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Is it HIV Rash?
Hello. I'm an out of shape 35yo male, who was possibly exposed during 4-5 minutes of unprotected anal sex... I can not exactly remember the date of my possible exposure, but I'm pretty certain that it has been longer than 12 weeks, and probably more like 16-20 weeks since possible exposure... 7 days ago, a small rash about 2x2 inches showed up just below and to the left of my belly button... When trying to figure out what this rash was, I stumbled onto pictures of the HIV rash, it looks very similar to what is on me, which is FREAKING ME OUT! My rash is pinkish, and barely raised off the skins surface... When I first noticed the rash 7 days ago, it looked slightly different than now, it was a bit more pink at that time, and it had like 5 or 6 dots that looked similar to very wimpy pimples with no puss... Since I first noticed the rash, it has gotten lighter in color, but it has never itched or caused any pain... I had mild diarrhoea stool once within the first couple days I noticed this rash, other than that, I have no real symptoms such as flu or fever... I do have a loss of appetite, but I'm attributing that to nerves, because my appetite did not decline until once I began to worry...
So I went to the dermatologist today, she said she doesn't think it's an HIV rash, because it would be covering a larger area of my body... However she initially thought it was something fungal, but it tested negative for fungus... Then later she tells me she thinks it's eczema, but I have some eczema elsewhere on my body, and it does not look like that... She said that if it were HIV rash, then I would be feeling a lot more sick, and the rash would cover more of my body, but from what I've read, this not actually true in all cases...?....? I tried to pin her down to guaranteeing me that it is not from HIV, should would not commit to a guarantee, but said she would be "shocked" if it turned out to be an HIV rash...
In the past couple days, I have taken 2 separate Oraquick Rapid HIV Tests at home, both came back negative... But again, as I understand it, almost 1 out of 10 who are actually HIV+, will be diagnosed with a false-negative, which is why I took it twice... The dermatologists office did take my blood and the results should come back by Thursday....
I'M SO SCARED!!!! Do you think I should still be scared of these blood results???
So I went to the dermatologist today, she said she doesn't think it's an HIV rash, because it would be covering a larger area of my body... However she initially thought it was something fungal, but it tested negative for fungus... Then later she tells me she thinks it's eczema, but I have some eczema elsewhere on my body, and it does not look like that... She said that if it were HIV rash, then I would be feeling a lot more sick, and the rash would cover more of my body, but from what I've read, this not actually true in all cases...?....? I tried to pin her down to guaranteeing me that it is not from HIV, should would not commit to a guarantee, but said she would be "shocked" if it turned out to be an HIV rash...
In the past couple days, I have taken 2 separate Oraquick Rapid HIV Tests at home, both came back negative... But again, as I understand it, almost 1 out of 10 who are actually HIV+, will be diagnosed with a false-negative, which is why I took it twice... The dermatologists office did take my blood and the results should come back by Thursday....
I'M SO SCARED!!!! Do you think I should still be scared of these blood results???
1. People live a very very long life with HIV.
2. Gay marriage has nothing to do with meeting people and living your life with them. Before gay marriage gay men and women still lived in committed relationships.
2. Gay marriage has nothing to do with meeting people and living your life with them. Before gay marriage gay men and women still lived in committed relationships.
thanks Vance... I can't relax, I don't think I should have it... I lead a boring life most of the time, I live with my grandparents and help them in their old age, so it can be hard to meet guys in my small town... In a moment of weakness I did the unthinkable and had casual sex with a guy I met off the internet... I didn't bring a condom because i wasn't planning on it going that far at all... This is a wake up call to me... Now that gay marriage has been legalized nationwide, I think it's time to find the cowboy of my dreams and settle down... I'm still so freaking scared that this one moment of weakness in my otherwise boring life would cause my untimely death...
I'm still waiting for my results of the blood test!
One question about the oral Oraquick HIV tests I took... I dip tobacco, I rinsed my mouth real good before doing the swab, and then waited a few minutes, but I didn't brush, because the test said you shouldn't take it when you've brushed recently...
Do you think a possible film residue of oral tobacco could give me a false negative??? Still freaking out here!
One question about the oral Oraquick HIV tests I took... I dip tobacco, I rinsed my mouth real good before doing the swab, and then waited a few minutes, but I didn't brush, because the test said you shouldn't take it when you've brushed recently...
