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Worried - please help
Hello,
I performed unprotected oral sex on the same person a few times and now have strange and worrying symptoms. I did it a total of about six to ten times - first in July, then again in September, October and last month, with the last time being around 9 November. He is married but has admitted to cheating on his wife, and so although he seemed healthy, I have no way of knowing his status. He had no visible std signs.
I noticed that the colour of my urine changed in July, becoming very bright yellow, but not dark or cloudy. I caught a cold at the end of September, with a sore throat and sinus infection, but it wasn't a flu, and the sore throat passed within two days. At the same time, I had very very sore ankles from what I thought was a running injury and which persisted. I recall feeling extreme nausea for one or two days in September and having one night of fever and chills, but it passed in one night only. During this time, my appetite was fine and weight steady.
At the beginning of November, I had what I thought was a headless pimple on my jaw but I believe now that it is a swollen lymph node. I also then realized that I had a minor sore throat - not really sore, but just a bit prickly. I began to think that maybe my sore ankles and throat could be gonorrhea, so I took a course of ciproflaxin for 7 days, that I had in the house from a previous uti. The ankle pain went away but I had also stopped exercising on it, so I have no idea what caused the relief. When my sore throat persisted until mid November, I looked in my mouth and saw small (2mm) blisters or red bumps on the back of my throat. I thought they might be herpes but they have not burst or crusted over or changed in three weeks. I went for a sti test and all came back negative but she only did a vaginal swab and not a blood test, and it did not include syohillis or HIV. Over the past few days, I have developed a raw tongue on one side, and what feels like a canker sore but I can't see it - this has come up since I began to wonder if I have a disease so I realized this could be anxiety. I also have a small bump on the roof of my mouth and have small whitehead pimples all along my lipline. They are not herpes blisters, for sure. I have started to feel tingles in my hands and feet and most worrying, have been losing weight rapidly. I believe the weight loss started in October or early November but can't be sure. The weight loss has started to be commented on by people at work. I feel hungry but get a sick feeling when starting to eat. I don't believe I have a fever at the moment but have had a few "hot flashes", where I feel flushed, but it passes in a few minutes.
Here is the dilemma: I live in a country where testing positive means deportation so I would need to travel abroad to test. I don't want to go and test now if the window of time is not right, but also don't want to leave this if it is something sinister. Given that the swollen node and sore throat appeared at the beginning of November, with the mouth issues coming up this week, but that I may have had a flu event in mid September, does the progression suggest possible HIV infection? If so, given the dates that infection might have occurred (before the flu?), is there a particular test that should be used now if I travel abroad, which can give me a more accurate result? know I will need to test again after six months of no contact with the person but know there are tests that are more accurate early on. Money is no object - I will pay for expensive tests as needed.
With all this said, is there a chance I could just have a viral infection of the throat, or something like mono? Please help - I am riddled with fear particularly as people have started to now comment on the weight loss.
I performed unprotected oral sex on the same person a few times and now have strange and worrying symptoms. I did it a total of about six to ten times - first in July, then again in September, October and last month, with the last time being around 9 November. He is married but has admitted to cheating on his wife, and so although he seemed healthy, I have no way of knowing his status. He had no visible std signs.
I noticed that the colour of my urine changed in July, becoming very bright yellow, but not dark or cloudy. I caught a cold at the end of September, with a sore throat and sinus infection, but it wasn't a flu, and the sore throat passed within two days. At the same time, I had very very sore ankles from what I thought was a running injury and which persisted. I recall feeling extreme nausea for one or two days in September and having one night of fever and chills, but it passed in one night only. During this time, my appetite was fine and weight steady.
At the beginning of November, I had what I thought was a headless pimple on my jaw but I believe now that it is a swollen lymph node. I also then realized that I had a minor sore throat - not really sore, but just a bit prickly. I began to think that maybe my sore ankles and throat could be gonorrhea, so I took a course of ciproflaxin for 7 days, that I had in the house from a previous uti. The ankle pain went away but I had also stopped exercising on it, so I have no idea what caused the relief. When my sore throat persisted until mid November, I looked in my mouth and saw small (2mm) blisters or red bumps on the back of my throat. I thought they might be herpes but they have not burst or crusted over or changed in three weeks. I went for a sti test and all came back negative but she only did a vaginal swab and not a blood test, and it did not include syohillis or HIV. Over the past few days, I have developed a raw tongue on one side, and what feels like a canker sore but I can't see it - this has come up since I began to wonder if I have a disease so I realized this could be anxiety. I also have a small bump on the roof of my mouth and have small whitehead pimples all along my lipline. They are not herpes blisters, for sure. I have started to feel tingles in my hands and feet and most worrying, have been losing weight rapidly. I believe the weight loss started in October or early November but can't be sure. The weight loss has started to be commented on by people at work. I feel hungry but get a sick feeling when starting to eat. I don't believe I have a fever at the moment but have had a few "hot flashes", where I feel flushed, but it passes in a few minutes.
Here is the dilemma: I live in a country where testing positive means deportation so I would need to travel abroad to test. I don't want to go and test now if the window of time is not right, but also don't want to leave this if it is something sinister. Given that the swollen node and sore throat appeared at the beginning of November, with the mouth issues coming up this week, but that I may have had a flu event in mid September, does the progression suggest possible HIV infection? If so, given the dates that infection might have occurred (before the flu?), is there a particular test that should be used now if I travel abroad, which can give me a more accurate result? know I will need to test again after six months of no contact with the person but know there are tests that are more accurate early on. Money is no object - I will pay for expensive tests as needed.
With all this said, is there a chance I could just have a viral infection of the throat, or something like mono? Please help - I am riddled with fear particularly as people have started to now comment on the weight loss.
Edited to add: he did ejaculate in my mouth on all occasions, with swallowing on one occasion. I also now remember that on one occasion, he pressed his unprotected penis against my anus, maybe in up to a maximum of 1 inch, but there was no further insertion or motion - just in an inch and resting there. Does that constitute a risk?
Thank you for replying. My last reply was deleted for repeat posting, but I do need to ask for clarification, so please don't delete. I completely understand that oral is considered "no risk" as the risk is so low that it is statistically insignificant. But doesn't that mean that there have been cases? It only takes being the 1 in xxx people? My question is whether I should, just as a precaution, go test given that I had up to 10 encounters with this person. In a previous experts forum, I see that Dr. Sean was replying that he has seen cases from oral alone and encouraged the poster to test. I do believe that I have worried myself into some of my symptoms, and maybe have something like mono or a viral infection instead, but in the country I live in, I need to have reassurance that I am not HIV before I can go to a doctor for a mono test, cancer, viral infection or anything else. That is why I am asking - if I began to feel nauseous and had one night of flu I September, and then my weight loss and sore throat began in October/November respectively, suggesting that any infection might have happened in September - what test could I take now that would give me an accurate result?
Thank you for replying.
I understand that the risk is very, very low, but worry that I had exposure on six to ten occasions, and not just as a one-time event. I know I need to test in order to give myself peace of mind, but want to time it right as I will only be able to go and test once now and then perhaps again in April when travelling abroad again.
I understand that the risk is very, very low, but worry that I had exposure on six to ten occasions, and not just as a one-time event. I know I need to test in order to give myself peace of mind, but want to time it right as I will only be able to go and test once now and then perhaps again in April when travelling abroad again.
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