Mono/HIV-like Symptoms

I posted before in another thread. I am a 19 y/o white male and had unprotected sex with a 19 y/o asian female. it lasted under 10 mins. this was exactly a month ago. 3 days after exposure i got really sick. was tested for mono but came back negative. doc told me i had non-strep A bacterial infection. he gave me azithromaxin (Z-PAK) and i was better in a week. then a week later (during finals at college) i started feeling tired, weak, swollen glands in neck, armpits and groin i think, no fever though in my mouth, but i felt warm. it looks like my tongue is white, and im not sure whether or not my testicles or swollen, but it feels like it sometimes, i also feel a very mild irritation on the tip of my penis. i still have these symptoms and its been a month since exposure. The girl, who is a friend, said she was clean, but im not sure if i believe her or not.
im freaking out...

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Glad you got in with a new thread.  Apologies for making you do it.  It not only helps forum users to avoid thread creep, but the limit on no. of new posts is based on the amount of time I have to respond.

Your symptoms do not sound like a classic STD.  However, the timing of symptoms certainly is compatible with you catching a viral respiratory infection from her, by the old fashioned route (e.g., kissing)--or you could have caught it from anybody in your environment in the 2-5 days before symptoms started.

You should re-check with your doc about your current symptoms; your mono test might have been done too soon to be positive; or you could have mononuleosis due to a variety of viruses that don't give a positive mono test (called "heterophile negative mononucleosis").  In any case, whatever is causing those symptoms probably were not acquired from the sexual exposure you describe.  The chance you acquired HIV is very close to zero, but if that's what's on your mind, be tested; the negative result will be more reassuring than anything I can say.

Just curious, what does your partner's asian ethnicity have to do with anything?  There are no race-based determinants of STD or HIV risk.  Anyway, if she is a friend--and views you as a friend--you almost certainly can accept her reassurance at face value.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[tfe]

I'm not a doctor, but this is the third "my everything hurts and I think I'm dying" post, so I'll write you while you're waiting for an official response from the Doctor.

1. Stop freaking out! That never helped anyone.

2. Symptoms do not equal HIV disease. In fact, it equals the bacterial infection that the doctors said you had.

3. If everyone who got tired and sick when cramming for finals though they had HIV, we'd all be in tough shape. Stress can take it's toll on your body, and it seems like you've had quite a bit of it.

4. You have no way of knowing if that girl was clean. In terms of HIV infection, see Dr. Handsfield's post on http://www.medhelp.org/forums/STD/messages/774.html, which says: "Even if you had unprotected vaginal sex and the woman was HIV-infected, you probably had less than 1 in 1000 chance of getting HIV."

5. Get tested so we can say "I told you so," relax, study hard and put this behind you :)

Stay well,

F.

[glg]

Thank you for the response. However, I have developed new symptoms. I have a burning sensation from the tip of my penis. It seems to be irritated. I'm concerned it has to do with the urethra. Also, im having general pain in the groin area.
What does this mean? Together with the other mono/HIV-like symptoms....scared, again...