Severe sore throat 3 days later

[appreciatehelp]

Hi

I'm hoping for some advice from you guys. I stupidly had unprotected sex on Thursday of this week while on holiday (Im female, the partner was male).On Saturday I started to feel a sore throat coming on which is now severley painful. I have been to my doctor who says my glands are swollen in my neck and that my throat/tonsils are red and inflammed looking inside. I have had this before, but not for a good few years.

I know its my own fault if I have caught something from this incident but I can't focus on anything else. I didn't know the man in question very well, was really just a holiday fling.

From what I've read ARS symptoms usually appear at about 2 weeks post exposure and 3 days is probably too early.

Help!

[appreciatehelp]

ok I'm back. The swollen glands in my neck have not gone away, and they are no longer painful. Is this worrisome??

Any help appreciated, thanks

[Teak]

1-1000, 1-100 doesn't matter the only way to know your status is by testing at the proper time. A conclusive test is 3 months post exposure.

[appreciatehelp]

I'm now worried about a condom split exposure about 2 months ago. I know 8 weeks is probably too long for ARS but if the chances in the UK of getting hiv after a one time exposure is 1 in 1000 am I right in thinking that my two exposures increase the risk to 2 in 1000??

[appreciatehelp]

I had probably a maximum of 9 hours sleep in 72 hours and had been drinking heavily (Was on holiday). thought this may have run down my immune system a bit and made me more susceptible to picking up a virus??

[Teak]

Of course it could be due to a viral or bacterial infection. As you've been told it is unrelated to ARS due to your symptoms coming on to quick after your unprotected sex.

[regularjoey]

It is NOT possible that your sore throat is due to HIV.
Go to a doctor, take a rapid strep test.  That's what it probably is

[appreciatehelp]

Is it possible my sore throat and swollen neck glands could just be down to a viral infection rather than HIV?

[regularjoey]

Your symptoms are not due to HIV, they came on way too early.  If you want to know your HIV status the official US guideline is to get a serology test done at least 3 months after the last possible exposure.

[Teak]

2 and 4 weeks is to early to take a HIV test for someone that is possible recently infected.

[appreciatehelp]

Thanks for your advice. How accurate are normal antibody tests at 2 and 4 weeks?

[Teak]

PCR test are not approved diagnostic tests in the US. Look them up, PCR tests and you'll see that they are not FDA approved for diagnostic testing except for infants up to 18 months of age. PCR tests are used to monitor people who are infected with HIV.

[worriedman2008]

PCR tests look for the virus itself and I had one done at 3 days which was negative. But I dont know why people on here say they are not diagnostic, they just use them to test blood products/donated blood but why this wouldnt show if someone was infected or not I dont know.

[appreciatehelp]

If I went for a ten day PCR test does anyone know how reliable this is?

[Teak]

The only way for you to know your status is a test 3 months post exposure. HIV is not a guessing game.

[appreciatehelp]

What do you think the chances are of this being a viral infection rather than early HIV symptoms?

I had been drinking and had very little sleep for about 5 days

[LIZZIE LOU]

your "symptom" IS too early for ARS...and some ppl dont exhibit any symptoms.  you had unprotected sex so you need to test.  test at 6 weeks as most will test positive by then...and again at 3 months for a conclusive result.

[zoolander26]

were u drinking?? gave oral?? it is the flu season honey.