Aa
Can it possibly be anything but HIV?
Hi,
Had unprotected sex with csw in thailand few weeks ago on business trip, it started with condom but broke without knowing till end. 16 Days later developed rash on penis head. Went to Doc at 20 days to test for all std and came back negative. 24 days later started to feel very sick wanted to go to hospital but didnt, basically all ARS symptoms except diareah. These symptoms lasted for about 10 days in one form or another. Got 5 week (35 day) blood draw elisa (negative). In this time had very brief unprotected vaginal with girlfirend (about 1 min no ejaculatioin) this was before my symptoms started. My girlfreind being unaware of a potential problem has had in the past two weeks (severe neck ache, headache, weakness, nausea, restlssness at night,nightmares, mouth sore). I also started having bad night sweats at around 5 weeks till a few days ago (now a little over 7 weeks past exposure). I also had a 6 week rapid hiv (finger *****) test at free clinic (negative). Still have rash on penis over 4 weeks now. I have continued to have intermitent problems over last week or so (extreme nausea, tiredness, swollen nodes underarms today very painful). 1) How likely is it that 5week elisa/ 6 week rapid missed hiv infection especially if symptoms at 25 days were ars?
2) Took a Valtrex for days 23-25 . MyDoc originally thought may be start of HSV-2 infection, but later ruled out. Would 3 days of Valtrex lengthen seroconversion past 6 weeks?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Congratulations. It wasn't a guess but a definitive, confident prediction. There is no point in another test at 12 weeks. It never takes more than 6 weeks for syphilis blood tests to become positive, and it is not possible to have a negative test in the presence of a skin rash due to syphilis. Don't waste your money on additional testing.
That's all for this thread.
That's all for this thread.
Good News Doc, as per your guess, my 8 week HIV / RPR came back negative. Im gonna definetly follow up with 12 weeker but atleast now I can actually belive that some other type of virus or illness is what has been plaguing us the last few weeks.
Cheers,
Cheers,
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Almost certainly not an STD, but that's as far as I can go. Most of the hundreds of causes of rash anywhere on the body can sometimes involve the genitals.
Thanks Doc ,
Just took my bloods, will let you know results probably Thurs/Fri.
Any ideas on what Penis rash could be? Ghonera/chlymidia(bacterial) and herpes ruled out already by tests/docs. It been there over 5 weeks consisitently now only on the head. Seems to flare up and be more irritating with other symtpoms like (nasusea,swollen nodes,headche).
Will see Dermatoligst next week but curious if you had any thoughts/ ideas?
Just took my bloods, will let you know results probably Thurs/Fri.
Any ideas on what Penis rash could be? Ghonera/chlymidia(bacterial) and herpes ruled out already by tests/docs. It been there over 5 weeks consisitently now only on the head. Seems to flare up and be more irritating with other symtpoms like (nasusea,swollen nodes,headche).
Will see Dermatoligst next week but curious if you had any thoughts/ ideas?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
1) This doesn't sound like syphilis, but it is a highly variable disease and it is reasonable to be tested for it. You can expect a negative RPR result.
2) No, it is not a realistic possibility you are infected at all, let alone with a type not detected by routine tests. I already responded above to your comment about ARS symptoms. Even classical ARS symptoms usually are due to other causes. Test results ALWAYS outweigh symptoms in judging whether or not a patient has HIV. Just as for syphilis, testing for HIV in this situation made sense, but I would have predicted the negative result before you told us about it.
3) CBC is a nonspecific test. (It's actually a mix of several specific tests.) The results often give clues to overall health, and normal results are reassuring. At the same time, the CBC often is entirely normal in serious illnesses or abnormal in minor ones.
2) No, it is not a realistic possibility you are infected at all, let alone with a type not detected by routine tests. I already responded above to your comment about ARS symptoms. Even classical ARS symptoms usually are due to other causes. Test results ALWAYS outweigh symptoms in judging whether or not a patient has HIV. Just as for syphilis, testing for HIV in this situation made sense, but I would have predicted the negative result before you told us about it.
3) CBC is a nonspecific test. (It's actually a mix of several specific tests.) The results often give clues to overall health, and normal results are reassuring. At the same time, the CBC often is entirely normal in serious illnesses or abnormal in minor ones.
My Doc has me scheduled for some blood tests this week (8 weeks). Im taking RPR, CBC, HIV antibody. A couple quick questions. 1) I never had a chancre, is it still possible my penis rash and other symptoms could be syhpillis? I basically had every ars sympotom in the book for almost 2 weeks. 2) Is it possible the antibody test could miss a more exotic subtype like one you may encounter in Asia? 3) A CBC will basically tell if I have some sort of infection correct? If am experiencing any type of illness( hiv or not), my blood count will be out of whack right?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
"Can it possibly be anything but HIV?" The bottom line answer is that is HAS to be something other than HIV. As has been discussed innumerable times on this forum (you can use the search link to find all those discussions), test results always outweigh symptoms in judging whether an HIV infection is present, as long as testing was done long enough after exposure to be reliable. With modern HIV tests, including the rapid finger-stick tests, 95+% of newly infected people have positive results by 6 weeks. No medicine delays HIV test conversion, except possibly potent chemotherapy. Certainly Valtrex does not do so.
Most of the symptoms you list for your girlfriend (you don't mention your own) do not suggest ARS anyway; and further, although HIV once was a major risk in Thailand, that country has had among the world's most successful HIV prevention campaigns and HIV now is very uncommon in Thai sex workers. I cannot say whether you and your gf are sharing some virus or other infection, or whether it is something you caught from your Thai CSW partner. I doubt it, but if so, it isn't HIV and almost certainly nothing serious.
Continue to work with your health care provider if your symptoms continue or you remain concerned. But you have no worries about HIV.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Most of the symptoms you list for your girlfriend (you don't mention your own) do not suggest ARS anyway; and further, although HIV once was a major risk in Thailand, that country has had among the world's most successful HIV prevention campaigns and HIV now is very uncommon in Thai sex workers. I cannot say whether you and your gf are sharing some virus or other infection, or whether it is something you caught from your Thai CSW partner. I doubt it, but if so, it isn't HIV and almost certainly nothing serious.
Continue to work with your health care provider if your symptoms continue or you remain concerned. But you have no worries about HIV.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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