Shoulda known better

[Carrie352]

Doctor,
I am a nurse who should have known better than to allow this situation to happen...but here it is.  I got drunk one night and ended up having unprotected sex with a guy who i later learned is promiscuous.  I don't believe he ejaculated inside me...but i honestly don't know.  That was 17 days ago.  Three days ago I had some blotches on my chest...but they have since disappeared.  Yesterday I came down with a sore throat/jaw.  And today i am running a fever, low grade currently.  I am scared to death, as i am a single mom who should never have allowed this to happen.  I am so scared that i have now contracted hiv.  Does this sound to you like that is what it is?  Thank you so much for your time.  And i am sorry if this sounds like the same old question.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, it does not sound like ARS.  It does sound like a problem however.  With your negative test at 26 days the chances are even lower, far lower than they were that you have HIV.  HIV is not what you should be worrying about.  I would suggest that you see your regular health care provider and get the rash evaluated.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The likelihood that the rash is HIV remains essentially zero.  My recommendation would be to see your health care provider to seek assistance in sorting this out.  As you know, the rash could be just about anything, something you caught from your child, an allergy or some sort.  It could be coincidence or it could have been something that you caught from your partner but there are no STDs that do this - nonethess, he could have had some other sort of infectious (i.e. viral, flu-like) illness.  

Please let us know what your helath care provider says.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I can understand your concern.  While the symptoms you describe are part of those described for the earliest stages of HIV but the odds are very, very much in your favor.  The odds are that your partner did not have HIV - far less than 1% of Americans have HIV and despite your partners promiscuity, if he was not a man who had sex with other partners or an IV drug user, the risk is still lower.  Then, even if your partner had HIV (very unlikely) the odds of him transmitting infection to you are less than 1 per 1000 exposures.  Putting these numbers together, on the basis of statistics alone, your odds of infection are something between 1/2 and 2 in a million.  

Realizing that if you are the one, statistics like these don't help, I would suggest some testing for your piece of mind.  If you see this person and can convince him to be tested (or, for that matter, if he's been tested recently) you could have your answer very soon - if he doesn't have HIV, you are not at risk.  If this cannot be accomplished, you should be tested at 4-6 weeks after your exposure.  At 4 weeks following exposure 85-90% of tests that are going to be positive will be.  If you wait till 6 weeks, you will have results at a time when 95% of tests that are going to be positive will be.

My guess is that you have a non-STD, non-HIV viral infection.  Your risk is tiny.  I hope this helps.  EWH

[Carrie352]

I appreciate your advice.  I have been having issues with my blood pressure being high and migraine headaches.  I never thought of relating this rash to them.  I will see the doc about this rash...it just got this bad saturday.  And since it has persisted i have gotton progressively more worried.  Until i have almost resigned myself to the fact that i am positive.  I know anxiety can do all kinds of things to you...but this rash is just weird.  

[Carrie352]

I had a rapid test done on the 18th (26 days post possible exposure).  It was negative.  I was also tested for other stds...they were negative as well.  But i still have this sore throat that is hanging on.  And the red spots that i had only a few of are now more numorous (several on my lower back, several on my chest, and a few on my arm.  I also have broken out in a red, blotchy rash on my neck and face (kinda sunburn like).  My skin on my face is peeling in several spots also.  My face does not itch but feels hot, and my neck is itchy.  But i have not been exposed to anything new that i am aware of (same detergent, facial products).  The itchy, sunburn rash was worrisome enough but now that the red "spots" are so much more numorous i am extremely worried.  I haven't run a fever since the low grade a couple weeks ago.  Just sore throat and i am coughing up some sputum, clear color...i was attributing it to my sinus problems (which are generally pretty bad), but since these rashes i am kinda concerned again.  What would your assessment w/o seeing it be?  Does this sound like ars?  I am close to that 6 wk point but this rash has me so concerned.  I appreciate your help.

[Carrie352]

Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Yes it is. EWH

[Carrie352]

I just had one question.  I have never had a rapid oral test.  Is this also 85-90 accurate at 4 weeks?  Thanks for the answer...just not familiar with this way of testing.

[Carrie352]

When i went to the doc about my sore throat i had him look at the spots on my chest.  By then there were only one or two...he said if it was anything to worry about they would be more diffuse.  He said to come back and test when the time was right.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The red spots you describe are not consisitent withthe ARS.  Having said that, rather than worry about it or relying on someone whom you are only connected to by cyberspace, discuss it with your doctor - everything you said about him in your earlier posts sounded like he is a clear thinker. He will know if it is appropriate to order a PCR which, in this situation, is the test of choice if there is a concern.  EWH

[Carrie352]

I don't mean to be "obsessive"...which i know i am.  I just am having trouble looking past the red spots i had on my chest.  My sore throat lasted just a week, my nodes are still swollen, my body was achy for about a week but temp never went above 99.5.  But i had red spots that were on my chest, 3 or 4 at a time.  They lasted at most 2 days each, then went away.  I have since broken out on my back slightly (acne)  and my chest...which isn't surprising considering how i am stressing.  I read and reread posts on here about ars rashes, and i know it isn't good for me to keep reading them.  But i am having such a hard time letting this go...it occupies my mind so much of the time.  For the people that have more experience with these issues than i do...is there any way these spots could have been ars rash?  I just can't imagine what else they could be b/c i have never seen anything like that on myself before (of course i am being hypervigilant too).  Please help me with this anxiety...and thank you in advance for your patienct and understanding during this time of extreme anxiety for me.

[Carrie352]

Thank you so much. I know i am letting my worries get the best of me.  I will be seeing my doctor tomorrow, although i know it is too early to test.  I am going in about the sore throat/low fever.  I will also ask about the rash.  Thanks again!

[Carrie352]

Would the rash of ars look like little red dots, about pencil eraser size?  I have 4 little red spots on my chest.  Origionally i had 3 spots that disappeared, now i have 4 more.

[Carrie352]

Thank you so much for your prompt reply.  I pray that i am overreacting.  If nothing else i have learned a valuable lesson here.  I don't think there is any hope of contacting this guy for a test.  I just worry b/c of my son, and my livelyhood...as i'm guessing if i was positive i wouldn't be able to be a nurse b/c of exposure to all kinds of illnesses.  But again, i am rambling.  I thank you for your time.