Aa
HIV Risk
Hi,
Would appreciate your advice as I’m currently worried like crazy about potentially having HIV. Ever since I’ve done more and more research, I’ve been very highly stressed and fidgety, and can’t stop myself from thinking about it all the time. I’ve started smoking again, and am going through about ten cigarettes a day because of all this stress. My family and coworkers have also noticed how stressed I look all the time.
In early 2018 I had an encounter with a Taiwanese girl at a massage parlor. There was no penetrative sex involved, but she did give me a handjob and unprotected oral. She licked the shaft of my penis, but at no point was my penis actually inside her mouth. She might have also rubbed her genitals against mine for a few minutes unprotected, but I really cannot remember if that happened.
The following month, I had sex with a girl (not a commercial sex worker). Our sex was mostly protected, apart from closer to the end where the condom was removed for a few minutes and I finished inside her. I’m not sure of her status.
I did have one encounter before these two, but the person I slept with has since done tests and has told me that she is completely free of STDs, so I’m pretty sure that if I am infected, it’s most definitely from either of these two encounters mentioned above. Please note that I’m uncircumcised and have phimosis.
Since then I’ve had the occasional flu or cold (maybe twice or thrice over the course of the year), none of which were severe or lasted more than 2 weeks. I did have a bout of gastroenteritis which was about 7 months after the second encounter listed above.
More than a year on and I’m starting to notice strange symptoms, especially ever since I started researching HIV. I seem to have lost weight, especially around the lower arms and legs, chest, a little at the abdomen, and a little around the buttocks. My muscles (random throughout my body) also seem to twitch quite a bit. I am also experiencing frequent loose stools / diarrhea, and am also passing much more wind than I used to before (strangely only when I’m not at work). I have about 2–3 bowel movements per day with rarely any abdominal pain and never have to rush to the toilet, but when I do go, my stool ranges from semi-solid (soft narrow stool, or slightly more solid stool passed with a bit of liquid), to completely liquid (this happens less frequently). Sometimes my stool sinks to the bottom, but other times it floats and smells rather foul, especially when my stool is more liquid. The loose stools / diarrhea have been going on for the past couple months.
The veins on my lower arms (especially my right forearm which is my dominant arm) are also much more visible than before, and I can see various veins on my lower legs too (these veins are visible but are not protruding like the veins in my arms, and please note that I’m a bit tanned). The veins in my arm mostly disappear when it’s cold or when my arms are elevated, although I can see them through my skin. I feel like I might have also lost weight around my eyes (my eyes feel dry at times) and temples, but I’m really not sure if I’m just paranoid. My cheeks seem to look the same as they did before.
I’ve read about HIV-associated lipodystrophy, and while I do not have a buffalo hump between my shoulder blades or a taut belly from visceral fat, I don’t know if this could indeed be lipoatrophy. That said, please note that I stand at 6’ tall and weigh 149lbs (as per the last time I measured my weight which was in February 2019), so I’ve always been relatively skinny, although these changes seem to be rather sudden and are quite noticeable. They seem to have started very suddenly about two months ago, not long after I started a new job and have been looking up all these HIV symptoms.
My heart rate seems to also have gone up, ranging from 70 to over 90 when I’m at rest, and reaching about 110–120bpm from taking just a normal walk around the office. At times my skin feels warm/hot in certain areas even despite the absence of a fever. I’ve had night sweats very occasionally from time to time, but mostly after a terrible dream and only around my head, and none recently. I have also suffered from chronic hives of unknown origin since I was about 12. I’ve also had trouble falling / staying asleep for a few years now. I know these could also be signs of hyperthyroidism, but I do not have any swelling at the base of my neck, and have not experienced any trembling in my hands for months, although I have before.
