Final Assurance

[jasonville]

Dear Doctor,
I have posted questions to you 5 month ago about my insertive oral sex exposure and all the symptoms I got 2 weeks PE,
My result was,
3 months PE, with ELCIA ag/ab, results NEG for both antibody and p24.
6 months 1 week, ELCIA  ag/ab NEG.Test for full blood count and results are within normal range.
I did ask the GP help to find other problem causing my symptoms but he don't recommend anything.Since my blood work is normal.
Sometimes I just lost, I don’t know what to do with my undiagnosed symptoms.
I moved to another GP but the only thing he recommend is keep on testing until 1 year?
So I try to simplified what has happened to me and my wife after my oral sex exposure.
2 weeks PE I started to develop symptoms
-Sore throat, fever, painful general lymphnode, Joint pain especially on my hand and feet,severe lower back pain and stiff neck, soaked night sweats(lasted 3 months), measles like rash,red spots appear all over my body,and body itch, diarrhea, fatigue, dry cough.
Did unprotected sex with my wife (1 week of PE), 1 1/2 weeks later she also having symptoms, which is sore throat, mild fever, body itch, red spots, lower back pain, headache, and frequent yeast infection.
I has been 8 month now but I am still having the symptoms of painful lymph nodes, dry cough, thick white coating tongue, white patch at side of my tongue with sore, sensitive and itchy skin (body wide), Insect bite like rash on my leg and face,stiff neck, back pain and joints pain.
I have been advised from my ID counselor to move on but I just want a final assurance from expert like you.
My questions is,
1.Do Hiv symptoms persist this long?
2.Will full blood test still show abnormalities (lymphocytes and neutrophils) even after 6 month PE and ongoing symptoms?
2.If I am a seronegative person since my symptoms persist, do I need to do RNA/DNA PCR test?
3.If I do got rare strain, is it too late for P24 to detect? since I done the test 3 month PE? or PCR test will do?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  I reviewed your earlier interchange on the International Forum, as well as your question above. This answer will be brief as the answers have already been given and are being repeated here.  First, there is no meaningful risk of HIV from either oral sex or receiving masturbation- none. By none I mean that here has NEVER been a case in which HIV has been transmitted this way.  You do not even know that your partner had HIV and even if she did, there is still no risk. None.

As for your questions. They indicate that you do not believe that there is no risk so you have decided to try to "make sure: you are not infected with testing.  Guess what?  the tests conform, as predicted, that you did not get HIV. thus, in answer to your questions:

1.Do HIV symptoms persist this long?
No, the symptoms of early HIV typically last a week, or two at the most.

2.Will full blood test still show abnormalities (lymphocytes and neutrophils) even after 6 month PE and ongoing symptoms?
The effect of HIV on white blood cells is unpredictable and should not be used to inform concerns about HIV risk.  Most people with recently acquired HIV have normal blood tests.

2.If I am a seronegative person since my symptoms persist, do I need to do RNA/DNA PCR test?
No, your blood test would have detected the infection.  A PCR test is a waste of money and will not show a different result.


3.If I do got rare strain, is it too late for P24 to detect? since I done the test 3 month PE? or PCR test will do?
Even "rare" strains, which are more of a myth than a reality, would at least give an equivocal antibody test result which then could be evaluated further. Your tests were negative. You do not have HIV.

I understand that you have persisting symptoms. They are not due however to HIV but to something else, What that might be is beyond the scope of this forum and is something you should discuss with your own doctor.

I hope my comments are helpful. EWH

[jasonville]

A related discussion, after a year from the event diagnosed with pneumonia was started.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Glad we could help.EWH

[jasonville]

Thank you doctor for your brief answer. It helping me to clear up the things which I am not clear about. I already been advised from in the community as well as expert forum, which I do not have a risk or low, it just makes me freak out when I read articles about possibility of HIV infection via insertive oral sex months ago. I also read other threads who don't belief their test results even test more than 6 month since their symptoms persisted, I can see that I am also in the same situation as them regardless of their risk, but if I think logically, and from the history of transmission, it will be extraordinary or almost impossible if I will be positive later, if considering of my risk and window period.
But Doctor, I will consider your answer to me as final.
This forum and the community forum helping me a lot in term of testing and risk.
I will continue follow up with my doctor to find out what actually causing my persisting symptoms. Thank You once again doctor.