Does this sound like Acute Retroviral Syndrome?

[alta2calg]

Hi Dr.

I am a 22 year old male and was the receptive partner of unproteted anal sex with a male partner who I do not know to be HIV positive, but I guess you never really know for sure about someone. I'm a bit paranoid about the whole thing, It was a stupid mistake and I'm afraid I have ruined my life.

I have went over the dates in my head a million times so I know that it was exactly nine weeks and five days after the possible exposure I woke up with a sore throat and a few red bumps on the front of my thigh. Which looked like a general viral rash. It was a pretty mild sickness, no fever, so I was able to go to work for the day. When I got home from work later that day I checked my temperature and at that point a fever had developed, but it was mild, hovering around the 99.5-100.5 F mark. I took some advil to reduce the fever and it didn't come back after that. The sore throat went away within about 48 hours.

Before I woke up with the sore throat I felt completely fine, and after the sore throat resolved itself I had a bit of a cold/runny nose for a day or two. As far as I know my glands were not swollen or tender at all throughout any of this and I was pretty adamant about checking my neck, arm pits and groin.

The one thing Im not sure about is the rash/red bumps. I was very anxious about the whole thing and although they were not itchy I scratched them off and they scabbed. I did this repeatedly so I'm not sure how long the rash lasted vs. the scabs just healing themselves.

*The timelines I have read on ARS online kind of confuse me. I have read within the first couple of weeks, 2-4 weeks and 2-6 weeks. Would the symptoms ever begin after 9 weeks? Would they ever resolve themselves within a day or two.

Thank you for all your help.

[alta2calg]

Thank you Dr.
You have put my mind at ease. Happy Holidays in the months to come.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, I have not.  You need to stop worrying.  EWH

[alta2calg]

I am certainly going to be tested within the next couple of days. That is an encouraging statistic doctor.

I guess (if a follow up question is allowed) I am just curious as to whether or not in your experience you have seen ARS symptoms begin that late after exposure? Are symptoms occuring at 10 weeks something that could happen?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I am always perplexed when I get questions from clients who are worried that they have the ARS.  The symptoms of the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection.  When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of at risk persons seeking medical care for "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions).  In addition, it is also important to realize that many persons who acquire HIV do not experience the ARS.  For a person to try to judge their HIV risk based on "ARS symptoms" is a waste of time.  

Your symptoms have their onset late to be the "ARS" which, as you note, typically occurs at 2-4 weeks following exposure.  Your question however suggests considerable anxiety over the exposure you mention so, rather than worrying as you are, why not get tested.  You state it is more than 8 weeks since your exposure.  Thus at this time a standard HIV antibody test will give you totally reliable results.  Rather than continuing to worry, why not just get test. The odds that you have been infected through the exposure you describe are very low and testing will resolve your reasons for concern.

I hope this comment helps.  EWH