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HIV/Syphilis Exposure

Please help me.  I'm a married mum of two that has had really bad problems with her marriage over the last two years.  I started an affair 14 weeks ago. I can't remember when we first started having unprotected sex but I think it was about 5-6 weeks ago.  I only agreed as he said he went to a GUM clinic and was negative from all tests.  I've since found out he only did urinary and not blood tests so wouldn't have been tested for anything I'm worried about.

Last Thursday, my lover showed me a rash over his arms and chest which I googled and it looks like syphillis//hiv rash.  He went to the doctors this morning and he said the dr gave him cream and antibiotics but he can't remember what the rash was called.  I asked him if it was contagious and he said no, otherwise he would have said something.  I don't want to even see or talk to him again.   My thoughts are why would the dr give him antibiotics if it was priatry rosea or something like that.  It obviously must be infectious????

As soon as I saw the rash, I booked the next available GUM appt which was on Saturday just gone.  I did a HIV pin prick test (the UK 12 weeks test) which came negative, but obviously I now realise I tested way to early.  What is scaring me now is I've not eaten in the last five days (pretty much ANYTHING), I have a white tongue and its throbbing so Im certain its thrush and the palm of my hands have had constantly painful pins and needles.  I've had no rash or fever, but these symptoms are documented symptoms of HIV?

I have slept on average 4 hours a night since I saw that rash and my results are not back until Thursday.  I'm now contemplating a HIV DUO test as I'm not getting any restbite.  I've now realised how much I love my husband and our family unit and I dont want to jeapordise that at all.  What's your advise?

I'm in London, UK.

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Avatar universal
Yes..
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I know the hiv testing period is 3 months! I am asking you if you have ever seen a 3rd gen antibody test at a 4 week neg turn to pos at 3 months or 6 months?
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Good stuff, have a nice weekend :)
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Update!!! Negative duo and syphilis tests at 28 days!!  Thank you ALL for your support .  It's so appreciated given I had no one to talk to x
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If you tested on the NHS forst time at 4 weeks it would have been a duo btw x
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Dont be scared, just get it out of the way, the longer you leave it, the worse you will feel. Its going to be a  BIG FAT NEGATIVE anyway!
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I'm too scared.
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You know yet Debbie? Ring them and get on their case!
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Just b strong 4 ua family.u cant kill uaself with worry.-ve test is encouraging.hd all syptoms but hv resolved 2 relax.
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Hi there. I got the duo but results not with me until the end of the week at least. I think because its a bank holiday today it might be even later.
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Insti's as far as I know are quite new to the NHS, I had one done in Preston, the Nurses were reluctant to use them to be honest. The first one she did, she messed up and the blood clotted ontop of the thing. The second one was ok.

Did you get a DUO aswel?
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Thank you both.  I guess the guilt is too much to bear.
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No you couldn't pass anything on to him. Scarlet Fever is scarlet fever..
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Another quick update from me.  

I went to the GUM clinic on Friday and I broke down in front of the nurse.  I couldn't take it anymore so she called in a counsellor who I spoke to.  The counsellor advised that I dont do lots and lots of tests as its making me more anxious and that I should just to the DUO test I was to take that day.  Its obvious I'm trying to close the window where I had unprotected sex.

Anyway, I went back to the nurse who couldn't find a vein etc, and had to call someone else in to take the blood.  She also did another INSTI test.  I should have stopped her (as per the advice given by the counsellor) but I didn't.  The nurse then started to look EXTREMELY worried and started to take out the instruction leaflet that comes with the test.  She then asked me to go back to the waiting room.  I TOTALLY flipped out and started hyperventilating and I said I wasn't going anywhere.  She brought in the same counsellor I'd spoken to.  Turns out that the result was negative (I even read the instructions for myself and the counsellor talked me through the instructions as well).  The nurse thought that the test had failed.

So that really got me going but I was comforted in the fact the second INSTI was negative (even though I know its still way to early for it to give any kind of meaningful result).  But tonight my 4 year old came over in a bumpy rash, had a fever and red/white painful tongue.  This has now reignited my anxiety - I ran him straight to hospital and they said he has Scarlet Fever which I have read online is rare.  They didn't take any blood tests.  Could I have passed something onto him??
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Avatar universal
Yes people do and can get thrush during ARS.

Post-test discussion

The need for a repeat HIV test if still within the window period after a specific exposure should be discussed. Although fourth generation tests shorten the time from exposure to seroconversion a repeat test at three months is still recommended to definitively exclude HIV infection.

http://www.bhiva.org/documents/Guidelines/Testing/GlinesHIVTest08.pdf
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hai mum,here are the answers to all your questions,your 4 week pinprick antibody test is encouraging average is 25 days and you have crossed that mark, my guess is you are almost in the clear. sores related to syphilis occurs 2 to 3 weeks after exposure, the window period that mimics hiv is hepatitis,Thrush is not ars symptom thrush related to hiv occurs only at late stage of infection. Body pain,loss of apetite etc are anxiety related not hiv related. Symptoms associated with hiv ars are high fever,rashes and sivere sorethroat and some times swelling of lymph nodes so your experiences are not ars related.  duo test is also called 28 test and is as sensitive as a standard antibody test so you info on its high false positive is wrong.
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Avatar universal
I HAVE ANSWERED ALL YOUR QUESTIONS,hai, you are likely not to have syphilis since syphilis sores start around 2 to 3 weeks.the infection that mimics hiv window period iS hepetitis.. So you got it wrong. Thrush is not a ars symptom, hiv related thrush occurs only at late stage of the infection.migrane,muscle ache,loss of apitite is due to the anxiety you are going through.Most people who catch the virus get high fever,sivere sore throat and rashes, your symptoms are not ars related either....
Duo test is reliable its sensitivity is as good as a stand alone antibody test and its also called the 28 day test ... Your 4 week pinprick test is encouraging, you are most likely to have a negative test.
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Yes I agree it is a very good indicator. However, since the manufacturers claim 3 months and since that is the CDC's recommendation as well, I would still do a test at a 3 month mark to get the conclusive, negative result. But a negative test at 4 weeks is definitely reassuring as can be seen from the guidelines of those countries.
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Im sure thats what we said? A 4 week negative duo is a fantastic indicator and will rarely change.
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I absolutely agree with you - I would take it again at 3 months as well.
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Post-test discussion

The need for a repeat HIV test if still within the window period after a specific exposure should be discussed. Although fourth generation tests shorten the time from exposure to seroconversion a repeat test at three months is still recommended to definitively exclude HIV infection.

http://www.bhiva.org/documents/Guidelines/Testing/GlinesHIVTest08.pdf
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Whomever advised that the test would be concluse before 3 months is a quack. There are NO TESTS WHAT-SO-EVER that can give a conclusive negative test earlier than three months and that includes the DUO test.
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No one advised that the result would be conclusive before 3 months, or that she shouldn't test at 3 months.
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I really know how you feel because I've been there. You are in a state of mind where you are not being rational about the actual risk - you are thinking the worst possible. Therefore it is probably better not to think of it because it will just become worse and worse. Rest assured, the odds are in your favor. Don't worry about the rash. One of my friends have a rash on his back that comes and goes and he got antibiotics for it too. I'm not sure exactly what the infection is but I think a lot of bacteria can cause it. I also found a pattern of red bumps on my upper arms but it seems many at the gym have it as well. People aren't perfect - we have bumps, rashes etc. from the constant exposure to germs.
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