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Avatar universal

Am I infected by HIV ?

Doctor, I’ve been living a nightmare since last October, 9th, when I had a potential risk exposure situation - vaginal short contact (seconds) with a woman sex worker in Brazil. Three weeks later I started to fell all kinds of symptoms, like: fever, dry skin in all my body, rashes, and, the worst of everything, a lipoatrophy in my hands, arms and face and a great concentration of fat tissue in my stomach, backs and neck. I got more than 10 kilos since that time. However, I made four Elisa Assays of 4th Generation (including p24 detection) during this time (the last result I got yesterday - 104 days, almost 15 weeks after the exposure) and all of them were NEGATIVE. Another strange thing was that I found the woman and asked her to perform the test in December, 18h (70 days after the exposure) and her result was also negative ( I presumed that she was also in a window period). However, due to the strange fat tissue mutations I’ve been suffering and also for recent herpes lips manifestations, I’m really sure that I was infected and the result will be POSITIVE in a few days or months. What do you think ? Would be possible to conclude this in our opinion ? Should I perform a NAT test ? Is it possible to present a so fast occurrance of lipodistrophy ? Thank you for the answers and sorry for the English mistakes.
11 Responses
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300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It is suprising to me that your would think that your are infected because of non-specific findings such as changes in your body fat when you have multiple negative blood tests on both yourself and your partner which PROVE (without a doubt) that you do not have HIV.  My adivce to you is to stop worrying and talk with your doctor about the changes in your body fat that you have noted.  There is simply no way that you got HIV from the exposure you mention.  As Monkeyflower has suggested many of your complaints (including increased recurrence of oral herpes) are likely to be due to your anxiety.

There is NOTHING to suggest that you have HIV.  Please do not worry about it. Further testing is a waste of time and money.  EWH
Helpful - 1
79258 tn?1190630410
While you wait for the doctor's reply, thought I'd just mention that 1. you don't have HIV, as evidenced by a negative test at 15 weeks, and 2. lipodystrophy isn't associated with HIV, but with the meds used to treat HIV. I also wonder if anyone actually diagnosed you with lipodystrophy. Sometimes our perception of our bodies and what's normal doesn't mesh with objective reality. As for the weight gain, some people eat more when they're anxious/depressed. Or maybe there are other medical issues--but HIV isn't one of them. You might consider counseling and meds if you can't let this concern go.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
A related discussion, Still much worried ! Shoul I retest ? was started.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you a lot Doctor. Your answers were great and a read them a lot of times during this difficult time of my life, to not get crazy. You do an excellent job, the world really needs more professionals like you. Thank you again.  
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This will be your last response as part of this thread.  You do not have HIV.  You have much evidence that this is the case.  Whether or not there is something else going on or whether this is all a result of your great anxiety I cannot say.   I suggest you see your own doctor to sort this out.  This is not HIV and no further testing is needed.  To continue to pursue the possibilitiy of HIV will only delay getting this sorted out and behind you.  EWH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Doctor, as I you predicted, the PCR was negative... But I´m still not feelling very well, with stomachand vision problems now... I also have some red points in my arms... Should I do a retest after 6 months or just move on, being sure that any finding in my body will have other reasons then HIV ? Thank you again...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you a lot, Doctor. I will follow your reccomendations.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have the same situation like you,but I believe I do not have now. You  do not have. You may seek doctor for your autoimmun disease derived from your extreme anxiety.
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As I said before, more testing is a waste of time. Your PCR will be negative.  Thus when you have negative antibody tests and negative PCR, why even ask which is more sensititive - you do not have HIV.   If you are concerned about changes in your body, go see your doctor- the changes you note may be due to some other illness, of as I mentioned bbefore, anxiety.  They are not due to HIV.  I have nothing more to say.  EWH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you a lot for your positive answer.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you a lot for your reply doctor. I will try to move on and believe on tests I took until now. It is something really difficult to do since I suffered all the body mutations I mentioned to you just, after the exposure. The worst thing is about my arms: they are so thinner that I had to change my watch regulation. I really try to be reasonable, but it is really difficult to move on in a situation like this. Just another question: just after I made the question to you, I went today to a Lab and made a Quantitvative PCR for HIV (sorry, could not avoid, I´m living a nightmare). Is it a more reliable test than Elisa ? It takes 6 days to be concluded - can I present the result for your analysis ?        
Helpful - 0

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