HIV - Relative Risk

Hi there,
I'm a female who had an encounter with an acquaintance from out-of-state on June 20.  The sex was protected but at the *worst* possible moment, the condom broke!  His last HIV screening was a little over a year ago, he's not an IV drug user (though he does drink & that night happened b/c of alot of alcohol), I don't know how many partners he's had but he says he's used condoms fairly consistently-- I looked up his state facts online, & as of 2003 the prevalence in his area was low for hetero women. He's being tested again tonight, as I'm worried sick.  

The main problem is I woke up on July 9 (19 days after) with an odd sensation in my throat.  That led to difficulty swallowing & the feeling of a lump/something stuck in my throat.  The obstruction moves around, it startd out lower in my neck, moved higher the next day, & is almost always situated at the front, though it does shift from L to R.  I get choked if I drink too quickly, & at first, I choked when I tried to eat, though now I don't feel it when I eat solid food or drink thicker liquids.  I've had painful spasms in one side of my neck when I yawn & tenderness at the sides of the thryroid cartilege, but no true "sore throat."  The eustacian tube under one of my ears has been painful & that started after the lump sensation did, too.  

A few nodes in my neck seem swollen, & I can definitely feel at least 5 nodes in my groin.  My temp's been ok, no rash, no real muscle pain, headache, fatigue.

My questions for you are a) what is the likelihood all of these symptoms could just be coincidence? and b)

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

The chance of getting HIV from any particular sexual encounter is very low (less than 1 in 1000) even if the partner is HIV+.  Your symptoms don't sounch doubd like HIV infection, and I very much doubt you have it.  But feel free to get tested in a few weeks if you want further reassurance.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[need_help_pls]

After all the people you've said were at low risk and told them not to worry, has anyone ever written you back to say they later DID test positive?

I'm absolutely terrified!

[Adelo]

I was wondering the same thing, not to question the dr.'s knowledge, I am sure he knows more than I - but with that said, almost everyone is "at a low risk" it seems.

[Adelo]

with that said, if you had contracted HIV, and your lymps were swallowen you would probably be in really bad shape, and would presists for some time (and also grow to be visable  on your groin) I am thinking... It could be just baterial.

But I am no doc.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Yes, just about everybody who posts questions about HIV exposure in this forum indeed is low risk.  I have never seen a question about HIV acquisition chances on this forum from a gay man with multiple partners, from an injection drug user, or from someone who sais his partner had one of these risks; or from someone who actually had sex with a known HIV+ partner.  This is a low-risk HIV forum.

No, nobody has posted a follow-up on this forum to say they had become positive.

HHH, MD

[need_help_pls]

Dr Handsfield,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.  I had a new round of "symptoms" last night though & didn't know if it was something to start being concerned about, or some sort of panic-induced reaction/ anxiety attack instead?

Early in the evening, had to rush (walking VERY swiftly) to class (grad school), was fine until I hit the cold air of the classroom, at which point I started sweating profusely (I'm in pretty good shape, athletic & fairly thin?).  I alternated between chills and sweating at least the next hour or so... also felt pretty detached & was physically trembling??

Made it home, still trembling and my clothes were still damp from earlier.  All of a sudden, I had a searing "hot flash" (I'm 26?) up the back of my neck that radiated into my face, my face became very flushed, & I started pouring sweat.... took off most of my clothes, and whereas my face and neck stayed burning hot (and hot to the touch), the rest of my body alternated between chills and heat.  My face and the areas above my clavicles were literally *burning* as if I were having an allergic or chemical reaction to something-- they continued to be "tingly" for a good 40 min or so (I'm still catching occasional "waves" of that burn/ tingle sensation this morning?)  I was clammy and lightheaded and had to lay down-- popped a thermometer in my mouth at the height of all this and my temp was hovering near 99.8/ 100 degrees, but within 45 minutes or so, I'd dropped back down to 98.6 again?  This morning, I was at my normal 97.6... just like any other time I've ever taken my temp first thing in the a.m.?  That "spike" during my episode is the only temp variation I've really had. (my normal temp fluctuates thruout the day... 97.6 or so first thing, can be up to 98.8/99 in the late afternoon, esp when I first get in from work or school, then back to 98.6 at bedtime)

Would you be concerned about this being a "night sweat" (it happened around 9:30 p.m.), or something ominous and possibly "primary HIV" related, or does it sound more like my anxiety is kicking into overdrive??? That flushed color (please not rash!) in my face & neck was gone pretty quickly, but all of this has me worried nonetheless.

I'm still having intermittent "hot flashes" in the sides of my neck and in the bottoms of my ears this morning... any ideas?

[uncle7878]

A related discussion, Can I get HIV from unprotected cunnilingus? was started.