HIV symptoms and Risk

[Mcdonalddan11]

Dear Doctors,

First of all I’d like to thank you for taking the time to respond to my queries, I know you must read the same things many times over.

My main concern is with symptoms my girlfriend is currently experiencing.

We’ve been dating for nearly half a year, and I’ve never been this happy before but I’m terrified something is going to go wrong, and that I may have gave her something!!

I’ve only ever had two prior sexual experiences, the first 11 years ago (which is the one I’m concerned about) and the other with my previous girlfriend. My first sexual encounter (11 years ago), was unprotected (due to condom breakage), with an 18-19 year old white female, non-Iv user (I think).

The second was with my previous long time girlfriend, however she was tested for all STI’S about 4 years into our relationship so I’m not concerned about those particular exposures.

My current girlfriend experienced, chills and (maybe a fever) for 24hours, a sore throat for 3 days, then eight days after the onset of the chills, she experienced a rash on both legs, precisely above each knee and ended about halfway below the middle of her thigh. The rash only lasted about 24 hours.

My questions mainly are:

1) Should I be seriously concerned about my previous sexual exposures?
2) Is 24 hours too short for an HIV fever?
3) Would a rash appear 8 days after the onset of the illness?
4) Would 24 hours be too short for the rash’s duration?

Again thank you for taking the time to respond to my queries, I’m feeling quite anxious about the whole thing atm.

Thanks

[Mcdonalddan11]

Thank you for your reply and your professional advise, I'll stop searching the web and I'll try and let my fears go.

Again thank you for taking the time to respond.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You are overly focused on your gf's symptoms.  As I said, my opinion that HIV is not the problem would be unchanged even if she had typical HIV symptoms.  She does not, for a whole variety of reasons -- including but not limited to things like the duration and location of the rash.  And rashes of various kinds occur all the time with strep, various respiratory viruses, etc.  You don't have to go looking for zebras like acute HIV infection. She definitely should see a doc or clinic if her symptoms continue, but not because HIV is a likely cause.

Please accept the reassurance and stop looking for reasons that my judgment might be wrong. I agree with your self-assessment about the futility of searching the web for HIV symptoms.  Your gf beds to see  

[Mcdonalddan11]

Thank you for the swift reply, and thank you for the assurance.

May I ask another question, just to clear something up for me?

Would the rash be generalised? Or could it be to a specific area?

Also I’ve done a bit researching on the Internet, which probably is not the best idea, but I thought that all ARS symptoms would occur together, at the same time? So a rash could occur 8 days later after the first symptoms?

Again thank you for the reply and I’ll try and take your professional advise onboard.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the HIV forum. I'll try to help.  I'm glad to hear you are as happy as you are with your life and romance.  There is nothing in your questions that suggests HIV or any other STD is going to interfere with them.  It is virtually impossible that you have HIV or transmitted it to your partner.

Early in training, all medical students are taught that if they hear hoofbeats, they should expect to find a horse, not a zebra.  That cute advice means that common symptoms are almost always due to the most common things.  Most headaches (the hoofbeats) are caused by tension or migraine (horses), not rare things like meningitis or brain tumor (zebras).

Your girlfriend's symptoms are very common with any number of garden-variety, everyday viral infections, strep throat, and things like that.  As you suggest yourself, an HIV rash and fever cannot clear up in a day or two; acute HIV symptoms last at least a week, generally 10 days or more. And when we also consider your sexual history, it is simply not a realistic possibility you have HIV.  Even if your partner had classical symptoms of acute HIV, it would be pretty much impossible for HIV to be the actual cause.

So the direct answers to your questions are 1) no, 2) yes, 3) could be but this doesn't matter, and 4) yes.

If your partner's symptoms continue, of course she should see a health care provider -- but with no concern about HIV or any other STD as the cause.  And if you find yourself still worrying about HIV despite this reassurance, just go get tested for it.  For sure the result will be negative -- but having that test result might be more effective in calming your fears than anything I can say.

Regards--  HHH, MD