possible exposure

[scaredsillly]

I am a 21 year old who had sex with a 39 year old woman on apl 28, 2006 and she i guess you could say was white trash.... i did not use a condom and i am not circumsized...ive been freaking out cause ive had a sore throat (lymphes are soar) andy bad sore throat n  i developped an ulcer from the stress so i got this meds to get rid of that n it had penicilin to help with my throat....my throat felt much better after the 7 day meds but i still have a little soarness n now im a drowzy n constantly tired which is 2months after exposure...also i tried cocaine on june 2 2006 for the first time with some ppl i knew n one of the girls has had chlamydia before so she is a high risk person in terms of havin sex....i snorted from the same bill as her n time to time i have like sores in my nose (pimples or cold sores...i dont knw)...im not sure if i had one then, but if i did is it likely i got it if she had it....ive been tested 55 days after having sex with that woman...it was negative....but im still freaking out....could u give me some info

thx

[JohnnyV]

I have to agree with SCREAM. Why call the woman white trash?

Also, I may be having a brain freeze here. Did you have sex on June 2 with the cocaine girl too? If you did, then 55 days didn't pass between the sex and your test, since you posted on July 2. Maybe I'm way off?

J

[scaredsillly]

well to be honest im still really scared...i got tested for mono but the test was negative....n my armpits are still soar (forgot to add that)...i mean its summer, how can i be that sick n can viruses last for more than a month even if i took some kind of indirect penecilin....i am still so scared...thx

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Home Access uses a standard test.  The results are no diffferent than from other laboroatories.

HHH, MD

[steve05]

Symptoms are not a good or reliable indication of HIV.  After browsing the internet on symptoms it is evident that every minor thing that can naturally happen to the body could also be an HIV symptom.  I even got to the point where I would get freaked out after every little pimple appeared on my chest or if my tounge appeared white or got a headache.  The doc will say have an HIV test at 6 weeks, should be about 98% accurate and to have another one if only to make you feel comfortable at 3 months although it will not change.  In the mean time, relax and try to move on with your life.  I was in the same boat as you about a month ago and I know it can really eat at you especially when see different opions on the internet.  Take the docs advise and move on.  Good luck
Steve

[S.C.R.E.A.M]

Dear Mr. ScaredSilly,
  I read your post and by the evidence you have provided the forum, it seems that you are HIV negative. What is shocking is that you are calling your partner white trash, yet it was you who needed to take responsibility for your actions and your health. You have gotten tested and it came negative, its time to move on from this irrational fear.
  I am not the doctor, but HIV antibodies usually ahow up six weeks after an actual exposure.
  The doctor on this forum has stated over and over that HIV symptoms causes painless swelling of lymphnodes. It is probabale that you had a nasty cold of flu virus that has been going around, or you caught it from your partner.
A negative test 55 days after an exposure is good evidence that you don't have it. I am not trying to put you or your concerns down because i myself was in the same boat. I tested six weeks and six months after my exposure. I even scared by boyfriend into thinking he had HIV. However, in the end, I had to take responsibility for my sexual and reproductive health and now I enforce the use of condoms. Learn from the lesson and move on, you have a wonderful life ahead of you. Also, again I'm not the doctor, but I do not think you can catch HIV from snorting from the same bill.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

A single episode of vaginal sex is almost always a low risk event, regardless of your subjective opinion about the partner--unless known for sure to be HIV infected or at particularly high risk.  Even in that event, the risk of getting HIV is low.  In any case, symptoms NEVER are a reliable indicator of newly acquired HIV infection (and your symptoms don't sound like HIV anyway).  Further, your negative HIV test 9 weeks after exposure proves your symptoms cannot be due to HIV.  Neither HIV nor any other STD is ever transmitted by sharing cocaine snorting gear.

Bottom line:  See a  health care provider if your symptoms persist--but whatever is causing them definitely is not HIV.

For more information about the questions you ask or imply, search this forum for "HIV transmission risk", "HIV symptoms", and "time to positive HIV test."

HHH, MD