Aa
5.5 week negative but convinced im positive
Hello,
7.5 weeks ago I engaged in a high risk activity which I am now convinced has resulted in me contracting HIV.
While on holiday in Thailand I was very drunk and had sex with a thai girl (who may or may not have been in the "trade" but am worried about it as the next morning I had no money on me, something I am sure I had plenty of the night before). From what I remember of the incident I used a condom (although can't be sure it didnt break as it was never checked after) and have flashbacks of performing brief oral sex something I am completely horrified at and am most worried about despite many people on this forum and others stating that it is a very low risk activity. The reason for my worry is that I can remember having a sore throat the next day due to have been loudly singing and shouting the night before, meaning it would have been damaged not long before the incident I am worried about.
I am extremely worried as my body and mind is all over the place and I must now wait another 5 weeks to test again for what I am sure will be a positive result. The reason for my worry is that I can't explain the occurence of symptoms and effects that seemed to have come over me since the event. 5 days after exposure while still on holiday I suffered sickness almost instantly after eating a meal. The sickness included 2 bouts of vomitting and also expereincing a brief episode of chills. Both were gone by the next morning. Two days later (1 week after exposure) I experienced a sore tongue which hurt when eating and seemed very dry. The next day this had gone but my tongue was coated and i was extremely thirsty. For the next few weeks I had coated tongue, pale stool for a few days, nausea, runny/blocked nose and ears and a migraine for one day( which I am prone to and cleared up in a few hours). All of these were within a 1-4 week period of the event but did not all occur at once some followed days after the others. Since these intial symptoms have gone I now only experience a lack of appetite and a complete inability to sleep. Every night I wake up at around 2-3am and can not get back to sleep, sometimes my heart racing when I try to nap I get a horroble feeling in my stomach that just makes me more alert. I also have lost some weight around my legs. Despite my best efforts I cant stop thinking about why or how I ended up in the situation I did and when this happens I lose all concentration and become what I can only describe as depressed and unable to cope
Despite all this I took a blood test and full STD panel at 5.5 weeks ALL of which came back negative 10 days later, the test was in the UK but I was not told which test it was although from what I can find about the test centre online it seems to have been a DUO test but I am really not sure. I am also worried that the test may not be appropriate for testing the strain of virus I would have been exposed to, CRF A/E which is the most common in Thailand.
Is there any reassurance that can be given to me? I am beyond convinced that I will test positive over a stupid stupid mistake
7.5 weeks ago I engaged in a high risk activity which I am now convinced has resulted in me contracting HIV.
While on holiday in Thailand I was very drunk and had sex with a thai girl (who may or may not have been in the "trade" but am worried about it as the next morning I had no money on me, something I am sure I had plenty of the night before). From what I remember of the incident I used a condom (although can't be sure it didnt break as it was never checked after) and have flashbacks of performing brief oral sex something I am completely horrified at and am most worried about despite many people on this forum and others stating that it is a very low risk activity. The reason for my worry is that I can remember having a sore throat the next day due to have been loudly singing and shouting the night before, meaning it would have been damaged not long before the incident I am worried about.
I am extremely worried as my body and mind is all over the place and I must now wait another 5 weeks to test again for what I am sure will be a positive result. The reason for my worry is that I can't explain the occurence of symptoms and effects that seemed to have come over me since the event. 5 days after exposure while still on holiday I suffered sickness almost instantly after eating a meal. The sickness included 2 bouts of vomitting and also expereincing a brief episode of chills. Both were gone by the next morning. Two days later (1 week after exposure) I experienced a sore tongue which hurt when eating and seemed very dry. The next day this had gone but my tongue was coated and i was extremely thirsty. For the next few weeks I had coated tongue, pale stool for a few days, nausea, runny/blocked nose and ears and a migraine for one day( which I am prone to and cleared up in a few hours). All of these were within a 1-4 week period of the event but did not all occur at once some followed days after the others. Since these intial symptoms have gone I now only experience a lack of appetite and a complete inability to sleep. Every night I wake up at around 2-3am and can not get back to sleep, sometimes my heart racing when I try to nap I get a horroble feeling in my stomach that just makes me more alert. I also have lost some weight around my legs. Despite my best efforts I cant stop thinking about why or how I ended up in the situation I did and when this happens I lose all concentration and become what I can only describe as depressed and unable to cope
Despite all this I took a blood test and full STD panel at 5.5 weeks ALL of which came back negative 10 days later, the test was in the UK but I was not told which test it was although from what I can find about the test centre online it seems to have been a DUO test but I am really not sure. I am also worried that the test may not be appropriate for testing the strain of virus I would have been exposed to, CRF A/E which is the most common in Thailand.
Is there any reassurance that can be given to me? I am beyond convinced that I will test positive over a stupid stupid mistake
You are not going to be the exception to the rule, you are simply not going to be.
Your symptoms mean nothing in the slightest.
Move on and forget about HIV, it really is not a concern for you from what you have described.
Your symptoms mean nothing in the slightest.
Move on and forget about HIV, it really is not a concern for you from what you have described.
My apologies. I was simply trying to understand the process. The more I think of the incident the more I'm sure the condom did not break and am actually quite confident in that as it has never happened to me before.
However, when I think of the oral I get a horrible sickness feeling in my stomach I suppose much like when you eat something funny and thinking of it makes you unwell. Hardly an exact science but it's one of those gut instinct feelings I can't ignore. That coupled with my first symptom being a sore tongue follows by coating I really can't ignore the coincidences. I know oral is deemed NO Risk on this forum but te fact I would has had an inflamed throat at the time I really feel I am going to e te exception to the rule
However, when I think of the oral I get a horrible sickness feeling in my stomach I suppose much like when you eat something funny and thinking of it makes you unwell. Hardly an exact science but it's one of those gut instinct feelings I can't ignore. That coupled with my first symptom being a sore tongue follows by coating I really can't ignore the coincidences. I know oral is deemed NO Risk on this forum but te fact I would has had an inflamed throat at the time I really feel I am going to e te exception to the rule
You don't HAVE a concern. You don't understand HIV testing. The modern tests are very sensitive, they have reduced the window period from exposure to diagnosis SIGNIFICANTLY.
You probably didn't have a risk to begin with. Get yourself some help for the anxiety....THAT'S what you should be addressing, not HIV.
Kindly move along, there is really nothing more we can say.
You probably didn't have a risk to begin with. Get yourself some help for the anxiety....THAT'S what you should be addressing, not HIV.
Kindly move along, there is really nothing more we can say.
So that is my concern. At time of test there is a chance that I would have had insufficient quantities of both
At 28 days the antigen production drops and the antibody production starts to ramp up. So while the antigen part would be no good the antibody part would be good.
Understand but if taken after 28 days does that reduce the accuracy of the test? I'm just confused by the antigen and antibody relationship
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