Condom came off and I fingured her

[yromantic]

Dear Dr.

On August 13, I met with an escort.  I fingered her for about 4 minutes.  I have a habit of removing dry skin around by finger and finger muscle might be exposed.  

I had a condom but the condom was missing when she came out of me.  This made me scared since then.

1.  I paid her to get tested on August 14 with Antibody blood test and also I took for the second time the Home Access Hiv kit on August 15.  Both her test came negative.

2.  I am having all kinds of symptoms.  Immediately after two days my throat started hurting.  I had a fever for a brief period after one week.  Then I came down with Cold, cough and throat pain.  I went with my Dr. and he felt some swollen lymph nodes in neck.  After almost over 8 weeks my thorat is still not healed and I found new Blisters and some swelling in my mouth.  There are some pimple like rash in my neck but they healed after four days.

3.  After 71/2 weeks of worry.  I decided to get a Home Access HIV Antibody test.  It came Negative.

My question is Should I be worried?  Do I need additional testing?  Please help me.

Thanks.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Not HIV.  Talk to the health care provider who prescribed the amoxicillin.  This forum cannot help you further.

[yromantic]

Since last week I had have strep like ulcers on the soft palate of my mouth.  they are small round ulcers on soft palate.  After that i started taking Amoxilin (antibiotic)  they went away but i had diarrhea for 4 days.   my throat is still hurting for about 3 weeks.  i am still concerned about the whole issue.  can you give me some kind of assurance that this is not related to hiv.

thanks

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You had accurate responses on two different community forums. Even if you had been at risk of catching HIV, your negative test results prove you didn't catch it.  7+ weeks is plenty of time; you don't need additional testing for HIV.  And you were at no risk anyway.  Fingering never is a risk, regardless of picking at your nails etc; the sex itself was condom protected; slipping of the penis out of condom during withdrawal does not carry significant exposure risk; in the US and most western industrialized countries, few escorts have HIV; and your partner's test showed she doesn't have it.  

Symptoms almost never are useful in deciding whether someone has HIV, because the identical symptoms occur with many other conditions that are much more common.  And test results always outweigh symtpoms.  Your test results prove that something else was the cause of the symptoms.

If you really had a pimple-like eruption of the face (especially on or near the mouth) and if there really are blister-like lesions in your mouth, it is possible you acquired oral herpes, which you might have caught by kissing if your commercial sex partner has oral herpes.  However, that would not cause continuing symptoms for 2+ months.  If the symptoms continue or you otherwise remain concered, continue to follow up with your personal care provider.  But put HIV out of your mind.  No chance.

Regards--  HHH, MD