HIV risk and symptoms

[Adamanite]

Hi. About 4 weeks ago I had sex with a girl that was my girlfriend at this time, 3 times on 3 different days in one week. Every time we had unprotected vaginal sex for about 2-3 minutes, then I proceeded to put on a condom before I ejaculate. After each intercourse I washed my penis with soap and water and peed. I know that she only had 3 men before me and that she isn't careless because she is a pharmacy student and also before that we have had intercourses again but she always insisted on condoms all the time. I wouldn't have been worried, but 3 weeks after our last intercourse I suddenly developed a very high fever (39 degrees °C/ 102 F) sore throat and my one of my lymph nodes on the neck became severely swollen. I don't have any other symptoms. The high fever was gone the next day, dropped to about 37,5. I went to doctor this same day and he checked me and saw that my tonsils are all swollen and enlarged, but that's common for me, I have a lot of problems with them and they'll be taken out through this autumn. He gave me antibiotics and now the fever is after I started the antibiotic the very same day.
I was anxious about HIV, so I called my now ex-girlfriend and I asked her details of her sex life. She told me I was the 4th person that she had sex with, and only one other without protection - her 2 year long boyfriend with whom she broke 1 year before I met her. A month before we have unprotected sex for the first time, she told me she donated blood - I guess this blood is tested for HIV, right? I should feel relaxed by this information, but I don't because the symptoms I have correspond to HIVs symptoms very much. Can you tell me your opinion about it?
Also when would be appropriate to test? What's the fastest test I can take, are 4 weeks enough?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  Your risk from the exposures you describe is low.  Your partner sounds to be quite low risk for HIV, particularly since she has been tested in the recent past (yes, typically donated blood is routinely tested for HIV).  I suspect your sore throat is a coincidence and nothing more.  It is normal for lymph nodes present in the neck to swell with a sore throat. Further, since your only symptoms were fever, sore throat and swollen tonsils and neck lymph nodes, these symptoms are not the ARS which has other symptoms as part of it, including rash, muscle aches and diarrhea.  I would not worry.

If you choose to get tested, at 4 weeks you can get a combination HIV antibody/HIV p24 antigen test which will provide definitive evidence of your assessment status. I anticipate that when you get tested, the test will be negative, providing that you do not have HIV.  

Finally, a comment on your condom use.  Placing a condom on AFTER starting to have sex but before you ejaculate will not prevent STDs or keep your girlfriend from getting pregnant.  Please use condoms correctly, putting them on before and keeping them on throughout intercourse.  

I hope these comments help. Take care. EWH

[dale313]

Even if your girlfriend was HIV infected at the time you had sex with her the chances of you getting it from her a very little.  Only a 3 month test will be conclusive (if you are talking about a Rapid Antibody test) if you have HIV,  But a 4 week test will give a good idea of what the 3 month test will be but it will not be conclusive.  According to doctors on this website, about 80%-85% of the people who are infected with HIV will start showing antibodies in their system by 4-5 weeks after the sexual act.

I hope this helps!  Don't worry, it will not change anything! :-)

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your physician is being ultra consevative. My advice is to consider this result conclusive. I am confident that further testing, whenever you pursue it, will be negative. EWH

[Adamanite]

Hi again! I didn't do the p24 test, but I tested with normal test on 52th day after last exposure. It was negative, but the physician told me I should test again at 90th day. Was that testing utterly useless, or is it some kind of indicator of my status? Thank you!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Glad to help. Take care. EWH

[Adamanite]

Hello, thank you for the answer, I appreciate it. Just wanted to mention that my fever is gone now, it was only for like 24 hours, but now I had a diarhhea one time, but the doctor already warned me it might happen from the antibiotics that he perscribed to me, but there is really no way to know if it's from that. The feeling of not knowing what exactly is going on and not being able to test for some time is really stressing. Anyway, thank you!