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curious of ars like symtoms at 11 weeks
Hello doctors,
I had a sexual experience, after drinking fairly heavily that night, with an older female I knew for a few weeks here in northern/ mid Cali. The parts are rather fuzzy, but I know I started with a condom and I remember ejaculating on her stomach without the condom. I cannot remember if I took it off, or if it fell off during sex. I checked it the next morning and there were no tears in it. She is a white female, doesn't do anything but drink, no drugs or cigarettes. She is also about 34 years old with kids. But I know that she has had a few partners in the past, most of all non-condom sex (so she told me afterwards).
I took a standard hiv antibody test at 7 weeks and 1 day through a lab company online, which sends their bloodwork off to labcorp. The results were negative/ non-reactive, which made me breath a sigh of relief. However, at week 11, I started getting off and on mid grade fevers (never above 99 degrees) and several bump like things on my chest and colar area, like a rash, but I have never had a rash in my life. They itch some, but this has me abit concerned.
Does the ars always start and finish between 2-6 weeks? Can it ever be extended out to 10-11 weeks?
Considering that I can't recall taking the condom off before I ejeculated, I have to consider that it did. Are there any odds to state on this type of exposure? I see that it is 1 in 2000 without any condom, but what about the 7 week test? Does this rash like thing and mid grade fever have nothing to do with ars? I hope I am being overly paranoid.
Thanks in advance!
I had a sexual experience, after drinking fairly heavily that night, with an older female I knew for a few weeks here in northern/ mid Cali. The parts are rather fuzzy, but I know I started with a condom and I remember ejaculating on her stomach without the condom. I cannot remember if I took it off, or if it fell off during sex. I checked it the next morning and there were no tears in it. She is a white female, doesn't do anything but drink, no drugs or cigarettes. She is also about 34 years old with kids. But I know that she has had a few partners in the past, most of all non-condom sex (so she told me afterwards).
I took a standard hiv antibody test at 7 weeks and 1 day through a lab company online, which sends their bloodwork off to labcorp. The results were negative/ non-reactive, which made me breath a sigh of relief. However, at week 11, I started getting off and on mid grade fevers (never above 99 degrees) and several bump like things on my chest and colar area, like a rash, but I have never had a rash in my life. They itch some, but this has me abit concerned.
Does the ars always start and finish between 2-6 weeks? Can it ever be extended out to 10-11 weeks?
Considering that I can't recall taking the condom off before I ejeculated, I have to consider that it did. Are there any odds to state on this type of exposure? I see that it is 1 in 2000 without any condom, but what about the 7 week test? Does this rash like thing and mid grade fever have nothing to do with ars? I hope I am being overly paranoid.
Thanks in advance!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Congratulations on your negative test results. I'm glad to have helped.
Dr. HHH,
I wanted to follow up with my test results that I just did. Everything came back negative. Also so this thread might help others that would be in my situation, with worry, etc.
So, that is a negative result at 12 weeks, so that would be conclusive.
I want to thank you for the site and putting up with worrisome people like me.
I wanted to follow up with my test results that I just did. Everything came back negative. Also so this thread might help others that would be in my situation, with worry, etc.
So, that is a negative result at 12 weeks, so that would be conclusive.
I want to thank you for the site and putting up with worrisome people like me.
Sorry Doctor Handsfield, I did not mean any offense in my residual questions. I tend to get paranoid, and at first reading of your post, I honestly got a little bit more worried, but in seeing your follow on post, maybe I seemed to be indeed overly paranoid.
To be honest, I first realized my mistake with this woman about 1 week afterwards, and put myself though misery for the next 6 or so weeks. I couldn't wait the full 8 weeks (also because I started seeing a woman who I really like), so I tested at 7 weeks. It might seem trivial, but I had to wait some for the 7 week results to come in, and I honestly don't know if I can handle that again. Sorry, I am not a strong person, but I have a new face on sexual life.
Bottom line, you are the doctor, I am not. You have loads more experience in these areas, as of which I do not. So, yes, your voice carries a big stick in my world, that was why I was asking you versus putting myself through the agony of waiting for another set of results coming back.
To be honest, I first realized my mistake with this woman about 1 week afterwards, and put myself though misery for the next 6 or so weeks. I couldn't wait the full 8 weeks (also because I started seeing a woman who I really like), so I tested at 7 weeks. It might seem trivial, but I had to wait some for the 7 week results to come in, and I honestly don't know if I can handle that again. Sorry, I am not a strong person, but I have a new face on sexual life.
Bottom line, you are the doctor, I am not. You have loads more experience in these areas, as of which I do not. So, yes, your voice carries a big stick in my world, that was why I was asking you versus putting myself through the agony of waiting for another set of results coming back.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
"If the onset of symptoms can exist at 10 to 11 weeks? I guess that is what I was asking." And I have already answered. Did you read my reply?? Is it really necessary for me to say the same thing in different words?
The max ARS timeline really is 6 weeks or less, in fact usually less than 4 weeks.
As for finding my "preceding comments" of concern, that's not a rational response. They were intended as strong reassurance;. You are corrrect that absence of a penile sore is strong evidence you didn't catch syphilis, and an itching rash is not typical for syphilis. Still, wouldn't you rather have a test to prove it instead of just my opinion? If it were me, I would not feel a need for any STD/HIV testing at all. But I'm not you, and you'll have to decide.
