Aa
Worrisome of HIV infection and Anxiety Levels off the roof
Hello Doc, first of all I would like to thank you and the rest of the staff for helping worried and stupid souls like myself.
First encounter, unprotected vaginal sex with a girl for a couple of minutes, both in long term relationships, we perfromed sex a couple of minutes without protection, then put on a condom. My gf was living abroad, when I knew she was coming to visit got all nervous and thought about HIV (always been afraid of this disease). Spoke to the girl and asked her if she really was HIV-, asked her if she could have another test done, which she did, at least that is waht she says, came out negative.
Second encounter, again, my gf living abroad, broke up, met a girl through some friends, always protected sex, last time we had sex, she got her period, I was wearing a condom all the time, everything again was OK, then found out me gf was coming to try and solve our situation, panick attacks began again regarding ARS. This becasue, 3 1/2 weeks post exposure I got a sore throat (burning feeling in the back of it)for 2 days, runny nose for a couple of days and a cough that lasted one more week, so I thought inmedtiately ARS, started searching the web and all I could think about was HIV infection. No fever, nor rash, nor swollen nodes.
Third encounter, unprotected sex for a minute then put on a condom with a girl I know for a long time. 3 weeks later I experienced again a burningg/scratchy throat, nasal congestion, beginning to have runny nose and a bit of a cough, are these symptoms ARS related?
By the way, all my panicks from the first two encounters began each time I was going to see my former gf again, could this had been because of a guilty feeling? what were my risks of exposure? Could I be HIV infected? I know symptoms are not goof for knowing that, but are they consistent with HIV infection? Additional info, I am a circumcised male.
I get all paraonoid regarding diseases and people tell me I am a hypocondriac. Regards,
First encounter, unprotected vaginal sex with a girl for a couple of minutes, both in long term relationships, we perfromed sex a couple of minutes without protection, then put on a condom. My gf was living abroad, when I knew she was coming to visit got all nervous and thought about HIV (always been afraid of this disease). Spoke to the girl and asked her if she really was HIV-, asked her if she could have another test done, which she did, at least that is waht she says, came out negative.
Second encounter, again, my gf living abroad, broke up, met a girl through some friends, always protected sex, last time we had sex, she got her period, I was wearing a condom all the time, everything again was OK, then found out me gf was coming to try and solve our situation, panick attacks began again regarding ARS. This becasue, 3 1/2 weeks post exposure I got a sore throat (burning feeling in the back of it)for 2 days, runny nose for a couple of days and a cough that lasted one more week, so I thought inmedtiately ARS, started searching the web and all I could think about was HIV infection. No fever, nor rash, nor swollen nodes.
Third encounter, unprotected sex for a minute then put on a condom with a girl I know for a long time. 3 weeks later I experienced again a burningg/scratchy throat, nasal congestion, beginning to have runny nose and a bit of a cough, are these symptoms ARS related?
By the way, all my panicks from the first two encounters began each time I was going to see my former gf again, could this had been because of a guilty feeling? what were my risks of exposure? Could I be HIV infected? I know symptoms are not goof for knowing that, but are they consistent with HIV infection? Additional info, I am a circumcised male.
I get all paraonoid regarding diseases and people tell me I am a hypocondriac. Regards,
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You are asking the same question again and again. As I said above "Your worried are groundless. Your exposures are low risk and your symptoms are most likely coincidental, amplified by your anxiety. If you cannot stop worrying, get tested but only if you are willing to believe the results when you get them."
You cannot get infected with HIV because another person swallows your ejaculate. I have nothing more to say. EWH
You cannot get infected with HIV because another person swallows your ejaculate. I have nothing more to say. EWH
Sorry, girl swallowing she presented the symptoms I told you 14 days after that esxposure.
I am afraid becasue a girl swallowed my cum, 1 days later had a bit of a fever, felt chilly for one day, small body malaise, and runny nose, took lots of meds and 2 days later was almost totally cured. Coudl this be ARS? is it ver dangerous for her to have swallowed my cum?
Thak you very much Doctor for all your assistance. All I have ahd is sore throat, runny nose, congestion, and cough. Would 14 days be in ARS timeline? having the symptoms mentiones would give some calm regarding ARS? like meaning it is nor ars related? Also, if you had some fever, runny nose, slight aches and took lots of medicine, lasting only 2 days, would that be a sign of ARs or would it las longer?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sore throat yees- runny nose and congestion - no. These are the symptoms of a plain old, every day cold. EWH
Are those symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, congestion, and cough) seen in primary HIV infection? I will not bother you anymore, just need an answer to that. As far as what I have read, thay are not consistent with HIV infection, which calms me down a bit, it is just the timeline that worries me.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your worried are groundless. Your exposures are low risk and your symptoms are most likely coincidental, amplified by your anxiety. If you cannot stop worrying, get tested but only if you are willing to believe ther results when you get them. EWH
Please doctor, any insight towards my other threads, going crazy. Are sore throat, runny nose, and coudh ARS related?
Also,when you mean that my risk very, very low, what exactly do you mean? First girl is supposedly HIV negative, parttook with her in unprotected sex only for a few minutes, she had not been to that date a particularly sexually active person. the girl with the preiod during intercourse, always, even that time had condom on me, just got paraoid becasue of the blood, and the symptoms I had. last girl, that was 3 weeks ago, had unprotected sex at most, for 1 minutem then protected sex, she who I know for quite some time, told me I had nothing to worry about, she has nothing wrong and is getting married soon.
Would sore throat, runny nose (both of them lasted like 3 days), and cough that lasted like 5 days, are these ARS symptoms? I am so afraid, have not had fever nor rash. Only skin burning sensation in my upper back, maybe it is anxiety or stress, since it has been very tough-. Please answer these last two posts, cause they are important. Could it be just coincidence and the fact that I am a hypocondriac and always think the worst, that I got these cold symptoms?
