HIV OR ANXIETY

[sid516]

Hello Doctor. For the past few months I have been living a very stressful life and I hope you can help me. Almost 5 months I went to my friends bachelor party and i got drunk and i had 2 minute unprotected sexual encounter with a stripper. I know I made a very stupid mistake. I have never done this in my life. After a week I got myself checked and everything came negative. I went again after a month and everything came negative again. After 2 months i went for another HIV antibody test and it came negative. After 3 months I went again cuz I couldnt take the stress. It came negative again. Its been five months and last week I got ulcers in my mouth and diarhoea for couple of days. I get headaches here and there like once a month. I see the symptoms online everything falls in the category of HIV symptoms. I even get night sweats once in a while. My doctor told me to come back after 6 months. I cant take this stress. I cant eat or sleep. please tell me what should I do.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You absolutely do not have HIV.  Your risk for infection after a single encounter was relatively low and your test results at 8 weeks and 3 months now PROVE that you do not have HIV.  You do not need further testing and whomever has suggested that you need to be re-tested at 6 months to be absolutely sure is being overly conservative.  

As for your symptoms, please understand that they are not due to HIV and that the symptoms of HIV are very, very non-specific and can be mimicked by the sorts of "every day", non sexually transmitted community acquired viral infections that we all get with regularity.  Further, if you are looking on the internet to try to sort out whether or not symptoms you detect could be due to HIV, please stop.  The internet is a powerful source of mis-information.   Believe your test results, not the internet.

I hope this comment is helpful.  You do not have HIV from the encounter you describe and you do not need any further testing to prove this.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You did not need testing at 5 months and do not need re-testing.  You need to seek health in what ELSE might be causing your symptoms.  Believe your tests.  EWH

[sid516]

I know doctor I shouldnt posting anymore questions and I also know you have the right to not answer this question and delete this thread. But I will really appreciate if you can this one last question and I promise you wont hear from me. For the peace of my mind I got tested at 5 months and 7 days again for HIV. I dont know what kind of test was it. I believe it was the  antibody test. It came negative. i was ok for few weeks until i noticed sudden weight loss and some other symptoms. i cant get this HIV thing out of my mind. My doctor told me to come back at 9 months and it just is killing me tht i had sex with a stripper and was high risk. Should i get tested again. plz help me

[sid516]

Thanks doctor

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The other sites are using out of date information and are being conservative in the advice the give since their advice is "generic" and needs to be applicable to everyone.   The advice on this site is tailored to your situation and the information you provide.  EWH

[sid516]

Thank you Dr. Hook so much. I just wanted to know why sites and doctors tell people to get tested at 6 months, if 3 months is enough time. I am gonna stop checking symptoms online because I am already going crazy. I am not gonna ask you any more questions because I know your busy. And I appreciate your help.