Real Risk?

[goofygirl98]

About 22 1/2 weeks ago I did something completely out of character. I had unprotected sex with a man that I had known when I was younger. I regretted it almost immediately because I don't normally mess with the safety of my health. I started having severe anxiety over it especially when I started to have some symptoms. At first I did not think HIV though. My symptoms: A couple of weeks after exposure, bladder infection, was given antibiotics. I contacted him and his girlfriend and asked about STD's and both claimed they were "clean". I tried to move on but my stress then caused me to have Shingles in March and I was given Valtrex. In April I had my annual pap smear and I came out good on that. But in May I came down with Strep but it came out negative on the Rapid Test but the antiobiotics seemed to clear it up although my tonsils remained swollen afterwards. Five weeks later I had another fever that lasted a day and the puss came back on my tonsils. I have to say though that my son also experienced this a week before I did and it turned into a mild cold. Which mine has. My problem though is that I am so anxious that this could be HIV although my research implied that these symptoms are non specific and that my risk is relatively low. I keep trying to tell myself this but it seems like it is not working. Yesterday my fingers and toes became tingley and numb and I kept trying not to let the anxiety get to me. I have not been sick in six years and now I am ill almost every month with something.
Is my risk that high? Should I be tested (I am scared to do so)? No one knows about this incident because I am married and was to uncomfortable to tell any of my doctors.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Your symptoms don't suggest HIV and your risk for HIV was very low.  But the way to know isn't to try to figure it out on your own, it is to have an HIV test.  Most likely you can speak frankly with your doctors about your anxieties.  Any of them undoubtedly would keep the information highly confidential; and you can be sure that this sort of sexual history will neither shock nor surprise them.  But if you remain uncomfortable with that solution, visit your local health department for expert, highly confidential advice and HIV testing.  You can be confident of a negative result.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[goofygirl98]

A related discussion, Home testing was started.

[goofygirl98]

Thank you for your quick response. I agree that trying to figure it out for myself is counter productive. I am in the process of finding a counselor because I feel I am dealing with anxiety over bad decision making. I will also get tested, more than likely at a local health department.

Thank you again for the help!!