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early signs of HIV

I am in a really bad situation. I had unprotected sex with a lap dancer earler this month 3rd Oct. I have beaten myself up about this mentally since then. I knew at the time it was a completely mad thing to do and I so regret is now. I am married and I have obstained from sex with my wife since, as I know I have caught something the question is what. These are my symptoms, an initial rash around the penis (lasting a week) under the forskin. A tingling of my lips and tongue again lasting for a week. A sweaty top lip, there is no other way to describe that. Small red dots on the palms of my hands like tiny pin pricks, these have just appeared, they do no itch. Discomfort in my throat but no enlarged glands. Sleepless nights, this is most likely worry but can't explain why I wake up. I have been for a screen for all the standard STD's at the local hospital and they cannot give me the results for another two weeks.. I have also been given a course of Hep A/B imunisation with the first of three injections given yesterday. I am also booked in to get another blood sample taken in three months. For anyone out there who finds themself in this situation you have my sympathy. I am very frightened and cannot talk to my wife for obvious reasons. I am not sure what the symtoms of ARS are, but are these they? The palms of my hands are the biggest worry, I mean they are really hard to see, but they are there on both hands. I have also read that there was a course of treament that could have been used in 72 hours that would have killed it if it were HIV, I wish I had known about that at the time. I can't concentrate on my work and think about this all the time. I also have not gone to my local doctor as I want this all to be kept confidential. I am in a bit of a mess. Can anyone give me some reasurance here. Many thanks.
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Avatar universal
i am going trough the same trauma..i am married and have a son too..and had a kind of similar risk..only a test can calm you..i recommend a test at 3 weeks to reassure u..its 95% conclusive ..then at 6 weeks which is 98% conclusive and then finally 3 months..for sure it will  look very far the 3 months..but u have to be strong..(myself i am yet to reach there)..upto now i am unable to tell my wife....be strong..thats all i can say...good luck and god bless u...
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Avatar universal
Thanks chrisneedshelp, well the dots are just under the skin and no I do not know if they were there or not before, other than I have never seen them before. They are just there other than that they do not hurt or itch, they just exist when they did not before. The sensation on my lips was like that of a cold sore, its still there, but was much more intense for the first week, also my tongue seemed redder than usual on the underside at least. I am doing the right thing getting tested, but I am concerned about all these little clues or symptoms I seem to be experiencing. I am either paranoid or experiencing something for real. I am treating this as very real in my mind. I appreciate the odds you mentioned, but I do not feel that is a consolation either you have it or you do not. I wondered if anyone who had developed this horrible condition went through a similar series of symptoms, or if anyone else thinks these are warning signs. Thanks again Chris.
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Avatar universal
Hi Daveansh
I have a daughter and son and a loving wife. I know that I went completely mad and so wish I could undo it all. Thanks for your support and the same to you for luck. Its the uncertainty and finality that is getting me down.
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Avatar universal
Tx mate..it will be like that only..some days u will be convinced u dont have it..some other days u will say to urself u have it...u just have to keep urself busy..and 4get bout it..though its difficult...and please ignore symtoms..they are the ones that will get u down..myself under persistence of my wife i went to see a psy(my wife could see that i was mentally depressed..zo she is yet to know y) who gave me some sleeping tablets in those days when i could not sleep and totally depressed..y not see a psy if u feel urself that bad..it will surely help...this forum is the one that have kept me going all these days.and please dont try to google the internet bout hiv...it vant get worst..all the best again...
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Avatar universal
Hi just a quick question - is this forum also monitored by doctors as well as people who are interested and have had experience / s with these situations.
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277836 tn?1359666174
i had a similar experience on sept 6 07 with an escort in the u.s. i took hiv test at 6 days neg just took my 2nd test at day 40 two days shy of six weeks it was also negative hers the thing i have 3 kids and a wife but i just couldnt live with myself if i had something so i told her dont think about yourself here you need to protect others just to be safe
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Avatar universal
In another twist in regards to this nightmare I want to know the risk of passing on the infection assuming I am in fact infected to others via my razer. My daughter aged 8 was playing with my razer unknown to me and may have cut herself with it. This happend inthe 1st week after the incident when we were on holiday as a family. Its hard to get an answer out of her in terms of what she did with it but I think she basically pretended to shave with it. I mean this is a nightmare without end. What is the likelhood of her getting anything from that? Its not like a hypodermic, but its still a cut!
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Avatar universal
Hi Shadow,

I take your point entirely. Are you still together? after telling her?
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Avatar universal
Thanks Chris, as you can see my mind is running away with itself .....
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277836 tn?1359666174
yes she is staying strong and shes glad i told her she said at least it shows i care about her and the kids i have told her everything about it in details no need tokeep lying once she knew
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Avatar universal
Hi Shadow, sorry if this is a personal question, did you have a one night stand or were there others leading up to this. I myself am now very frightend indeed. I keep thinking about the things I could have caught, but none of them add up. The symptoms are just too much like the one's for HIV for me to ignore. I can't believe I am in this situation and certainly have not faced this with my wife. She knows something is very wrong, but I have just avoided talkiing about it and that's eating away at her and me. I know the odds of catching this are slim, but I don't believe in odds when it comes to things like this. I have F**** up big style and my life is about to go down the pan. I am so stressed out with this and know there is nothing I can do but wait for the results. I really don't know what to do and there seems no where to turn. I can't make it go away and I know this is all of my own doing.
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Avatar universal
Check for syphills, they sound more like syphils than anything.
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277836 tn?1359666174
it was a one time thing thats all and never again i was like you but it ate at me so much that i just gave in be safe and think about your kids thats what i did where are you from by the way