Feel free to report the results of any final/additional HIV/STD testing you decide to do. Until then I'll no more comments or advice.
The max ARS timeline really is 6 weeks or less, in fact usually less than 4 weeks.
As for finding my "preceding comments" of concern, that's not a rational response. They were intended as strong reassurance;. You are corrrect that absence of a penile sore is strong evidence you didn't catch syphilis, and an itching rash is not typical for syphilis. Still, wouldn't you rather have a test to prove it instead of just my opinion? If it were me, I would not feel a need for any STD/HIV testing at all. But I'm not you, and you'll have to decide.
Feel free to report the results of any final/additional HIV/STD testing you decide to do. Until then I'll no more comments or advice.
Doctor, a couple of fine tuned questions:
First, I honestly want to walk away from this knowing that I don't need further HIV testing. That is why I brought up the 11 week possible symptoms. If the onset of symptoms can exist at 10 to 11 weeks? I guess that is what I was asking.
Now, I see that you wrote "You can expect negative results on all tests", and I am not trying to misjudge anything you say, but the preceding comments did, to be honest, have me a slight bit worried. I know really nothing about other STD's, except that it "can hurt when you pee", and, for syphilis/ herp, you will get a sore(s) of sorts on the penis. I have not seen a sore of any sorts on my penis, at all, and I have never had pain while peeing. I am now seeing a girl, of which we have agreed to be monogamous and want to start unprotected sex. Before I do this, I want to ensure that I will not pass along anything. I know the only true factor to this is for us to get tested, which we will, but everything up to this point has been protected.
I just wanted to focus in on your predicated comments of syphilis. Can syphilis happen without sores on the penis? and can rashes form this late afterwards of sexual incidents (for any STD)? Again, I understand that you stated that all tests should come back negative, but I tend to focus on the more pessimistic aspects of anything.
And again, to add to the above fine tuned questions, to completely calm my nerves of anything that can't be medically cured (i.e. hiv), how long is the possible ars timeline likely to happen? Is the max timeline truly 6 weeks?
Thanks again, doc.
First, I honestly want to walk away from this knowing that I don't need further HIV testing. That is why I brought up the 11 week possible symptoms. If the onset of symptoms can exist at 10 to 11 weeks? I guess that is what I was asking.
Now, I see that you wrote "You can expect negative results on all tests", and I am not trying to misjudge anything you say, but the preceding comments did, to be honest, have me a slight bit worried. I know really nothing about other STD's, except that it "can hurt when you pee", and, for syphilis/ herp, you will get a sore(s) of sorts on the penis. I have not seen a sore of any sorts on my penis, at all, and I have never had pain while peeing. I am now seeing a girl, of which we have agreed to be monogamous and want to start unprotected sex. Before I do this, I want to ensure that I will not pass along anything. I know the only true factor to this is for us to get tested, which we will, but everything up to this point has been protected.
I just wanted to focus in on your predicated comments of syphilis. Can syphilis happen without sores on the penis? and can rashes form this late afterwards of sexual incidents (for any STD)? Again, I understand that you stated that all tests should come back negative, but I tend to focus on the more pessimistic aspects of anything.
And again, to add to the above fine tuned questions, to completely calm my nerves of anything that can't be medically cured (i.e. hiv), how long is the possible ars timeline likely to happen? Is the max timeline truly 6 weeks?
Thanks again, doc.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Greetings. Welcome to the forum; thanks for your question.
With the modern HIV tests in regular use, negative testing -- if enough time has passed since the last possible exposure -- always overrules everything else. In particular, exposure history and symptoms become meaningless. Even if someone has had a very high risk exposure and typical symptoms of HIV, ARS, or AIDS, negative testing is proof against infection.
That's the situation here. You had (mostly?) protected sex with someone at low risk of having HIV; and a negative antibody test at 7 weeks is nearly 100% reliable. And as you seem to already realize, it would be very atypical to first develop ARS symptoms at 11 weeks. Onset is just about always within 3 weeks.
So the odds you were infected or that HIV explains your symptoms are well under one in many million -- zero for all practical purposes. Almost certainly your rash and other symptoms have nothing at all to do with the sexual exposure. However, it is conceivble you were at risk for other STD, and rash and fever conceivably could be due to syphilis. It would make sense for you to visit your local health department STD clinic for testing for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia -- and perhaps a final HIV test, just for the additional reassurance it will provide. You can expect negative results on all tests.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
With the modern HIV tests in regular use, negative testing -- if enough time has passed since the last possible exposure -- always overrules everything else. In particular, exposure history and symptoms become meaningless. Even if someone has had a very high risk exposure and typical symptoms of HIV, ARS, or AIDS, negative testing is proof against infection.
That's the situation here. You had (mostly?) protected sex with someone at low risk of having HIV; and a negative antibody test at 7 weeks is nearly 100% reliable. And as you seem to already realize, it would be very atypical to first develop ARS symptoms at 11 weeks. Onset is just about always within 3 weeks.
So the odds you were infected or that HIV explains your symptoms are well under one in many million -- zero for all practical purposes. Almost certainly your rash and other symptoms have nothing at all to do with the sexual exposure. However, it is conceivble you were at risk for other STD, and rash and fever conceivably could be due to syphilis. It would make sense for you to visit your local health department STD clinic for testing for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia -- and perhaps a final HIV test, just for the additional reassurance it will provide. You can expect negative results on all tests.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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