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Do I need testing -- Your assurance required
Hi Dr HHH,
Firstly I would like to thank you for the wonderful work that you're doing. Five months back I had an unprotected sexual encounter with a CSW in India of unknown status. Before having sex she gave me a blowjob but insisted that I use a condom. After the BJ we had vaginal sex with the condom but after sometime she asked me to remove it. Stupidly i followed her instructions. The interaction lasted for 1-2 mins. I didn't cum inside her too. After few weeks I had a gum ulcer which lasted for 2-3 days and then a mouth ulcer which again lasted for 3-4 days. No fever or any other symptom after that. I do have occasional neck pain and mild jaw pains sometimes.But they subside automatically after few days. Are these symptoms of HIV? Do I need testing in my case? This is the first such exposure I had in my life. I'm hetero and not a drug user.
I also noted that you have never seen in your 30 years experience a single non-drug hetero user who has caught HIV. But in the internet i also find that there can be people who have HIV but without any symptoms at all.Is this a real posibility, because in your posts you always mention that fever is almost always a possibility.
Looking for your response as I'm deeply scared.
Firstly I would like to thank you for the wonderful work that you're doing. Five months back I had an unprotected sexual encounter with a CSW in India of unknown status. Before having sex she gave me a blowjob but insisted that I use a condom. After the BJ we had vaginal sex with the condom but after sometime she asked me to remove it. Stupidly i followed her instructions. The interaction lasted for 1-2 mins. I didn't cum inside her too. After few weeks I had a gum ulcer which lasted for 2-3 days and then a mouth ulcer which again lasted for 3-4 days. No fever or any other symptom after that. I do have occasional neck pain and mild jaw pains sometimes.But they subside automatically after few days. Are these symptoms of HIV? Do I need testing in my case? This is the first such exposure I had in my life. I'm hetero and not a drug user.
I also noted that you have never seen in your 30 years experience a single non-drug hetero user who has caught HIV. But in the internet i also find that there can be people who have HIV but without any symptoms at all.Is this a real posibility, because in your posts you always mention that fever is almost always a possibility.
Looking for your response as I'm deeply scared.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm not familiar with this particular test, but it doesn't matter. All commercially available HIV antibody tests are 100% reliable; there is no difference from one test to the next. Please accept the reasoned reassurance you have had -- both in my comments above and in the test result. Move on with your life.
I won't have any further comments or advice.
I won't have any further comments or advice.
But is the testing methodology 100% reliable. I mean the one that I used.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The result is negative; you don't have HIV. Congratulations -- your HIV worries should be over. It isn't necessary to be retested. Just scan any several threads at random in this forum to find discussions of test reliability at various times after exposure; of use the search function and enter "seroconversion" or "window period". It's never necessary to wait 6 months for definitive results.
As per your advice I had my testing done today. I'm copying the exact results here.Please let me know whether it is good or bad.Do I need further testing as they say that antibodoes can also appear after 6 months.
Qualitative detection of Antibodies to HIV 1 and HIV 2 in serum
Test: HIV 1 and 2 in serum
Result: Non- Reactive
Kit Used:RETROQUIC HIV (QUALPRO DIAGNOSTICS)
ml no - 499, LOT NO- 45249
Thanks in advance.
Qualitative detection of Antibodies to HIV 1 and HIV 2 in serum
Test: HIV 1 and 2 in serum
Result: Non- Reactive
Kit Used:RETROQUIC HIV (QUALPRO DIAGNOSTICS)
ml no - 499, LOT NO- 45249
Thanks in advance.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Almost certainly your symptoms are not HIV, which is obvious from both the other threads you have seen plus my comments above.
Please don't post any more comments unless and until you report your HIV test result.
Please don't post any more comments unless and until you report your HIV test result.
But my symptoms that I had till now can they be symptoms of HIV? Sorry for asking this question.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. I'll try to help.
It is silly to have sent seveal months "deeply scared" when a simple and quick answer is readily available: have an HIV test! The rest of my comments should be very reassuring in themselves, but having a test will seal the issue for sure.
You had unprotected vaginal sex with someone who could indeed have HIV. Most likely she didn't, and even if she did, a single episode of vaginal sex has been calculated to carry roughly 1 chance in 2,000 of transmission (female to male). Because the risk is low, we generally advise that from an objective, statistical standpoint, no testing is necessary after exposures at this risk level. However, the only way to know for sure that you didn't get HIV is to be tested for it.
Most people who catch HIV (probably around 70-80%) develop symptoms. Of those who have any symptoms at all, fever is almost always present. But some infections are entirely asymptomatic, without fever or anything else.
Let me know the result after you are tested, but there is no point in further discussion until then. There is nothing else you can say that would change my opinion or advice.
Regards-- HHH, MD
It is silly to have sent seveal months "deeply scared" when a simple and quick answer is readily available: have an HIV test! The rest of my comments should be very reassuring in themselves, but having a test will seal the issue for sure.
You had unprotected vaginal sex with someone who could indeed have HIV. Most likely she didn't, and even if she did, a single episode of vaginal sex has been calculated to carry roughly 1 chance in 2,000 of transmission (female to male). Because the risk is low, we generally advise that from an objective, statistical standpoint, no testing is necessary after exposures at this risk level. However, the only way to know for sure that you didn't get HIV is to be tested for it.
Most people who catch HIV (probably around 70-80%) develop symptoms. Of those who have any symptoms at all, fever is almost always present. But some infections are entirely asymptomatic, without fever or anything else.
Let me know the result after you are tested, but there is no point in further discussion until then. There is nothing else you can say that would change my opinion or advice.
Regards-- HHH, MD
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