Would sore throat, runny nose (both of them lasted like 3 days), and cough that lasted like 5 days, are these ARS symptoms? I am so afraid, have not had fever nor rash. Only skin burning sensation in my upper back, maybe it is anxiety or stress, since it has been very tough-. Please answer these last two posts, cause they are important. Could it be just coincidence and the fact that I am a hypocondriac and always think the worst, that I got these cold symptoms?
thank you very much for your quick reply. I sure hope you are right becasue this is really stressing me out, anything I feel I inmediately think about HIV, if my partner gets a cold I think I infected her. the thing is as follows:
the first girl i told you about, that I even asked her if she could take a test, we have become really good friends and she is quite knowledegable about HIv, even told me that becasue I am circumcised I have a third of a risk than women. Have asked her several times about if she really took the test or not, always answering yes, even saying she took tests later on regardin a blood disease that runs in her family, could get trombosis in long flights, so was checked for everything and was in perfect health. the girl with the perios would be the one that could worry me more, but always used a condom with her, it jsut worries me that after that sex I developed sore thraot, runny nose and cough 3 weeks after, but that is the reason, The third girl is the one I trust the most, she even is one of my formers gf best friends, and i know she does not sleep around, and she will get married in two weeks, has constant checkups with her gyno, known this from many years ago, so I would not think she is hiogh risk.
Since I am so afraid of this disease, is that I worry too much, and coincidently, with this last girl and the period girl, 3 weeks after I developed dore throat, congestion, and cough.
What do you think about this? i am a nervewreck, In both scenarios where I parttook in un preotected sex, it was only for 1 at most 3 minutes. Any new insight?
the first girl i told you about, that I even asked her if she could take a test, we have become really good friends and she is quite knowledegable about HIv, even told me that becasue I am circumcised I have a third of a risk than women. Have asked her several times about if she really took the test or not, always answering yes, even saying she took tests later on regardin a blood disease that runs in her family, could get trombosis in long flights, so was checked for everything and was in perfect health. the girl with the perios would be the one that could worry me more, but always used a condom with her, it jsut worries me that after that sex I developed sore thraot, runny nose and cough 3 weeks after, but that is the reason, The third girl is the one I trust the most, she even is one of my formers gf best friends, and i know she does not sleep around, and she will get married in two weeks, has constant checkups with her gyno, known this from many years ago, so I would not think she is hiogh risk.
Since I am so afraid of this disease, is that I worry too much, and coincidently, with this last girl and the period girl, 3 weeks after I developed dore throat, congestion, and cough.
What do you think about this? i am a nervewreck, In both scenarios where I parttook in un preotected sex, it was only for 1 at most 3 minutes. Any new insight?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome o the Forum. I'll try to provide some perspective. Before I do however, a word of caution- condoms can only be counted on to do their job when they are used throughout the entirely of sex. I note that on more than one occasion you report starting to have sex, then using a condom- while your exposures are rather low risk, this is not a good practice. Please put on condoms before you start to have sex.
Now for your risks. The exposures you describe are rather low risk for HIV and, for that matter, for other STDs as well. Most people do not have HIV or STDs and your partners do not sound particularly high risk. Father, if by some coincidence one of these women had HIV, the risk of a single unprotected exposure is less than 1 in 1000 and probably lower, both on a statistical basis and because your exposures were partially protected.
As for the symptoms you report, the cold and flu symptoms you describe do have some of the characteristics of the symptoms of early HIV. Having acknowledged that however, the problem is that these symptoms are very non-specific and can be mimicked by many other illnesses, including the sorts of viral illnesses that most people get from time to time and, in some cases, by anxiety. When studies of at risk persons with flu-like illnesses have been performed, less than 1% turn out to have HIV.
Is your anxiety and tension related to your relationship with your GF also playing a part- yes probably.
So, what to do. First, please understand that your risk is very, very low. Second, to really be 100% sure, you should be tested. An HIV antibody test at any time more than 6-8 weeks after exposure will provide definitive results and, in your case, almost certainly rule out HIV (if you can be tested by a DUO test which tests for both HIV p24 antigen and HIV antibody, results would be definitive at 4 weeks.
I hope my comments are helpful. I am quite skeptical that you are any meaningful risk for HIV. EWH
Now for your risks. The exposures you describe are rather low risk for HIV and, for that matter, for other STDs as well. Most people do not have HIV or STDs and your partners do not sound particularly high risk. Father, if by some coincidence one of these women had HIV, the risk of a single unprotected exposure is less than 1 in 1000 and probably lower, both on a statistical basis and because your exposures were partially protected.
As for the symptoms you report, the cold and flu symptoms you describe do have some of the characteristics of the symptoms of early HIV. Having acknowledged that however, the problem is that these symptoms are very non-specific and can be mimicked by many other illnesses, including the sorts of viral illnesses that most people get from time to time and, in some cases, by anxiety. When studies of at risk persons with flu-like illnesses have been performed, less than 1% turn out to have HIV.
Is your anxiety and tension related to your relationship with your GF also playing a part- yes probably.
So, what to do. First, please understand that your risk is very, very low. Second, to really be 100% sure, you should be tested. An HIV antibody test at any time more than 6-8 weeks after exposure will provide definitive results and, in your case, almost certainly rule out HIV (if you can be tested by a DUO test which tests for both HIV p24 antigen and HIV antibody, results would be definitive at 4 weeks.
I hope my comments are helpful. I am quite skeptical that you are any meaningful risk for HIV. EWH
You are reading content posted in the HIV - Prevention Forum
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