I have also noticed several (I counted about 7) white spots on my body that look like sun spots. All of them singular spots (not in clusters) no bigger than 4mm in diameter, and are very slightly raised but do not itch or flake. They are totally white, and have a clearly defined border. I also spotted what looks like tinea verisolor on my back, but also in two small singular patches no larger than 15mm across that are not located anywhere near each other. These also do not itch at all. I’ve no idea how long all these spots have been around.
My appetite has generally remained as good as it always has, and I haven’t commenced a new diet or fitness regimen that might contribute to the weight loss, although I’ve been drinking alcohol far less frequently than I used to before (I was never a very heavy drinker to begin with, although I used to have a couple glasses of whiskey or beer a couple times a week). I generally do not feel weak or tired at all throughout the day, and am able to perform all my normal daily tasks with roughly the same ease as before, although all this paranoia is taking a toll on me emotionally, making it so difficult for me to even get out of bed in the morning and is affecting my ability to focus at work. I also seem to have survived through the flu season even despite a few close coworkers falling under the weather, although I understand that during the asymptomatic phase people generally don’t fall ill.
With all these symptoms and considerations in mind, do you think I might have HIV?
Would appreciate your advice as I’m currently worried like crazy about potentially having HIV. Ever since I’ve done more and more research, I’ve been very highly stressed and fidgety, and can’t stop myself from thinking about it all the time. I’ve started smoking again, and am going through about ten cigarettes a day because of all this stress. My family and coworkers have also noticed how stressed I look all the time.
In early 2018 I had an encounter with a Taiwanese girl at a massage parlor. There was no penetrative sex involved, but she did give me a handjob and unprotected oral. She licked the shaft of my penis, but at no point was my penis actually inside her mouth. She might have also rubbed her genitals against mine for a few minutes unprotected, but I really cannot remember if that happened.
The following month, I had sex with a girl (not a commercial sex worker). Our sex was mostly protected, apart from closer to the end where the condom was removed for a few minutes and I finished inside her. I’m not sure of her status.
I did have one encounter before these two, but the person I slept with has since done tests and has told me that she is completely free of STDs, so I’m pretty sure that if I am infected, it’s most definitely from either of these two encounters mentioned above. Please note that I’m uncircumcised and have phimosis.
Since then I’ve had the occasional flu or cold (maybe twice or thrice over the course of the year), none of which were severe or lasted more than 2 weeks. I did have a bout of gastroenteritis which was about 7 months after the second encounter listed above.
More than a year on and I’m starting to notice strange symptoms, especially ever since I started researching HIV. I seem to have lost weight, especially around the lower arms and legs, chest, a little at the abdomen, and a little around the buttocks. My muscles (random throughout my body) also seem to twitch quite a bit. I am also experiencing frequent loose stools / diarrhea, and am also passing much more wind than I used to before (strangely only when I’m not at work). I have about 2–3 bowel movements per day with rarely any abdominal pain and never have to rush to the toilet, but when I do go, my stool ranges from semi-solid (soft narrow stool, or slightly more solid stool passed with a bit of liquid), to completely liquid (this happens less frequently). Sometimes my stool sinks to the bottom, but other times it floats and smells rather foul, especially when my stool is more liquid. The loose stools / diarrhea have been going on for the past couple months.
The veins on my lower arms (especially my right forearm which is my dominant arm) are also much more visible than before, and I can see various veins on my lower legs too (these veins are visible but are not protruding like the veins in my arms, and please note that I’m a bit tanned). The veins in my arm mostly disappear when it’s cold or when my arms are elevated, although I can see them through my skin. I feel like I might have also lost weight around my eyes (my eyes feel dry at times) and temples, but I’m really not sure if I’m just paranoid. My cheeks seem to look the same as they did before.
I’ve read about HIV-associated lipodystrophy, and while I do not have a buffalo hump between my shoulder blades or a taut belly from visceral fat, I don’t know if this could indeed be lipoatrophy. That said, please note that I stand at 6’ tall and weigh 149lbs (as per the last time I measured my weight which was in February 2019), so I’ve always been relatively skinny, although these changes seem to be rather sudden and are quite noticeable. They seem to have started very suddenly about two months ago, not long after I started a new job and have been looking up all these HIV symptoms.
