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Acute HIV in the Middle East?

Hello Doctors,

I am a circumcised heterosexual Indian male in my 30s. During the second week of September 2012, I went to Dubai for a friend's bachelor party and ended up hooking up with a female sex worker. I think she was Russian. I was really drunk and dont remember whether I used a condom. In fact, I'm not even sure whether we had penetrative sex, but its certainly a possibility.  (A friend of mine at the party vaguely remembers me telling him late that night that I did NOT have sex with the lady, but he was really drunk himself and cannot be sure). We did partake in oral sex.

Well anyway, I was pretty worried about this encounter when I got home. About two months later - in the second week of November - my head got really congested with a really bad runny nose and i was sneezing a lot for about 5 days. I felt really crappy and like I had fever but i took my temperature a few times and it was normal. Also, my throat felt a bit strange but it wasnt really sore per se.

Then, about four months after the Dubai encounter - second week of January 2013 - I had a liver function test done. I am a heavy drinker and i get these tests done about once a year. They are always normal, except this time my AST and ALT were both slightly elevated (AST - 50 and ALT - 71). I was very concerned and have not had a drink since i got the tests back. I went online trying to find out how serious these levels were (as I just couldnt wait for the two weeks until my appointment with a liver specialist). Anyway, i couldnt find much info on the exact elevation levels, but i did come across sites which said that elevated LFTs could be a sign of acute HIV infection. So again I panicked and decided to turn to this site for help.

So doctors, my question is, do the symptoms I experienced 2 months after my possible exposure or the elevated LFT results 4 months after the possible exposure indicative of possible HIV infection? Should I get tested?

Many thanks for your help. .
6 Responses
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300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Last answer.  You are being silly.  As i said above, abnormal LFTs are not a typical part of acute HIV.  This will end this thread. EWH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Last very quick question/confirmation (I promise).

So based on your answers above, is it possible to say with complete confidence that, IF my LFTs were elevated as a result of acute HIV infection (which i have read is possible), there is no way that they would have stayed elevated for 4 months post-exposure. Is that correct?

Thanks again - and that will be my final question.
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If you re-read my answers I hope you'll see that the symptoms you report do not suggest recently acquired HIV.  As for timing, 8 weeks is at the outer limit of when we might see the ARS and then only rarely.  Certainly any symptoms later than that are not due to recently acquired HIV.  EWH
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Avatar universal
Doctor,

I guess what I am asking is, based on the symptoms, coupled with the timing of those symptoms, can you reassure me that it is (almost) a sure thing that these are not HIV related?

Thanks so much Doctor.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for your fast response.

Just a quick follow-up. You discussed symptoms but not timing in your answer. Does the timing of the symptoms (i.e. 8 weeks and 16 weeks after exposure) also suggest that these are not HIV related, or are these occurring within the window period.
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum.  I suspect that the two events you mention are unrelated and that you do not have HIV.  You really do not even know that you were exposed and even if you were, the fact is, few CSWs in Dubai have HIV.  The symptoms you describe in November sound far more like a cold or other community acquired, non-STD viral infection than HIV. Early HIV typically is accompanied by high fevers, muscle and joint aches, rash and other symptoms.  While I am not trying to talk you out of testing for HIV and other STDs as I think they are useful for anyone who may have been exposed to new or potentially infected sex partners, this is not something I would worry about a lot based the history that you provide.

With respect to your elevated LFTs, the degree of elevation you mention is modest and is unlikely to be a sign of recently acquired HIV.  Liver function abnormalities are not a typical sign of early HIV and in your case, between your travels and your acknowledged heavy alcohol intake, I suspect one of these is a more likely cause of the abnormalities than anything else.  If the tests are still abnormal when you repeat them, my advice would be to seek the advice of a health care provider.

I hope my comments are helpful.  EWH
Helpful - 0

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