Do you think a possible film residue of oral tobacco could give me a false negative??? Still freaking out here!
Thanks again... I really hope you guys are right and my results will continue to be negative... HIV is such a scary thing, and it's scariness is compounded by the fact that its early symptoms are shared by thousands of other far less serious medical conditions...
I wish I felt better about the results I got from the oral swab tests I did, but I cant stop thinking about the fact that an average of 1 in 12 people who are infected with HIV, will get a false-negative from the Oraquick tests...
I worry that I'm one of those freak cases that has very few and very mild symptoms... I worry that I'm remembering wrongly and it has only been like 10 weeks since my possible exposure, and that this is the reason the Oraquick tests failed to find the virus....
You guys are making me hopeful about my blood results, thanks for that...
I wish I felt better about the results I got from the oral swab tests I did, but I cant stop thinking about the fact that an average of 1 in 12 people who are infected with HIV, will get a false-negative from the Oraquick tests...
I worry that I'm one of those freak cases that has very few and very mild symptoms... I worry that I'm remembering wrongly and it has only been like 10 weeks since my possible exposure, and that this is the reason the Oraquick tests failed to find the virus....
You guys are making me hopeful about my blood results, thanks for that...
I will do my best to stop freaking out and trust the results that say I'm okay... But still, until I get that blood test back, I probably wont eat or sleep much... I will NEVER put myself at risk like this again! Just the stress and worrying alone could kill me...
COMMUNITY LEADER
Yes ! Symptoms do not mean much and they are misleading and confusing most of the time.
1. HIV related symptoms are similar to those, due to other common infections
2. Many actually infected people remain totally asymptomatic
3. Symptoms have a psychological effect, more you think about, more you feel them.
Therefore the only way to know our status conclusively and accurately, is a test. Trust your test report
1. HIV related symptoms are similar to those, due to other common infections
2. Many actually infected people remain totally asymptomatic
3. Symptoms have a psychological effect, more you think about, more you feel them.
Therefore the only way to know our status conclusively and accurately, is a test. Trust your test report
TRUE THAT!! Lesson learned!
I hope you're right about it being too long to be noticing my first symptoms, but I'm still a bit unsure... Because I know I read somewhere that it is possible for the first symptoms to take months to show up, although most will show symptoms within the first few days or weeks... I also read that some people never have much if any initial symptoms and stay symptom-free for many years...?...?... So this leads me to believe that it's possible for me to have the virus, even though the rash is my only tangible symptom... ?...?...
As for the oral swab test... Oraquick's own controlled study showed that the test was only able to identify 88 out of 96 individuals who were already known to have the virus... They say that 1 in 12 people who do have HIV will test negative using Oraquick, so to me, all that means is that there's still a 1 in 12 chance I have the virus...
Thank you so much for your replies, it really helps to have support!
I hope you're right about it being too long to be noticing my first symptoms, but I'm still a bit unsure... Because I know I read somewhere that it is possible for the first symptoms to take months to show up, although most will show symptoms within the first few days or weeks... I also read that some people never have much if any initial symptoms and stay symptom-free for many years...?...?... So this leads me to believe that it's possible for me to have the virus, even though the rash is my only tangible symptom... ?...?...
As for the oral swab test... Oraquick's own controlled study showed that the test was only able to identify 88 out of 96 individuals who were already known to have the virus... They say that 1 in 12 people who do have HIV will test negative using Oraquick, so to me, all that means is that there's still a 1 in 12 chance I have the virus...
Thank you so much for your replies, it really helps to have support!
COMMUNITY LEADER
A rash alone is not a valid symptom if HIV, and secondly, 12 weeks time is too long to see HIV related symptom. Typically such symptoms appear after 2-4 weeks of exposure and stay for another 1-2 weeks.
Your information is not correct regarding ratio of false negative test. Your test indicates that you do not have HIV and the results are conclusive. Your Lab results will also confirm it on Thursday.
Having said that, Lesson Learned, next time, NEVER EVER unprotected with anyone, outside your mutually committed monogamous long term relationship
Your information is not correct regarding ratio of false negative test. Your test indicates that you do not have HIV and the results are conclusive. Your Lab results will also confirm it on Thursday.
Having said that, Lesson Learned, next time, NEVER EVER unprotected with anyone, outside your mutually committed monogamous long term relationship
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