Could I have HIV???

[Lazzio2134]

I received unprotected oral sex from a stripper in Mexico in the first week of August. I ejaculated in her mouth and began to get worried soonafter. When I came back from Mexico I got an STD test and an HIV test and everything came back normal. About two and a half months later I got sick. I had a cough which would not go away and got a fever as well. I took medicine but began to get a rash on my arms and legs. The rash also reached my ***** so I began to get extremely worried. When I went to my doctor she told me I could have an scute HIV infection and she did a western blot and a pcr and the blot test came back negative while the PCR test came back negative as well since it was sensitive to 75 copies. She said I was fine but after I got the results I began to get that cough again and had night sweats and my feet started sweating like crazy. The night sweats have stopped as well as the cough. Now It's almost going to be six months since that intercourse took place and I am having a small bump come and go in my right underarm. Could I have HIV??? Please if anybody could help me I'd appreciate it.

[Unregistered]

Sounds like a viral infection that will just take time. You could have gotten it from a drink. Try and not worry. Don't ever make a mistake like that again!

[Unregistered]

I trully hope so because It has gotten me extremely worried.

[hypnotiq]

That doesnt sound like hiv. If your tests came back negative then its negative. I was really scared too before we make mistakes and after that we know better. Dont put yourself in that kind of position anymore. its not a good feeling.

[Unregistered]

Acute Retroviral Infection typically occurs about 2-4 weeks after being exposed to HIV and consists mainly of a fever, night sweats, and swollen glands. Weight loss might also occur. You probably contracted Infectious Mononucleosis (EBV) which usually occurs about 4-6 weeks after infection but it depends on person-to-person. The bump under your arm is probably a swollen lymph node. After having Mono, the lymph nodes can remain swollen for many months.

Rash is a symptom of HIV infection but it might also have been an allergic reaction to whatever medication the doctor gave you.

Unfortunately the HIV testing you had was basically useless. Seroconversion can take as long as 6 months to even 1 year before HIV antibodies would show up and those tests would show anything. Only specific blood tests during Acute Retroviral Infection can show HIV infection and most doctors have no clue to order them. Did they test the number of CD4 or CD8 cells during the infection?

If it's been 6 months since the infection get another test now and an other at the 1 year marker.

[Lazzio2134]

When I went to my doctor and had rash symptoms she did perform a PCR test for HIV and it came back negative. They did not test for the CD4 or CD8 levels. However, at the 7 month mark I did go back and got another oraquick test performed and it came back negative. However, the symptoms for Acute retroviral Infection occured 3 months after possible exposure. Do you think it's still possibly HIV?

[RedneckgirlVT]

it could be HIV. some of the kinds of HIV out there can take 10-15years!! before the show up in tests. Fatigue and minor head colds is a sign. Maybe its Hepitits C

[Lazzio2134]

I would be really interested to know what type of HIV takes 10 years to show up on tests. Why do you say it could be Hep C?

[Unregistered]

It's not necessairly the strand of HIV so much as it is the individual's own body. Everyone is different and so no one can actually predict how someone will progress after infected with HIV. Some people get it and never develop AIDS, some people get it and die of AIDS within the same year. On average, it takes about 10-15 years for HIV to progress into AIDS. Likewise, the time it takes for seroconversion (the process where the body produces antibodies to the virus) varies- for some it's a month, for others 6 months to a year. 10-15 years sounds impossible really. The rule of thumb is that the less time it takes to recover from the accute infection, the better the prognosis is. If you don't get the "fever" at all then it's seen as a better long term outcome.

It's not impossible for Acute Retroviral Syndrome to occur 3 months after infection, but EXTREMELY unlikely. Mononucleosis on the other hand, is something that can occur 3 months after. Get a test for Epstein-Barr Virus antibodies, Cytomegalovirus antibodies and even consider getting a test for Siphilis. You might want to ask for a Hepatitis series as well just to be safe.
You could ask for the CD4 and CD8 levels to be checked as well.

Also I'm not sure why you are so worried about HIV in the first place. You had a stripper give you a blow job, right? It seems to me that she would need to be more concerned about HIV than you. Transmission via oral sex is much MUCH lower than via regular sex, it's EXTREMELY low. The first symptoms of HIV infection are usually frequent infections, especially in the mouth. The ELISA and Western Blot are considered more definitive testing than PCR and so-called "quick" tests.

[Unregistered]

To clarify further, in a 2005 study about HIV infection based on a sample size of 10,000 people, the number of infections from unprotected insertive ******** was 0.5. For reference, in unprotected receptive ******** is was 1.0. Do you now see how it's almost impossible to have contracted HIV from what you did?

This all assumes, by the way, that you didn't have any other risky sexual adventures after returning home.