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277836 tn?1359666174
you need to calm down no one here wants to here your negative comments
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Avatar universal
I live in the UK. Thanks for your support here. I do not think its syphilis re Goloka's comment.  I have written a big list of things I need to do and confessing is up there. Its a very negative list actually, not good at all. I regret it all. I don't really talk to my wife on the level about anything much. Its always about work, rather than feelings or any of this. Life style has a lot to do with where things went wrong actually. But that I am sure is for another forum. Its very hard to be rational and disbelief is there too. I mean how can this be happening? Its like a car crash in slow motion and I can't get out. Sorry if I am going on here. I do not know the result, but know the way I am feeling and I am sure I am not alone in this.
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277836 tn?1359666174
i think you will be fine like i said you will notice every little thing right now just step up and talk to your wife it will work out i thought my marriage was over but because of this it seems to be even stronger in some weird way i did test for hiv on day 40 it came back negative everything i have read says if it was going to be positive it would show up in this time frame but i will retest first of the year but i think i will be fine
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Avatar universal
Hi Shadow, you are a braver man than me. I know if I told her it would devestate her. I am going to wait for the results and continue to abstain. If I am given the worst then I will tell her. Then I don't know what I'll do.
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Avatar universal
If you slept with a regular girl, instead of a stripper, would you be this worried over the incident? Most people seem to overreact when it comes to strippers/escorts/hookers. It makes since to think that way, but statistically it doesn't. They are just about on average as regular girls in contracting/having HIV. It is just the fact that they do this for a living that gets to everyone. I am not bashing because I was the same way, but a 3 month negative and a bunch of worry later I am thinking logically again. Take it easy! Try to Relax! Odds are in your favor heavily!!!!
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Avatar universal
I agree with your thinking, however I have symptoms, of something. Now I have read spots under my armpits and my tongue is unusually red, plus I have something in my throat and terrible breath. I just don't know what it is and I am thinking the worst. It is something for sure I just don't know what. I am going to take the HDUO test on day 27 and this should be a better indication than none at all. As for sleeping with local girls, the whole episode has highlighted to me the absolute danger of that too. I am never going to make this mistake again, a condom is no guarentee either in my mind, monogomy is best and something I should have practiced anyway. I am just hoping that I have not totally ruined everything and have a chance to lead life properly. Its a real wakeup call for me and a re-think on everything and the way I am living my life. I live in the uk and this test is not offererd on the NHS as far as I know, I am going private. To be honest I don't care about the cost, I just need to know. I am trying to relax, but it is very hard to do this - sorry if I seem agitated, but I am getting very wrung out. Thanks for your support though. This forum is very informative and I am glad it exists.
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Avatar universal
Everyone on here has had symptoms! You will be fine! Take it easy and calm down! testing won't get here any faster. Like you said,"This whole thing has opened your eyes". Always keep that in mind and never forget it! You know it was wrong and that is what is eating at you the most. Just knowing it could have been prevented. Don't beat yourself up over it. You have learned.
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Avatar universal
SkinJ...I don't think anyone has every gotten HIV from a single exposure of unprotected vaginal sex. Your symptoms do not reflect HIV (5 chances in 10,000 according to the CDC). ARS symptoms are flu-like and are experienced a week to three weeks after exposure. However, there are a hundred other illnesses that can cause these symptoms which are way more likely than HIV. Plus, your partner probably wasn't infected. Your chances are 1/100,000 at worst. Don't worry, get tested at 6 weeks. A negative test will get rid of your anxiety!

Good luck!
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Avatar universal
Hi maybaby, I am going to get tested at 4, only because the test is on offer and as people may have noticed I am very jumpy. Is 6 weeks a better or more accurate time than 4? I mean the centre offer the HDUO test at 4, I presume that is accurate. I'll have one at 6 as well of course and I have one booked at 3 months which by all accounts is conclusive. I totally agree that I may have caught something else instead of or as well, I am getting checked for other STD's and awaiting those results, 1 1/2 weeks away for them to come back. And yes Extreem I have so learned. Thanks both.
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Avatar universal
A 4 week test is 90-98% consclusive. A 6 week test is 99.99% conclusive. A negative after 4 weeks, along with all the other odds in your favor, is very good news and probably doen't warrant any further testing (statistically speaking). But if it was me, I'd like the piece of mind of 99.99% confience.
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Avatar universal
Agreed- symptoms are no real guide here. My thinking here is of course I did not have the rash, itching lips, red tongue, throat infection and red weals under my left armpit before the encounter and now I do. So what else might I have cought other than a curable STD? This is my thinking and fear for myself and of course for my family. An epiphony of realisation and terror for my absolute stupidity. I can only speak personally about my feelings on this. I am not sure what OHL is, but there is something like oral thrush going on in my mouth at the moment, I am not a doctor so I can't tell you. I know something crossed over to me. I am simply getting as much info on it for myself and I know what it could be, odds or not. I am sorry to hear that you have all of those symptoms but no explanation. But I am glad you have tested negative.
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