IS THIS HIV?

[crotonsweets88]

Hello Dr EWH or Dr HHH. I posted on the Std’s expert forum about my mistakes I made in November 16, December 8 and December 23,  The exposures on November 16 and December 8 were CWS and the exposure on December 23 was a random girl from the bar. I don’t think the condom broke when I was having sex with the CWS and I did not develop any sores on my penis thank god!!!! Well on the exposure on December 23 I had sex with the bar girl couple times that night and there was a lot unprotected genital rubbing, when were switching positions the condom came off and I had unprotected intercourse for about 5-10 seconds , 4 days later I develop a cold which it last for a week I wasn’t to worry about then but now 36 days past exposure I develop a fever , and went to the doctor this morning he diagnose me with upper respiratory infection, I have a cough and a high fever. Now I feel a little better no more fever but I still feel a little fatigue. You think this could be the start of a new hiv infection , I hear the this infection is with people who are recently infected with hiv  also I’m a 25 year old male who is uncircumcised so I know my risk is higher. I’m going to test for hiv on February 7 it will be 6 weeks past the exposure, do you think I have HIV.
Thank you very much

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

The answer is obvious from my replies above.  You don't need any more testing, unless it makes you nervous to not follow the official guidelines, which call for final testing 3 months or more after exposure.  It's up to you.

[crotonsweets88]

Well i call for my results today! They were all negative:) would you recommend testing again for HIV in 3 month mark or just moved on?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

For the reasons discussed above, you can expect it to be negative.  All the lab-based blood tests are nearly 100% reliable by 6 weeks; see the thread linked below, and the other thread use link is provided in that one.  For the reasons discussed above, you can expect it to be negative.  Same for your gonorrhea and chlamydia urine tests; if either is positive, it won't be from the genital rubbing event you are worried about.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1891685

[crotonsweets88]

Hello Dr HHH, today i got tested at this place the offer free testing for HIV, syphilis, Gono/chlamydia I used this place and often they used clear view test but not today they just took 2 blood samples and urine test. I don't know if there gonna used some other type of HIV test but if they do will still be reliable at 6 weeks past exposure?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to our other forum.

As discussed last month on the STD forum, the overall risk of STDs was low.  And among all STDs, HIV is just about the least common!  And as discussed with Dr. Hook, it is statistically unlikely your partner had HIV.  So even with the briefly unprotected sex without the condom, the chance you caught HIV was virtually zero.

As for your symptoms, they aren't at all suggestive of a new HIV infection, which does not cause cold or cough; and when it causes symptoms at all, the symptoms start at 10-20 days, not 5 weeks after exposure.

So I am very confident you did not catch HIV and your upcoming test will be negative.  Stay mellow while you wait for it.

Regards--  HHH, MD