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Could this be acute Hiv Symptoms, or other stds?
I am a 23 year old white female. On July 2cd, 2010 I was extremely intoxicated, and engaged in risky behaviors. I performed unprotected oral sex on a man for 1-2 max, and then proceeded to have vaginal intercourse for 3-5 minutes absolute max, unprotected. I stopped it there, without either of us finishing, because I knew what was going on was wrong(I am married with 2 children). 5 days after that episode, My lymph nodes swelled in the cervical area on my neck, as well as 5 days after that, my throat is sore. I have no fever, just swollen nodes in neck only, and a slight sore throat. Is it possible that this is ars, or beginning hiv, or is 5 days just too early? The man I was with for 5 minutes, is a married man, heterosexual, not a drug user. I do know he cheats on his wife, but I don't think he is extremely promiscuous. I have no symptoms in the vaginal area, and no fever. I am so nervous, because I am still breastfeeding my 1 year old daughter, and am scared to death of possibly transferring hiv to her. I am positive, that both my husband and I were 100 percent clean, before this incident.I am now 2 weeks past the incident, and no other symptoms besides the same ones I mentioned. please help answer my questions, and thanks in advance.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
STDs don't normally cause sore throats. It can happen with oral herpes (which is usually acquired by kissing, not oral sex, and therefore isn't considered an STD) and rarely with gonorrhea. Both of these are far less likely than a standard cold. And the timing is a bit late for something caught during the sexual exposure. And it's very common for someone to have a cold virus with few or no symptoms (especially young children) but for adults to catch a rip-roaring cold from them.
But if you remain concerned or your sore throat doesn't clear up soon, see a health care provider just to be safe.
But if you remain concerned or your sore throat doesn't clear up soon, see a health care provider just to be safe.
Your comment was very reassurring. I just wanted to ask if it is possible that I have an std of the throat? 5 days after the incident, my neck lymph nodes swelled up, and it was 5-6 days after that that I got the sore throat. So the sore throat started about 10 days after the sexual incident. Thank you. Also, so far my husband and our two children are not sick, with a sore throat or anything else.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the HIV forum.
Assuming you are in the US, the chance a partner like you describe has HIV is very low, well under 1 chance in 1,000. In the US and other industrialized countries, HIV remains heavily concentrated in gay men and injection drug users. Wven if he had HIV, the average transmission risk for a single episode of unprotected vaginal sex has been estimated at 1 in 1,000. So from those facts alone, the chance you caught HIV is no higher than 1 in a million (0.001 x 0.001 = 0.000001).
Further, HIV cannot cause any symptoms of any kind sooner than 8-10 days after exposure, and almost always it causes fever. You caught a cold -- maybe from your sex partner (obviously, being close enough to have sex carries risks for garden variety respiratory infections) -- or maybe from one of your kids, which you undoubtedly know is the usual source of colds in adults.
Strictly from a medical/risk perspective, you don't even need HIV testing. However, most likely my reassurance alone probably won't completely allay your fears, and I suspect you'll remain nervous until and unless you have a negative HIV test. Also, this is the sort of exposure that should be followed routinely by tests for other common STDs, especially chlamydia and gonorrhea. Those tests can be done now (any time more than a few days after exposure), but reliable HIV testing will have to wait until 4-6 weeks have passed.
In the meantime, don't lose sleep about HIV. There's almost no chance you have it, and you shouldn't be at all nervous about nursing your daughter.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Assuming you are in the US, the chance a partner like you describe has HIV is very low, well under 1 chance in 1,000. In the US and other industrialized countries, HIV remains heavily concentrated in gay men and injection drug users. Wven if he had HIV, the average transmission risk for a single episode of unprotected vaginal sex has been estimated at 1 in 1,000. So from those facts alone, the chance you caught HIV is no higher than 1 in a million (0.001 x 0.001 = 0.000001).
Further, HIV cannot cause any symptoms of any kind sooner than 8-10 days after exposure, and almost always it causes fever. You caught a cold -- maybe from your sex partner (obviously, being close enough to have sex carries risks for garden variety respiratory infections) -- or maybe from one of your kids, which you undoubtedly know is the usual source of colds in adults.
Strictly from a medical/risk perspective, you don't even need HIV testing. However, most likely my reassurance alone probably won't completely allay your fears, and I suspect you'll remain nervous until and unless you have a negative HIV test. Also, this is the sort of exposure that should be followed routinely by tests for other common STDs, especially chlamydia and gonorrhea. Those tests can be done now (any time more than a few days after exposure), but reliable HIV testing will have to wait until 4-6 weeks have passed.
In the meantime, don't lose sleep about HIV. There's almost no chance you have it, and you shouldn't be at all nervous about nursing your daughter.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
