the odds are totally in my favor! Why is it so hard for a male to get it from a female?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Actually, the odds are low for both sexes. the virus is not all that contagious. it's just that a lot of peole have sex so a lot of peole get HIV.  EWH

[anonymousone77]

Dr, just 2 more questions and ill put it to bed:

- does the muscle aches and joint pains described on other websites as "symptoms" of ARS result from the fever one would get? In other words muscle and joint aches alone (without a fever) are not at all a symptom of ARS?

- there is a website that offers "DNA by PCR" (not RNA). And at 28 days is supposed to be 99% effective. Maybe i should just be patient and get the free Oraquick testing? The waiting is the hard part. I know I am low risk, its just that small chance that eats at me.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Muscle aches and joint pains are part of the ARS. they are not due to the fever but one of a number of symptoms.

The PCR test is rather expsensive and we do not recommend it. there are more flase postive tests withthe PCR test than the ELISA.  In facon this site we have more clients who have had problems with false postive PCRs than have acquired HIV.  Do your best to be patient.  EWH

[anonymousone77]

Thanks. Sounds most people who post here wind up not having HIV. Waiting is just the toughest part unfortunately.