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HIV Infection

Doctor: 8 weeks ago (on New Year's Eve) I had a sexual encounter with a woman. She and I shared an open mouthed kiss and I sucked on her breasts. She also performed oral sex on me and I digitally penetrated her with three of my fingers. There was no other type of sexual intercourse between the two of us. I do not know her STD/HIV status.

During the first week after that encounter, I experienced a light burning sensation (not during or after urinating, just generally) as well as the urge to urinate more frequently. I also experienced fatigue. I was told that I could have a urinary tract infection. I drank Cranberry Juice Concentrate and those symptoms disappeared, but I developed a sore throat. I took an anti-allergen and my sore throat disappeared. One week after that (and three weeks after the sexual encounter on New Year's Eve), I experienced a raw, tenderness/pain on the right side of my throat. That has persisted until today. I visited my doctor and she told me I had a canker sore. The canker sore has healed, but my sore throat has not. I had pain swallowing but now it is mostly an itchy/scratchy sensation. I have also recently developed a dry cough. I have taken over the counter medicines, none of which has worked. I was recently tested for all STDs; my white blood cell count was high, but I tested negative for gonorrhea. The doctor thinks I may have chlamydia and has prescribed doxycycline.

I have not had swollen lymph nodes, chills, nausea, vomiting, headache (except related to the pain of my canker sore), night sweats (except for once, about four weeks after the encounter). I think I may have had a low-grade fever for a short period of time at one point after I developed a sore throat for a second time.

I am terribly scared and feel for almost certain that I have contracted HIV, since I have never had a sore throat for 5 weeks and no one I know has.
8 Responses
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300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
There is no reason for you to be concerned about HIV.  The highest risk part of your encounter with her was oral sex and the risk of getting HIV from an infected person ( and, unless there is something you have not said, the probability that she is infected is very, very low) is, at most, one infection per 10,000 exposures and probably far lower (the risk or more accurately, lack of risk is similar for giving or receiving oral sex).  In fact the risk is so low that some respected experts feel that there is no risk of HIV transmission from oral sex at all.  Kissing her breasts, open mouth kissing and masturbation with your fingers are all no risk activities for which HIV transmission has NEVER occurred.

From the sounds of your symptoms you have a sever sore throat.  In addition, the urinary burning and frequency may have represented nongonococcal urethritis caused by organisms other than chlamydia which is just about never transmitted by oral sex.  the doxycycline will take care of it if it is present.

To resolve your HIV concerns, in addition to taking my word that you are not at risk, I would suggest that you have an HIV test.  At this time, 8 weeks following the exposure, a negative HIV test will provide definitive evidence that you did not get HIV from the exposure you describe.  I say this not because I think you are at any meaningful risk but because I think the negative test will provide you with peace of mind.  Take care.  EWH
Helpful - 2
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As you point out, this is not the correct forum for this question.  I would be "over the line:" in trying to answer.  I will however point out that some of your symptoms may be due to anxiety.  EWH
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Doctor: all of my results were negative. I wanted to say thank you again for all your help, advice, and support.
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As a government agency, CDC cannot afford to be wrong no matter who is asking or their risk.  As a result their advice is extremely (and probably overly) conservative.  EWH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Doctor: thank you for your advice. I visited my ENT this morning and he informed me that my symptoms are of Acid Reflux. I had my tests completed for STDs this past Monday and will know the results soon. Thanks again!

P.S. just wondering, why does the CDC recommend that an HIV test be conducted some 6 months after exposure? Just curious, especially since a test after 8 weeks is conclusive. Thanks.
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Nope, not a sign of an STD.  Time for  you to move on.  EWH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Doctor: final post regarding this issue. I have also been experiencing random and sporadic itching on my neck. The itchiness occurs for a while and then it goes away. Is this a sign of an STD of some kind?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Doctor: thank you so much for your insightful and direct answer to my question. Your response has put my mind at ease about HIV. Unfortunately, it has made me start to believe that I have symptoms of another ailment. There is a history of diabetes, heart disease, and alcohol consumption in my paternal family and my father has diabetes and acid reflux disease. I have been reading that some of my symptoms could be associated with that, especially since I have been belching profusely over the past several months during and after meals and have always had a problem with acid reflux too. My diet has been very poor in the past several months and my level of physical activity has been non-existent. I am scared this might be a form of throat cancer, even though no one in either my paternal or maternal nuclear families has had any form of cancer. I understand this is not the appropriate forum for this question and I have already posted in the GERD forum, but I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts. Again thank you so much for your prompt and truly reassuring response to my earlier inquiry.
Helpful - 0

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