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General questions
Hi Doctors,
Thank you for taking the time to look at my questions.
I had what was in all likelihood a low risk experience approximately 5 weeks ago. I am a hetorosexual male and I fooled around with a girl at school whose history I am unaware of. We engaged in mutual masterbation as well as engaging in genital to genital contact through naked "grinding" The genital to genital contact was limited at just a few minutes and i actually don't think that my urethra came into contact with her vaginal opening but I am not certain about this. There wasn't any intercourse or oral sex.
Approximately 4 days after this experienc I came down with a strong illness that consisted of a sore throat, loss of voice, dizziness, high fever (103 at its highest), mild cough, chills, and drenching night sweats this lasted for about 5 days. The doctor diagnosed me with a virus as well as with a sinus infection. I had not thought of hiv at the time. Also, just recently at 5 weeks out I noticed what are pimple like red bumps on both the left and right sides of my back, approx 8-10 on the left and 3-5 on the right. They are however not pimples and have been there for 1-2 days and have not subsided as of yet.
I would like get my annual STD checkup performed just to rule out any type of infection. What is the earliest that I could be tested and completely trust the accuracy of my results? How accurate would HIV results be at six weeks?
If a person truly had ars symptoms would that mean their body has seroconverted at about that same time they experienced symptoms and then by extension that if he/she tested negative that their symptoms must have been caused by something else?
Can ars symptoms occur in as little as 4 days or as late as 5 weeks or both?
Finally, in your opinion is there any legitamacy regarding my concerns or am I simply obsessing about something that likely isn't there. I will freely admit that I have that tendency.
Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to look at my questions.
I had what was in all likelihood a low risk experience approximately 5 weeks ago. I am a hetorosexual male and I fooled around with a girl at school whose history I am unaware of. We engaged in mutual masterbation as well as engaging in genital to genital contact through naked "grinding" The genital to genital contact was limited at just a few minutes and i actually don't think that my urethra came into contact with her vaginal opening but I am not certain about this. There wasn't any intercourse or oral sex.
Approximately 4 days after this experienc I came down with a strong illness that consisted of a sore throat, loss of voice, dizziness, high fever (103 at its highest), mild cough, chills, and drenching night sweats this lasted for about 5 days. The doctor diagnosed me with a virus as well as with a sinus infection. I had not thought of hiv at the time. Also, just recently at 5 weeks out I noticed what are pimple like red bumps on both the left and right sides of my back, approx 8-10 on the left and 3-5 on the right. They are however not pimples and have been there for 1-2 days and have not subsided as of yet.
I would like get my annual STD checkup performed just to rule out any type of infection. What is the earliest that I could be tested and completely trust the accuracy of my results? How accurate would HIV results be at six weeks?
If a person truly had ars symptoms would that mean their body has seroconverted at about that same time they experienced symptoms and then by extension that if he/she tested negative that their symptoms must have been caused by something else?
Can ars symptoms occur in as little as 4 days or as late as 5 weeks or both?
Finally, in your opinion is there any legitamacy regarding my concerns or am I simply obsessing about something that likely isn't there. I will freely admit that I have that tendency.
Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Neither HIV nor any STD causes such a rash, so from that standpoint you shouldn't be worried. However, I don't have any good ideas about the cause. If it clears up in the next few days, I wouldn't worry about it. If it continues, see your primary care doctor or a dermatologist.
That should end this thread. Take care.
That should end this thread. Take care.
Also, do you think the rash I described warrants seeing a dermatologist or even a general physician? I want to be able to stop worrying abut this and this rash is keeping me from doing so. To provide a little more detail about the rash it's about 10 small red bumps on the left side of my trunk. The skin around it looks completely normal there are just these red dots/bumps that won't go away. They have been there a week now. I asked the nurse who performed the blood test what he thought about it and he didn't seem to know much about the rash or modern hiv tests but he dismissed it for the most part. The 10 or so bumps are dispersed around an area of about 6 to 10 inches. They are not centrally located. If I may be so bold as to ask this question if you were in my shoes how would you pursue my situation?
Hi doctor I got tested today. The nurse was unaware of the duo test and instead performed an HIV quick test. The test was negative and today is about 2 days shy of 6 weeks past exposure. Can I consider this to be conclusive and put this to rest? Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Online testing is fine in some circumstances. But when there are symptoms, such as your rash, professional examination is strongly preferable. I suggest yout visit the STD clinic. In addition, it will be cheaper. At online testin sites, people tend to be sucked in to expensive panels of multiple tests, some or many of which are usually not necessary. The STD clinic will professionally and accurately advise you about what testing is recommended.
As for the second question, the answer is definitely yes. You do not need testing from a medical or risk standpoint. But many people anxious about particular sexual exposures are more reassured by negative testing than they are by my (or anyone else's) judgment about how low the risk was.
As for the second question, the answer is definitely yes. You do not need testing from a medical or risk standpoint. But many people anxious about particular sexual exposures are more reassured by negative testing than they are by my (or anyone else's) judgment about how low the risk was.
Thank you for your speedy response. I just have a couple follow up questions. First, I was planning to simply have the tests run without undergoing any sort of examination. I am planning on visiting an STD clinic or using an online testing site. Does the rash I described warrant undergoing an examination or can I rely on the test results to determine if the rash happened to be due to HIV somehow I.e. Ars. Secondly, if I understood your post correctly that no one has received the virus from the exposure I engaged in, can I assume then that really the only reason for my getting tested for HIV is my psychological well being?
Thanks for your help!
Thanks for your help!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. This came in just as I checked the forum for any late questions.
You really should have no worry over this event. Your symptoms sound like a garden variety respiratory infection, not acute HIV. Also, your exposure was low risk for HIV; without actual penetration, HIV transmission has never been known to happen. And "a girl at school", i.e. a university student in the US or most other industrial countries, is statistically very unlikely to have HIV.
You can be tested right now, especially if your university student health service (if you are eligible for care there) or other clinic in your area offers the duo (or "combo") test for both HIV antibody and p24 antigen. That test is 100% reliable anytime more than 4 weeks after the last possible exposure. Even if you have a stand-alone antibody test, the results at 5 weeks will be more than 95% reliable.
Is there "any legitimacy" about your concerns? Not really, but I understand your concerns. However, the chance you have HIV is still under 1 in a million. See a doctor or clinic for testing for reassurance, but you can expect negative results. And stay mellow in the meantime. All will be well.
I hope this helps. Best wishes--- HHH, MD
You really should have no worry over this event. Your symptoms sound like a garden variety respiratory infection, not acute HIV. Also, your exposure was low risk for HIV; without actual penetration, HIV transmission has never been known to happen. And "a girl at school", i.e. a university student in the US or most other industrial countries, is statistically very unlikely to have HIV.
You can be tested right now, especially if your university student health service (if you are eligible for care there) or other clinic in your area offers the duo (or "combo") test for both HIV antibody and p24 antigen. That test is 100% reliable anytime more than 4 weeks after the last possible exposure. Even if you have a stand-alone antibody test, the results at 5 weeks will be more than 95% reliable.
Is there "any legitimacy" about your concerns? Not really, but I understand your concerns. However, the chance you have HIV is still under 1 in a million. See a doctor or clinic for testing for reassurance, but you can expect negative results. And stay mellow in the meantime. All will be well.
I hope this helps. Best wishes--- HHH, MD
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