Aa
Exposure need professional advice
Doctor,
I posted this in the community forums to get a real world response but I would also like advice from a professional standpoint.
About 23 days ago, I had brief sexual contact with a therapist of unknown status. It started off condom protected but highly probable it came off during brief intercourse.
After exposure:
8-10 days: Weird feeling like a large dry patch on the upper part of my back, woke up one night with diahhrea, feeling of vomiting which lasted several hours
16-18 days: Slight sore throat, joint pain in my hands, slight elbow pain and my feet which lasted a couple of days. The pain was intermittent throughout the days.
18-19 days: Itchy skin particularly around my chest, my back, my shoulders and top of my arms, this included a hive like rash patch on the upper part of my back which subsided 10-20 minutes later.
20 days: Around noon, feeling of a fever was apparent. This feeling subsided a few hours after I took 1000mg of acetaminophen however lingered throughout the day and throughout the following night.
21 days: Feel like nausea or a mild feeling like a hangover with a headache, feel of vomiting.
I had protected sex with my girlfriend about a week after sex with the therapist and last night she asked me to feel her as she said she feels like she is getting a fever, she's had a headache for the past three days. This is increasing my fear. The condoms she bought were a bit too large for me so there was a fair amount of play from the tip of my head down to the shaft, but snug enough at the bottom of my shaft, I am worried that my fluids if indeed I am infected, could have seaped out and entered her vagina.
I posted this in the community forums to get a real world response but I would also like advice from a professional standpoint.
About 23 days ago, I had brief sexual contact with a therapist of unknown status. It started off condom protected but highly probable it came off during brief intercourse.
After exposure:
8-10 days: Weird feeling like a large dry patch on the upper part of my back, woke up one night with diahhrea, feeling of vomiting which lasted several hours
16-18 days: Slight sore throat, joint pain in my hands, slight elbow pain and my feet which lasted a couple of days. The pain was intermittent throughout the days.
18-19 days: Itchy skin particularly around my chest, my back, my shoulders and top of my arms, this included a hive like rash patch on the upper part of my back which subsided 10-20 minutes later.
20 days: Around noon, feeling of a fever was apparent. This feeling subsided a few hours after I took 1000mg of acetaminophen however lingered throughout the day and throughout the following night.
21 days: Feel like nausea or a mild feeling like a hangover with a headache, feel of vomiting.
I had protected sex with my girlfriend about a week after sex with the therapist and last night she asked me to feel her as she said she feels like she is getting a fever, she's had a headache for the past three days. This is increasing my fear. The condoms she bought were a bit too large for me so there was a fair amount of play from the tip of my head down to the shaft, but snug enough at the bottom of my shaft, I am worried that my fluids if indeed I am infected, could have seaped out and entered her vagina.
I thought eight weeks as a good indicator and its unlikely to change? Its been eight weeks for me as well.
Dr,
I took my 8 week 4 day test a couple days ago, negative using HIV 1/0/2 through labcorp. I just fell ill with a sore throat (mild yellow mucous) and coming down with a fever, I took my flu shot so it can't be the flu. Do you suggest this is STD related? This will be my final question for the end of 2009 :)
Happy New Years!
I took my 8 week 4 day test a couple days ago, negative using HIV 1/0/2 through labcorp. I just fell ill with a sore throat (mild yellow mucous) and coming down with a fever, I took my flu shot so it can't be the flu. Do you suggest this is STD related? This will be my final question for the end of 2009 :)
Happy New Years!
much obliged, thanks for your response.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No, I would not. Your tests are negative and will continue to be so. Time for you to stop worrying about this exposure and move on with your life. Take care. EWH
Wow, has it been a pain in the arse getting to this week, I really have alot of sympathy for those who are living day to day with fear and anxiety getting out of the window period.
I receieved my 7 week test negative for HIV 1/0/2 through labcorp. Based on my "possible" exposure, do you think further testing is warranted i.e. 11-12 weeks?
I receieved my 7 week test negative for HIV 1/0/2 through labcorp. Based on my "possible" exposure, do you think further testing is warranted i.e. 11-12 weeks?
5 week negative, a week after a rash I presumed was acute HIV infection, so highly unlikely it was related to ARS at all :)
roger that, thanks for the reassurance, once again ill let you know of my 6 weeks.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
A test at 3 weeks and 6 days is the same as a test at 4 weeks. At this time over 90% of persons with HIV would have positive tests.
