52 days ELISA test Negative

[Ter250]

I have unprotected oral (deep throat & 15 mins) and protected vagina sex (not sure whether any break at condom) with a chinese prostitute 11 weeks ago. After the sex, i realised there is a broken skin on the skin on my penis but not painful and no sign of blood.

Symptoms
15 days after exposure - Low grade fever (less then 100F), very tire, loss appetite and gassy stomach, lasted for 5 days.

6 weeks - Swelling lymph node at my neck, stiff neck, mucles pain at my armpit and groin area but not sure is it any swelling lymph note in these areas.

7 weeks (51days) - ELISA rapid antibody test - negative.

10 weeks - Swelling lymph node at my neck since the 6th weeks still there. On top of that i felt two more swelling lymph nodes at my neck which are slightly painful. No fever and other symptoms. Now i have 3 nodes that is swelling at my neck. I am very worry about this swelling lymph nodes as i could not explain why it is there.

My wife has a flu like symptoms, fever (100.3F), sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, tireness and 1 night sweat (Fever for 3 days and most of the symptoms gone away after a week). This symptoms shown  8 days after my last sex with her. My last unprotected intercourse with her was after my 7 weeks ELISA test negative.

Question
1. My ELISA test is few drop of my bloods to the tester and the result shown in 15 mins. The test was done in a Government hospital in Indonesia. Not sure is this test kits latest and reliable?
2. Did you see any negative ELISA test at 7 weeks turn positive after 3 months?
3. Is my wife's flu like symptoms suggest ARS? Is stuffy/running nose (with some yellow discharge) ARS symptoms?
4. Fever in ARS must be more then 100F?
5. Can i be infected if the head of my penis come into contact with semen/pre-***(from the prostitute previous customers before me) which still inside the prostitute's mouth/throat?
6. What is the risk for the oral sex i describe above?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The ARS typically begins about two weeks following exposure but like everything else there is some person to person variation.  Range is 1 to 3 weeks.  Remember however, most people who have some or all of the symptoms listed for the ARS (fever, rash, sore throat, muscle aches, etc) do not have HIV, the have a non-STD viral infection (cold, flu, etc).  In fact, most people who acquire HIV do not have the ARS.  Symptoms are not a good indicator of recently acquired HIV infection.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

It sounds like you and your wife may have a viral infection but I assure you it is not HIV.  I think you have a community acquired viral infection of some sort.  You did not get infected from the exposure that you describe.  To answer your questions:

1.  Most commercially available rapid blood tests such as the one you describe are just as reliable as the tests that take longer to do in the laboratory.  I do not know what tests are used is Indonesia but I suspect that if the test was done in a government hospital it was a good test.
2.  By 6 weeks 95% of blood tests that are going to be positive have become positive and by 8 weeks the figure goes up to 98%.  These figures are from people who are at high risk.  You are not at high risk.  The exposures you describe are low risk.  You can be confident that you will not get a positive test based on your negative result at 7 weeks.
3.  Symptoms are an unreliable indicator of the ARS.  You are at low risk and do not have HIV, therefore you wife's symptoms are not ARS either.  The ARS occurs a 2-4 weeks after exposure, thus your symptoms lasted too long and your wife's were too soon.  THIS IS NOT ARS in either of you!!
4.  Yes but most people who have fevers over 100F do not have ARS.
5.  No, this is impossible. Oral secretions are a hostile environment for HIV and it does not stay there.  
6.  If your partner was HIV infected (and statistically, she was probably not), the chance of you getting HIV is less than 1 in 10,000.  Neither Dr. Handsfield or I have ever seen anyone who has gotten HIV when all they practices was oral sex.

Bottom line.  Your exposure was low risk, your tests tell you you do not have HIV and the symptoms you describe do not fit the time course of the ARS.  You do not need to worry--you do not have HIV.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, it does not cause nasal congestion.  EWH

[Ter250]

Thanks for your assurance.

I really sorry to bother you again. Is Diarrhea one of the common symptoms for ARS? My wife just had diarrhea today. This is the 3rd weeks after her last exposure from me.

[Ter250]

Just got my 15 weeks ELISA rapid test - NEGATIVE!!!

