please help! comlicated symptoms

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Dear Doc,

I'm a 27 yrs old gay man. 10 weeks ago, I had mutual unprotected oral sex with a guy. I had a white thing under my tongue the next day, right at the beginning root of the tongue tissue. I think that was due to using my tongue a lot during the encounter: licked his body extensively before oral sex. My tongue hurted when i moved it in my mouth. I had flu like symptoms and fever after 2 weeks of exposure and started having muscle like aches and tenderness in my armpits. More on my left armpit. I dont work out or do any labor type of physical work . I also have aches in my groin. But they appeared much later than the ones in the armpit: like at 8th-9th weeks.I dont feel a bump or lump in either sites, but I feel going on and off aches, and also tenderness when i poke/play with them. I went on vacation to Turkey after the incident, and went to see a physcian there, he said my glands in both areas look ok, i.e. they are not swollen. tenderness could be due to a minor infection or something. Got HIV antibody test at the same clinic in  Turkey. Result was neg. That was exactly after 5 weeks of my exposure. Assuming that the antibody elisa test is the same as in the US- 4th gen (hoping that not an older method or something), what are your comments about my situation? Is the 5 week antibody test conclusive enough? or at least a good indication? and also can i have swollen glands in the armpits/groin but cannot feel them, because they are deep inside the skin? can i make them hurt, (even if nothing is wrong with them), by touching, pressing and poking them with my hand?

Finally, last week I went to see a doc here in US, he said my glands are not swollen, but they did hurt when he touched/poked them. i told him, i cant help freaking out and it's been 10 weeks now, cant wait for the 12 weeks mark, so he ordered an hiv RNA test. this is a very accurate test not requiring the 12 weeks, right? What are your final comments about my situation? thank you!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Let me list the reasons you don't have HIV.  1) Although there is a risk of HIV from performing oral sex, it's really low, estimated at one chance in 10,000 if your partner had HIV; and receiving a BJ is even lower risk and may not occur at all.  (If anal sex didn't exist, HIV would cease to be a problem in gay men.  Oral sex is not efficient enough to sustaint HIV transmission in any population.)

2) Symptoms are not a useful indicator, and your symptoms don't suggest HIV anyway.  If a provider could not feel enlarged lymph nodes, you don't have lymph node inflammation due to HIV; simple pain in groin, armpits, etc probably are not related to lymph nodes at all.

3) Most important, with modern HIV tests, the negative test result at 5 weeks is virtually 100% proof you weren't infected.

You can be sure the RNA test will be negative, as well as any follow-up antibody testing your doc may request.  You don't have HIV, assuming you have had no other potential exposures since the one you describe.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

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I know this might be again considered as low risk and might be deleted from the forum without response but I'm not that much of a worrier for no reason, I'm simply in pain, I need advice, went to see a doctor but nothing changed, i still have aches in my armpits and groin. what could be the other cause of this other than hiv? pls help!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

"What could cause groin and armpit pain other than HIV?"  Oh, only about 100 other things.  But anxiety is by far the best bet.  Don't worry about it. Your own doc also has reassured you--that makes 2 of us. Just let it go.

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Thanks a lot doctor for your comments and advices. I really really appreciate it.

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once again, thanks a billion, i tested neg today with the rna test.