still a little doubt

[miamidude]

Dear Dr. thanks in advance for your help. At the end of July(24Th) of this year I had an encounter with a transexual M to F porn star. I choose this person as I understood that they undergo regular testing in order to perform. The encounter consisted of deep kissing, protected oral (both give and receive), and mutual masturbation without condoms. She put lube on both of us and we masturbated each other. After completion I recall her touching/rubbing, not vigorously, my urethra. Two weeks later we met again and had virtually the same encounter. However, I had several abrasions on my hands, which I had covered with neosporin and bandaids prior to our interaction. Everything I have read on the forum, says NO RISK AT ALL. However, about a week or so following our first encounter, I started noticing lots of sweating and kind of heat intolerance. I am in good shape and ride a bike 100 miles a week or so. Also I started waking at around 1 to 3 am, every night,feeling very hot, though not sweating or drenched with sweat. The waking continues to now. I have been short of breath, and my face and torso at times feel very hot. During all of this, I have had no fever. My tongue also has felt like I burned it for a week or so. In the middle of Aug I had irritation and some dripping, so I went to the clinic and explained my situation and they recommended the usual tests. I also did a rapid HIV(finger prick), as a part of a University study, the clinic did not say i needed it. All tests negative. My Doc has tested for mono, thyroid, chest xray, ekg etc. etc. Also CBC etc normal. The only irregularity was platelets, normal is 140 for me, now 114. Also ESR was 1, the range is 0-15. I guess whenever I read about low platelets, HIV keeps popping up in the information. Hence, still a fraction of worry. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[miamidude]

Thanks for your time. The Hiv test occurred about 6 weeks after the first encounter. For a no risk encounter, its a moot point. Regards symptoms, sweating, waking very hot every night, etc., has been occurring for at least 8 weeks now or more. As I have nothing else to explain this are there other virus or infectious concerns (hepatitis) that I should investigate. As I stated before the clinic tested for standard stuff I believe, gonnorhea, syphillis, clamydia? Thanks again.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  Several comments about your exposure which I hope will help to put your doubts aside.

First as you point out, persons working in the adult film industry are tested regularly for HIV and thus HIV is uncommon (but not heard of) in this setting.  The exposures you describe however, even if she was HIV infected, as no risk for HIV (including the rubbing or your urethra following mutual masturbation).  finally, your test at the middle of August occurred about 8 weeks or more following the exposures you describe. If my sense of the timing is correct, then this too is indicative of the fact that you did not get HIV from the encounters you describe.  I would not sorry about HIV.

So, what could this be.  None of your lab tests are abnormal or worrisome and individuals' results vary from day to day so I would not have any concerns about your lab tests.  The other symptoms are rather non-specific and could be due to any number of non HIV causes unrelated to the exposure you describe.  If they do trouble you, I would discuss them with your doctor but, once again,  I would not worry about HIV.

I hope my comments are helpful to you. EWH