When people have ARS, they do have fevers. Worrying abou thte ARS is really a waste of time. EWH
When people have ARS, they do have fevers. Worrying abou thte ARS is really a waste of time. EWH
Doc,
To settle my mind what are the chances that I can have a positive test after 3 weeks and 6 days?
And a quick question, when ARS sore throat occurs, is it dramatic and accompanied with fever?
To settle my mind what are the chances that I can have a positive test after 3 weeks and 6 days?
And a quick question, when ARS sore throat occurs, is it dramatic and accompanied with fever?
Doc,
As you predicted, my test was negative. After my onslaught of "symptoms" I thought I gave myself enough time to make any antibodies appear for a test. They said my RBC/WBC is within normal range and informed me it is a good indicator as usually WBC would be elevated had I been experiencing ARS.
I will test at 8 weeks and come back with the result. Thanks for your advice.
As you predicted, my test was negative. After my onslaught of "symptoms" I thought I gave myself enough time to make any antibodies appear for a test. They said my RBC/WBC is within normal range and informed me it is a good indicator as usually WBC would be elevated had I been experiencing ARS.
I will test at 8 weeks and come back with the result. Thanks for your advice.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
When your test from today is negative, as I am confident it will be, there remains a very, very small chance that you could still have HIV. The chance is so small that I see no reason for repeat testing in your case but you have to be the judge of whether or not you are re-tested. If you re-test at 6-8 weeks however I certainly see no medical reason for repeat testing after that. Take care. EWH
I will let you know of my results tomorrow, if they are neg should I take one at 6-8 weeks from my low risk exposure?
Also although symptoms cannot be used to diagnose new infections, can you say that my symptoms sound familiar from your experiences in real world scenarios at your work? I know it cannot be the flu as we took flu shots months ago, but I can agree with you it could be something else.
Also, thank you for providing support for us who are need of help!
Also although symptoms cannot be used to diagnose new infections, can you say that my symptoms sound familiar from your experiences in real world scenarios at your work? I know it cannot be the flu as we took flu shots months ago, but I can agree with you it could be something else.
Also, thank you for providing support for us who are need of help!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. Judging by the timing you mention I suspect you have had your tests by now. sorry I did not respond sooner.
To start with, I agree with all that Vance has said regarding your risk and the improbability that your condom came off. I really doubt that this was the case.
Secondly, symptoms really are meaningless. The symptoms of the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection. When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of persons seeking medical care for "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions). For a person to try to judge their HIV risk based on "ARS symptoms" is a waste of time. In your case, it is far more likely that you and your GF have some non-STD, non-HIV community acquired viral infection (the kind that we call "the flu" than anything else.
Finally with respect to your test. The folks at LabCorp are correct that current HIV tests will detect 85-90% of HIV infections at 3.5 weeks following exposure. thus if you have a negative test, and I predict you will, this is strong evidence that you did not get HIV from the exposure you describe. With regard to the blood test, this will tell you nothing useful about your likelihood of HIV infection. If it is not normal, the abnormalities you discover will be entirely non-specific and indicate nothing regarding your risk for HIV.
Hope these comments are helpful to you. EWH
To start with, I agree with all that Vance has said regarding your risk and the improbability that your condom came off. I really doubt that this was the case.
Secondly, symptoms really are meaningless. The symptoms of the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection. When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of persons seeking medical care for "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions). For a person to try to judge their HIV risk based on "ARS symptoms" is a waste of time. In your case, it is far more likely that you and your GF have some non-STD, non-HIV community acquired viral infection (the kind that we call "the flu" than anything else.
Finally with respect to your test. The folks at LabCorp are correct that current HIV tests will detect 85-90% of HIV infections at 3.5 weeks following exposure. thus if you have a negative test, and I predict you will, this is strong evidence that you did not get HIV from the exposure you describe. With regard to the blood test, this will tell you nothing useful about your likelihood of HIV infection. If it is not normal, the abnormalities you discover will be entirely non-specific and indicate nothing regarding your risk for HIV.
Hope these comments are helpful to you. EWH
Just as an update doc, I have an HIV antibody test with labcorp in about 15 minutes, they are offering it with a complete blood count red/white which stated its a good tool to see if I have an early infection if the HIV test comes out negative due to an early test. They said about 80-90% of infections can be detected around 3.5 weeks?
If i take a test at 3.5 weeks, could I get a good indication of my status?
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