Substantial Symptoms

[USA765]

About 9 or so weeks ago, i encountered 2 women (of unknown status) at a bar. We were all drinking pretty heavily, and i made out with both of them for quite some time. I am sure i had an open sore in my mouth because i bite the inside of my lower lip and chewed it pretty bad.10 days after the encounter i had a productive cough, with some sinus symptoms. The following week however, i had fatigue for the whole week and a lack of appetite. I have heard the latter symptoms referred to as "mild hiv symptoms". Then, my tongue became a light color of green, which is difficult to scrape off, and comes right back.Again i was not too worried. Now, my tongue is still green, and i got a lump and two very small ulcers in my mouth that healed in about 5 days (this was a week ago.)  And the worst symptom i am having is my face.My face is light red above the eyebrows, on the cheeks and nose and above the upper lip. I also have slightly raised areas on my cheeks (almost like pimples, but not) and is oily. I have been getting blemishes around my lips also. I foolishly looked up the symptoms and came out with sebhorreic dermatitis. It affects me in the same area, but does not look quite as bad as the pictures. Now i'm sure you can imagine how freaked out i have become learning that 85 percent of HIV positive people get this condition. What should i do ?

I am concerned now that i may have contracted the virus AND passed it on...
Do my actions warrant testing ? i have been tested 3 times in the past six months...but not after this encounter
Do HIV positve people with normal CD4 counts get SD, and would i have it this early if i contracted the virus ?
Do my symptoms and her symptoms sound like "mild ars" ?
Is it possible to get the virus from kissing even though i KNOW i had an open sore ?
Does being intoxicated increase my risk ?
I saw a NAVY doc, and she referred me to a mental health professional. Should i listen to her advice or is it possible she overlooked my concern ?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You have nothing to worry about.  I will explain this statement below but before I do, let me give you my advice which is to go on and get an HIV test.  The fact that you have been tested three times in the past year already, as well as the concerns that is apparent in your question suggests that you need reassurance.  Getting tested now, 9 weeks after your exposure will provide that assurance.  A test at this time will provide you with a result at  a time when 98-99% of positive tests that are going to occur will have already occurred.  It will be negative and that result, combined with the very low risk of your exposure should be taken as proof that you did not get HIV from the exposure you mention.

Now for why you need not worry.  For starters, you do not know that your partners were HIV infected and chances are that they were not.  Secondly, even in the unlikely situation that they were infected, you would not get infected from the exposure you describe.  HIV is not spread by kissing and even oral sex is quite safe with infections occurring no more than 1 in every 10,000 exposures and probably less often.  Some experts feel there is no risk from oral sex.  For you, even with a mouth sore there is no risk, just as is the case if your lip bled or was cut.
                                                                                                                                  
Finally, your symptoms are non-specific and should not be taken as an indication that you have HIV.  They are totally non-specific.  You can search this site and find this issue discussed with painful frequency.

Lastly, don’t worry about seborrheic dermatitis.  While SD is relatively common in SD, it is by no means an indicator of HIV.  Most persons with SD do not have HIV.

Get a test, put this behind you.  You are not at risk.