Stressed about hiv

[stressed all the time]

6 Weeks ago I had a sexual encounter with a female escort in Aruba. We had sex, and when I was finished I realized the condom had broke. I have no idea how long I was inside her, and I did ejaculate. She told me I had nothing to worry about, and that she has been tested.  She said she was clean.

I went home to my wife and kid. I began to panick, and after 2 weeks went for an hiv test.  I came back negative.  I still could not believe it, because I stressed about it. I went back after 3 1/2 weeks, and she gave me xanax instead of a test.  She told me I was fine, and if I need reassurance to come back in 3months to make myself happy.

Q1: would this escort lie?  

Q2: I seem to have different sympyoms all of the time. I have bean fighting a sinus infection for 4 weeks now, and might have a rash.  Does an ARS rash itch and burn, or could this be stress.

Q3: I have not had any other symptoms, no fever or anything. I was fine until my wife came down with a sinus infection, then sore throat, adn now a cankor sore in her mouth.  Could she have symptoms and not me?  She has not had a fever either, or ever since we made love.

Am I being crazy, or could she be having symptoms?  Does stress really drag your immune system down that much?

Am I being just crazy, always looking and reading the internet?

[davdyl]

just wondering how you are doing??? any better?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Your words:  "Should I worry, or do I get over the anxiety and move on?"  The latter.

Stop searching the internet.  Why won't you just accept your doc's and my reassurance, and stop the fruitless search for evidence to the contrary?  I will have no further responses.

HHH, MD

[stressed all the time]

But M.D., I did get tested after 14 days, and the doctor said I was fine.  She was pretty confident I had nothing to worry about from then on; but the more I read stuff on the net, the more stressed I get about it.  Could the test been conclusive?  Should I worry, or do I get over the anxiety and move on?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

1) How can I predict whether your escort is a truthful person or not???  Most people with HIV don't lie outright if asked about it, but that's all I can say.

2) Search the forum for "ARS symptoms" to see the giant number of times I have said that symptoms NEVER are a reliable indicator for or against HIV infection, especially in people at low risk like you.

3) Absence of fever is proof against HIV as the cause of your symptoms.  People get sinus infections all the time.

Stress does not harm the immune system as much as people think.  Yes, you are crazy to try to get the answers you seek by the internet.  See a health care provider.  S/He might recommend HIV testing just so the negative result will be reassuring.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[davdyl]

Hi

I read your reply to my question earlier. thanks for the comment. but i do think that stress can play some tricky things on our body and mind. had i not been so worried about HIV i probably wouldnt of freaked out about a minor sore throat my husband had or some headaches. but because i was looking for things to be wrong with him it made me nervous. it got so bad that everyday i have been asking him how he feels- asking him all sorts of questions just because i thought i gave him HIV. im sure that is how you feel because like me- you made a mistake, you have a family and you dont want that to be ruined just becasue you make a bad choice in judgement. good luck and i hope everything turns out for the best. and listen to the dr's- if they are telling you there is no need to worry after your 2 week test then i would listen to them because they know so much more than we do. one more comment and this goes to everyone out there- stop reading and searching about stuff on the internet, it will only make your symptoms worse and make you even more scared. just get tested.