Pls i need a candid and proffessional assesment.

26th june $ 3rd july,had protected sex with 2 south african CSW.condom didnt fail,Fear is i had a pubic boil/sore/ folliculitis which was removing pus which came in contact with vaginal secretion ,have fear of contacting HIV since its rampant in SA. anxiety continued after 3.5 weeks after 1st sex episode and 2.5 weeks after 2nd, started searching the net for symptoms, stumbled upon swollen lymph node as a symptom, started checking and pressing my armpit for nodes and i couldn't find .Continued until i started  having strange painful feelings that started from the left armpit and later spread to the right, i noticed that i dont feel any pain when i touch it but i can feel the pain come and go. i have never experienced that kind of pain befor. I continued to obsess over this and search the internet intensively. The more i search the more symptoms i see and the more i started looking for them in my body. E.g I HAD TO LOOK FOR THE RASH AND WAS ABLE TO COUNT THEM EVEN IF NORMALLY I DONT BOTHER ABOUT RASHES IN MY BODY COS I HAVE ALWAY HAD THEM. Within 2 days the pain had spread to the vein in both elbow and ankle vein. i wasnt feeling the pain in the joint only the vein in the joint and a stinging pain in my muscles.pain spread to almost all part of my body. went to see my Dr, he gave me analgesic injection for pain and malaria medications, pain did not stop it reduced and was replaced by a burning/pressure sensation in the hollow of the back of my knee.burning sensation/pressure/pain was more prominent at night. had rash which i can count. fatigue started after i didnt sleep for over 3 days obsessin with symptoms that i spent all night on the internet. No appetite too.i felt stronger and  symptoms subside when ever i forget about hiv but when ever i remember it i start feeling bad and become weak.1:Can i get hiv via open pubic boil/sore?2: did i seroconvert?3: is it anxiety?4: do i require testing? 5:is pain/burning sensation/pressure behind knee sign of seroconversion?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  The exposures you describe did not put you at risk for HIV.  You have been told this repeatedly on the HIV Community site in some of your over 20 posts in the past month.  Despite these reassurances, you seem not to be able to accept the advice you are getting.  In addition, you are searching for "signs" of infection when such signs are neither present in all who get HIV nor specific for HIV when present since similar problems can be causes (an most often are) by an enormous number of other problems including the sorts of community acquired viruses that most people get from time to time.  Rather than continue to fret about this. my suggestion is that you go and get tested to prove to yourself that you did not get HIV.  Only get tested however once you are willing to accept the test results.

Thus the answers to your questions are as follows:

1:Can i get hiv via open pubic boil/sore?
No, the exposure you describe did not put you at risk.

2: did i seroconvert?
Almost certainly not.

3: is it anxiety?
Anxiety appears to be contributing to your problems.

4: do i require testing?
You do not require testing from a medical perspective however it appears that this has become a consuming concern for you. The reason for you to consider testing is to get peace of mind from your unwarranted concerns.

5:is pain/burning sensation/pressure behind knee sign of seroconversion?
No.

I hope these comments are helpful. EWH

[imfinished]

Ok doctor i accept your assessment and im sorry for being a pain to you all on this forum. So the strange pimple like boil i am having right now are not HIV related? I am still feeling pains in the knee vein which i havent ever felt since my 32 yrs. MY girl friend tested negative 5 weeks after i felt i infected her. I will try and move on from this exposure and may God bless you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Take care., EWH

[imfinished]

God bless you sir, so following you advice to go for testing for the sake of peace of mind i went for test. The doctor used the determine method and i was tested negative today. The test was done 11 weeks and 2 days after the first exposure and 10 weeks and 2 days after the second exposure. Pls advice as follows.

1: Is the determine method a reliable HIV testing method? Can it detect HIV antibodies at 11 weeks or 10 weeks?
2: can i take this result as conclusive and move on with my life? I ask cos its still a week or few days shy of the 3 months mark but if you believe its conclusive pls let me know so that i can move on from this exposure.

God bless you as you get back to me.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

1.  Your results are completely reliable.  Results are definitive at any time more than 8 weeks after exposure.  
2.  As, your results are conclusive (same question as number 1)

EWH