I am now believe that I am clear from HIV. Thank you very much for your advice. I am stupid not to listen to you for the pass few weeks.

Once again I agreed symptoms are not very bad indicator for HIV. Go for a test if you are worry.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I will not fuel this paranoid thread any longer.  End of thread.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

People with HIV get the same sorts of illnesses that people who are not infected get.  You are not infected.  You have sinusitis (nasal congestion), not HIV. If you cannot stop attributing every minor illness and your discomfort to an unfounded concern about HIV, you should seek the help of a mental health professional to help you deal with your inappropriate, pathological anxiety.  EWH

[Ter250]

My 1 last question:

Me and my wife have visited a specialist and been diagnosed having sinusitis. We both have no pass record of this problem. We also did not change our life style recently.

I have read from some wedsite, one of the cause for sinusitis is patient with immune deficiency include HIV infection.

My question:
1) Can HIV cause Sinusitis? How long a human immune system become deficient after the infection? 3 months or more?
2) Is Siusitis ARS symptoms or HIV symptoms? When this symptoms can happen to a HIV patient?
3) Nasal congestion = Sinusitis?

[scaredcelibate]

Hi, I'm new to this forum so forgive me if my question is indeed out of context with the current topic. You mention that you're not aware of anyone acquiring HIV from receiving oral sex. So, for the sake of my current paranoia , is it safe to believe that if I received unprotected oral sex on 4 separate occasions from a transsexual over a 10 month period that I shouldn't be worrying myself?

[Ter250]

Is HIV can cause nasal congestion?

I ve read from some website saying chronic nasal congestion can be due to HIV. I actually having a sinus congestion and dry cough for 7weeks (chronic). There also has some yellow/green discharge in the morning. I did not have common cold and flu. I did not have this problem before.

Dr HHH said HIV does not cause nasal congestion is that true?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

This thread is Ter250's.  We will not answer questions from others on this thread, particularly when they represent "piling on" or asking questions about other statements taken out of contect and made long ago by other phyisicans.  I have started deleting extraneous comments from this thread.  If you have a question, posst it ourself.  these are the rules of the site.  Those of you who continue to abuse the site risk being banned from it.  EWH

[lisa123398]

Please help!!! I am getting really worry now.

I forgot to include few other symptoms that i am experiencing:

1. Mouth Ulcer - feel 3 enlarge lymph nodes under my jaw. Lasted for a week
2. Nasal Congestion for 2 months.

All this suggestion symptoms for ARS or people living with HIV. Can anyone. Help me....!!!

[Ripazzio]

This is Ter250's thread so expect no reply for your question. If you are worried for HIV, take a test later - there is no reliable way to self-diagnose it by the symptoms. Nor can an expert make a diagnosis over the internet. But one thing is for sure, that your anxiety is getting over you. Suffer, take the tests later and feel better when you get a clean bill. Most likely, and hopefully, you do.

[Ter250]

After reading your replies. I am now much more relax and relief.

One last question: I have read a few official website regarding ARS. Most of them said ARS can occur few days or a week after the potential exposure. Is that true? Thanks.

[Eager1]

I have also been with a prostitute 1 week ago and feel i may be having acute HIV symptoms:
1) sorethroat (infectiouse pus at the back of the throat)
2) Night Swetas
3) Abnormal Headache

if these are indeed acute HIV symptoms, are there any tests that I can possibly take now which would give me a reading and if so what is the accuracy rate? Thank you in advance for your kind help

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Relax.  You already know you do not have HIV, how could your wife have ARS.  Symptoms are not good indicators of ARS.  For any given symptom which may be part of the ARS, the ARS is typically the cause in  far less than 1% of those with the  symptom of interest.   You can search past posts for lots of discussion on this.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Relax.  There is no reason to think that you would have a delayed response to HIV infection--you are not infected.  EWH

[Ter250]

Thanks for your speedy reply. This would help me a lot.

One more question - I am a healthy person (33 year old), not drug user, not under any medication and has not been sick in last 5 years. I do drink a bit daily - a bottle of beer or a glass of liquor almost everyday. From you experience, does this mean my body can generate HIV antibody said within 6 -7 weeks if i am infected? Or it will take longer then 7 weeks?