My heart rate seems to also have gone up, ranging from 70 to over 90 when I’m at rest, and reaching about 110–120bpm from taking just a normal walk around the office. At times my skin feels warm/hot in certain areas even despite the absence of a fever. I’ve had night sweats very occasionally from time to time, but mostly after a terrible dream and only around my head, and none recently. I have also suffered from chronic hives of unknown origin since I was about 12. I’ve also had trouble falling / staying asleep for a few years now. I know these could also be signs of hyperthyroidism, but I do not have any swelling at the base of my neck, and have not experienced any trembling in my hands for months, although I have before.
I have also noticed several (I counted about 7) white spots on my body that look like sun spots. All of them singular spots (not in clusters) no bigger than 4mm in diameter, and are very slightly raised but do not itch or flake. They are totally white, and have a clearly defined border. I also spotted what looks like tinea verisolor on my back, but also in two small singular patches no larger than 15mm across that are not located anywhere near each other. These also do not itch at all. I’ve no idea how long all these spots have been around.
My appetite has generally remained as good as it always has, and I haven’t commenced a new diet or fitness regimen that might contribute to the weight loss, although I’ve been drinking alcohol far less frequently than I used to before (I was never a very heavy drinker to begin with, although I used to have a couple glasses of whiskey or beer a couple times a week). I generally do not feel weak or tired at all throughout the day, and am able to perform all my normal daily tasks with roughly the same ease as before, although all this paranoia is taking a toll on me emotionally, making it so difficult for me to even get out of bed in the morning and is affecting my ability to focus at work. I also seem to have survived through the flu season even despite a few close coworkers falling under the weather, although I understand that during the asymptomatic phase people generally don’t fall ill.
With all these symptoms and considerations in mind, do you think I might have HIV?
COMMUNITY LEADER
You didn't posses a risk for HIV transmission. Oral sex irrespective of giving or receiving is not a risk. Also, condoms protects from HIV transmission.
You have read a lot about this virus online and seem to have created an imaginary disease of your own in your mind.
Your symptoms are unspecific to HIV, please see a doctor to diagnose and treat them effectively. Your own diagnosis means nothing.
You don't have an HIV concern and testing isn't necessary for you.
You have read a lot about this virus online and seem to have created an imaginary disease of your own in your mind.
Your symptoms are unspecific to HIV, please see a doctor to diagnose and treat them effectively. Your own diagnosis means nothing.
You don't have an HIV concern and testing isn't necessary for you.
1 Comments
My apologies, I missed the part where you said "Our sex was mostly protected, apart from closer to the end where the condom was removed for a few minutes and I finished inside her. I’m not sure of her status".
Please get tested at 28 days from the date of your exposure and move on. It's highly unlikely to contract the virus from such a brief exposure.
Rest of the information I gave you remains constant.
- Symptoms are unspecific to HIV
- See a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
- Stop reading about HIV online, your own diagnosis means nothing.
Please get tested at 28 days from the date of your exposure and move on. It's highly unlikely to contract the virus from such a brief exposure.
Rest of the information I gave you remains constant.
- Symptoms are unspecific to HIV
- See a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
- Stop reading about HIV online, your own diagnosis means nothing.
COMMUNITY LEADER
HIV cannot be determined from symptoms. Symptoms are often confusing and misleading because most of the HIV related symptoms are similar to those, caused by common infections. Moreover, many actually infected persons remain totally asymptomatic and look healthy.
If you had an exposure, (unprotected penetrative sex) get your self tested any time after 4 weeks of the last exposure, collect your conclusive report and move on with your life. The test report will lay your all worries to rest permanently.
If you had an exposure, (unprotected penetrative sex) get your self tested any time after 4 weeks of the last exposure, collect your conclusive report and move on with your life. The test report will lay your all worries to rest permanently.
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