Aa
strange symptoms - very anxious
Hi,
8 weeks ago I had unprotected oral sex with a man with ejaculation in my mouth. Some 5 days after, I developed a very sore throat, mild fever, tiredness, and one swollen gland on one of the sides of my neck (right below my ear towards the jaw). The "flu" went away on its own after some 10 days, however, I started developing unpleasant mouth ulcers. As soon as one would heal, another one would appear. This lasted for almost 2 months and at one point I had 6-7 sores all over the inside of my mouth which was extremely unpleasant and worrisome. In addition to this, that one lymph node under my ear towards the jaw remains slightly swollen still, even though not painful or sensitive to touch. All of these symptoms looked like acute HIV infection to me, so I got tested after 30 days of possible exposure and was negative. I repeated the test on weeks 6 and 7 post-exposure (week 6 being a Ag/Ab combo and week 7 taking an actual Western Blot test: all non-reactive). In week 8 I took another Ag/Ab and my result was 0.23 (anything under 1.0 is nonreactive). Considering how many symptoms of a possible HIV acute infection I had, should I keep testing? I have read that sometimes it takes from 3 to 6 months for seroconversion to be complete enough for antibodies to be visible on these tests and that only PCR is conclusive. On the other hand, I also read that modern tests are highly precise and can detect antibodies from as early as 30 days post-exposure. Should I still be worried 8 weeks post possible exposure?
Also, if not acute HIV, then do these symptoms resemble any other STI? If so, which bloodwork do I need to do?
Thank you very much! I am super anxious and would appreciate any word of advise!
8 weeks ago I had unprotected oral sex with a man with ejaculation in my mouth. Some 5 days after, I developed a very sore throat, mild fever, tiredness, and one swollen gland on one of the sides of my neck (right below my ear towards the jaw). The "flu" went away on its own after some 10 days, however, I started developing unpleasant mouth ulcers. As soon as one would heal, another one would appear. This lasted for almost 2 months and at one point I had 6-7 sores all over the inside of my mouth which was extremely unpleasant and worrisome. In addition to this, that one lymph node under my ear towards the jaw remains slightly swollen still, even though not painful or sensitive to touch. All of these symptoms looked like acute HIV infection to me, so I got tested after 30 days of possible exposure and was negative. I repeated the test on weeks 6 and 7 post-exposure (week 6 being a Ag/Ab combo and week 7 taking an actual Western Blot test: all non-reactive). In week 8 I took another Ag/Ab and my result was 0.23 (anything under 1.0 is nonreactive). Considering how many symptoms of a possible HIV acute infection I had, should I keep testing? I have read that sometimes it takes from 3 to 6 months for seroconversion to be complete enough for antibodies to be visible on these tests and that only PCR is conclusive. On the other hand, I also read that modern tests are highly precise and can detect antibodies from as early as 30 days post-exposure. Should I still be worried 8 weeks post possible exposure?
Also, if not acute HIV, then do these symptoms resemble any other STI? If so, which bloodwork do I need to do?
Thank you very much! I am super anxious and would appreciate any word of advise!
your regular provider is just fine for this. odds are it's not std related at all but certainly follow up on it properly.
Thank you very much for the fast reply!
If this is not HIV, then all these moth ulcers+sore throat and the swollen gland could be from another STD. I considered going to a gynecologist but considering this is throat-related I decided taking a bunch of genital swabs won't really help (I go every 6 months and so far everything has always been fine). What type of a doctor should I go to if I suspect having an STD in my mouth (I know it's embarrassing but I actually don't know)? Also, should I see an endocrinologist about the lymph node?
Thank you!
If this is not HIV, then all these moth ulcers+sore throat and the swollen gland could be from another STD. I considered going to a gynecologist but considering this is throat-related I decided taking a bunch of genital swabs won't really help (I go every 6 months and so far everything has always been fine). What type of a doctor should I go to if I suspect having an STD in my mouth (I know it's embarrassing but I actually don't know)? Also, should I see an endocrinologist about the lymph node?
Thank you!
you really don't have to worry about hiv from oral sex. no reason for more testing or to think that your symptoms are due to hiv.
have you been following up on your symptoms with your provider?
we recommend protected oral sex!
grace
have you been following up on your symptoms with your provider?
we recommend protected oral sex!
grace
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You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
