Aa
anxious/need risk assessment/should I retest
I had hopefully protected oral/ vaginal sex with white female escort 5 weeks ago. During the sex my penis became soft during vaginal sex, she performed oral then we proceeded with vaginal sex till I finished. The condom never came off but I still was concerned because I went soft during sex, also I had three large pimples on upper inner thigh. I tested orasure antibody saliva test at one week( negative) and at 31 days after exposure antibody saliva test also negative. 4 days after my exposure I started having hot flashes and chills followed by loss of appetite and slight weight loss about 5 pounds in two weeks. I went to doctor he gave me anxiety medicine and a week after the hot flashes stopped. Then about two weeks after exposure I started searching for lymphnodes and found two about pea size on each side of my neck, I started fraking out and check daily my neck groin and under armpits. I felt nothing under my arms but my right arm became sore for three days and I assumed it was swollen lymphnodes. I have had no fever, sore throat or any other symptoms. I wanted to ask you 1- if I could get infected from large pimples on thigh that I had for a while due to excessive popping. 2- in your opinion do I need to retest after 6 weeks. The anxiety has been killing me, I have been feeling neck for lymphnodes and feel like I find a new one daily. I feel like a worried well and just looking for some advice on my situation and hopefully some positive reassurance. Also I am a 30 yr old male in what I think is average to good health. Do I need to retest? Thank u for your time
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The result is definitive. Woohoo away.
Today Ora quick rapid saliva test day 48 was negative. I apopolgize for the obsessive posts. Is this definitive can I woohoo
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your negative test results PROVE your sore throat is not possibly due to HIV from the event described. Your symptoms have nothing to do with that event except perhaps through an anxiety connection. My advice is to suck it up and move on. If you remain concerned, see a doctor. But this forum can't help you any further, so this will be my last comment.
Really, mellow out. There really is no cause for worry. You're obviously stressed about a sexual decision you regret. Deal with that as you need to, but stop worrying about health implications from it. There are none.
Really, mellow out. There really is no cause for worry. You're obviously stressed about a sexual decision you regret. Deal with that as you need to, but stop worrying about health implications from it. There are none.
I know I'm worried but could you answer a quick question in follow up, very sore throat at night and in morning almost 6 weeks after low risk exposure. Wtf? I just can't shake this stupid obsession, j feel like I am constantly swallowing and still worried, i keep reading that ars can happen as late as 6 weeks, i have read you have said it is rare do you know what would cause it, only other symptom I have had since week two that I keep worrying about I swollen lymphnodes in neck and under jaw. I have had two on each side of neck size of pea, an now I found two more under jaw same size, also when I stretch my neck to one side I can actually see Lymphnode protruding from neck but it is size of a pea, is this normal or possible ars
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for the thanks; glad to have been of help.
FYI, everyone has pea-sized lymph nodes if you look hard for them. A few such bumps is not abnormal and you should stop examining yourself for them.
FYI, everyone has pea-sized lymph nodes if you look hard for them. A few such bumps is not abnormal and you should stop examining yourself for them.
An also the lymphnodes that I had found worried me tremendously, this is my last post, once again thanks for your time
Thanks for your response, I am anxious as can be as was just looking for some reassurance from an expert, what worried me so much was me becoming soft and vaginal secretions entering through the base of penis while I had become soft. I do feel better and thank you for your time
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your question.
This was a sufficiently low risk encounter that no HIV testing really was necessary at all. Except in much higher risk situations (e.g., uprotected sex with a known infected partner, anal sex between anonymous male partners, and so on), testing usually doesn't make much sense after individual exposures. Instead, sexually active people (outside mutually monogamous relationships) should just plan on routine HIV testing from time to time, like every 1-2 years, and not worry about particular events.
And this is especially true for exposures like yours. HIV is generally believed to be rare in escorts (expensive commercial sex workers by appointment), so it is unlikely your partner had HIV (probably less than 1 chance in 1,000); and even unprotected vaginal sex carries an average transmission risk of 1 in 1,000 to 2,000. And unprotected oral sex is essentially zero risk for HIV. And when we add a condom into the calculation -- and the condom remained in place and didn't rupture -- all by itself we have virtually 100% protection. Exposure of pimples to HIV infected secretions is not a risk.
Finally, your symptoms don't concern me at all. The first symptoms were too soon to be due to HIV from the exposure described, and the symptoms don't sound typical for HIV anyway. Many of those you mention undboutedly are your anxiety magnifying normal body sensations.
Finally, a negative antibody test -- including the oral fluids test -- is highly reliable at 5 weeks. Probably around 95% of newly infected people would have positive results by then. However, if you want still further assurance, you'll need to have another antibody test at 6 weeks or more after the exposure.
In summary, from a medical standpoint you don't need any further testing. But you are free to do it if you would like the additional reassurance of another negative test result at 6 weeks or more after the exposure.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
This was a sufficiently low risk encounter that no HIV testing really was necessary at all. Except in much higher risk situations (e.g., uprotected sex with a known infected partner, anal sex between anonymous male partners, and so on), testing usually doesn't make much sense after individual exposures. Instead, sexually active people (outside mutually monogamous relationships) should just plan on routine HIV testing from time to time, like every 1-2 years, and not worry about particular events.
And this is especially true for exposures like yours. HIV is generally believed to be rare in escorts (expensive commercial sex workers by appointment), so it is unlikely your partner had HIV (probably less than 1 chance in 1,000); and even unprotected vaginal sex carries an average transmission risk of 1 in 1,000 to 2,000. And unprotected oral sex is essentially zero risk for HIV. And when we add a condom into the calculation -- and the condom remained in place and didn't rupture -- all by itself we have virtually 100% protection. Exposure of pimples to HIV infected secretions is not a risk.
Finally, your symptoms don't concern me at all. The first symptoms were too soon to be due to HIV from the exposure described, and the symptoms don't sound typical for HIV anyway. Many of those you mention undboutedly are your anxiety magnifying normal body sensations.
Finally, a negative antibody test -- including the oral fluids test -- is highly reliable at 5 weeks. Probably around 95% of newly infected people would have positive results by then. However, if you want still further assurance, you'll need to have another antibody test at 6 weeks or more after the exposure.
In summary, from a medical standpoint you don't need any further testing. But you are free to do it if you would like the additional reassurance of another negative test result at 6 weeks or more after the exposure.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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