lost control of my mind

[JohnDoe2378]

dear doctor
I am an American who came to india to study in Med School....
I have had hell in the past 6 months and it has got in the way of my studies and life

6 months ago i had protected sex with a lady i didnt know and anxiety got the best of me
so i kept on getting tested, what scared me is once i got a western blot about 3 months ago and my p-24 band was reactive, but the doc said i could ignore it because my MEIA was negative, and still 3 months after MEIA and ELISA is negative, now ive been releived from that hell.....(should i be worried?)

but now a couple of days ago i got a handjob from a massage place
and it wasnt mutual masturbation but she was playing with the tip of my penis and had her finger
and palm all over my urethra, i didnt see and blood and im shure there wasnt and vaginal fluid, but with my crazy imaginaative mind who knows....
the same night of the handjob i got a fever, was nauseated, and was sweating in my bed, and now i have a rash on my arm, is this relevent?

my main questions which would put my mind to rest by hearing the answer from you are

1. has anyone ever under any circumstances got HIV from receiving a handjob?
2. is it even really possible practically speaking?
3. are my symptoms to be worried about?
4. should i get tested?
5. should i even be worried?
6. can i forget about the whole p-24 problem?
please dont answer to make me feel better, tell me the exact truth

thankyou so much

my exams finished a week ago and im about to come back for break to America
i just wanna enjoy without any worries

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your experience provides a useful example of why we do not recommend testing for persons who are not at risk.  Rarely, people without infections have  equivocable or false positive reactions which create huge amounts of anxiety and apprehension.  In addition, the more a low risk person gets tested, the more likely one of these chance occurrences is to happen.  This is the case in your situation.  You were at low risk to start with and didn't need testing.  You now have had enough negative tests to KNOW that you are not infected and need to get control over your apprehensions and anxieties.  As for your questions:

1.  No, never
2.  No
3.  Your rash is in no way related to your exposure
4.  No, absolutely not.  You should have learned your lesson by now.  Get tested if you are at risk- you are not, therefore testing is a waste of time, resources and emotional energy.
5.  No
6.  Yes, absolutely

I have no need or desire to make you feel better.  As a soon to be medical professional you should know that the testing and your concerns have no basis and should not be of concern.

Finish your exams, go on your holiday and do not worry about this (and stop your exposures to the commercial sex workers, the worries that follow your exposure almost certainly are too high a price to pay for any enjoyment you receive).  EWH

[JohnDoe2378]

Thankyou so Much Doctor Hook, ima forget about the whole thing, im pretty shure its just my anxiety, one of the reasons i want to become a Doctor is because of the self gratification you get from helping people, you helped me so much with your answer, i feel much better now, God Bless you and Dr. HHH

p.s. i cant wait to come back to America for my vacation

[JohnDoe2378]

one last question please

i got the handjob around 2pm in the afternoon, and later that night I had got a fever, was sweating, and was very nauseated, the next morning the fever was gone but I had vomitted that day...

1.do these things have anything to do with HIV?
2.and please re asssure me, no one has ever got HIV from a Handjob?
  (even if they were touching the tip of the penis, the urethra..or under any other
   circumstances)

[Edward W Hook, MD]

1.  No, it is not plausible for HIV symptoms to arrise so soon after and exposure.  Furthermore and importantly, HIV is not and has never been transitted by handjobs.
2.  See above, no!

Nothing to worry about.  EWH