POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: waiben on March 07, 2013, 11:52:21 am
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Hi, I currently am working in China. Back in December I stupidly decided to have unprotected sex with a woman I had met. We did this several times. Also I performed cunnilingus on another female and I had a really bad chapped lip at the time(but I know from this forum that really is not a risk). About 4 weeks after this I started to get a headache, back pain, and fatigue. Then I noticed a blistery rash on my groin that eventually spread to both sides and a blister on the penis. After this I started to notice stinging and tingling in my hands/feet(no where else). I had several large bruises on my body that had no explanation. Eventually I developed a sore throat and noticed white stuff on my tongue that would scrape(may have been there before). I also had a very dry mouth.
Since this time I have developed what is almost certainly a second outbreak of genital herpes and this has only been in one month(I never had this before the December incident). My mouth is still very dry and I have occasional shooting pains in my hands/feet, sometimes waking up to find that my foot or hand has fallen asleep. Also, my gums have started to bleed which I never had before and there is an obvious infection in my mouth now.
About 6 weeks after the last time we had sex I told the woman about my symptoms and she went to get tested and it came back negative. I'm not sure what test they use here in China, but I'm guessing its very reliable. I understand the only way I can be sure is to get tested 3 months after exposure, but I'm scarred to death about what will happen. The laws here in China are very capricious and they can pretty much do what they want. I'm guessing I would be deported immediately disappearing from the countless friends I have made with no explanation(I couldnt tell them) and if the authorities like they could inform the people I know or my employer. Anything is possible here. So I will most likely wait until July when I go home and in the meantime hope my health doesn't get worse.
I know the moderators can't diagnose as acute HIV symptoms are very vague. From what I have read on the Am I Infected forum, the moderators seem to indicate that bleeding gums, neuropathy, and thrush are not signs of acute HIV infection but more moderate/advanced infection. Did I read that correctly? Because it seems like on other websites(many of which probably have outdated info) it lists these things as early symptoms. Also, on the Living with HIV forum it seems many people had neuropathy and gum problems or thrush very shortly after their diagnosis/infection.
I feel like my only hope now is that the woman's test was correct and that these numerous symptoms are not the ACUTE symptoms of HIV, but something more harmless like mono. But at this point it just seems so improbable that I could be so lucky as to have only caught herpes along with whatever benign diseases cause sore throats, neuropathy and bleeding gums. But I guess hope dies last.
Thanks for all your help and the great information this site provides.
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Hi Waiben . You cant go by someone else's test results , so you can test now since it has been 6 weeks post possible exposure . You will need to test again at 3 months to confirm your negative results . The oral sex you had isn't a risk for HIV .
The other problems you are having with your health isn't an indication or specific to HIV . You need to see a doctor to find out whats going on with your body .
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Hello, I would just like to follow up and say that despite all my strange symptoms that I thought were HIV related, I did test negative. I want to say to all the worried people out there, DO NOT TRY TO DIAGNOSE YOURSELF ON THE INTERNET. That's exactly what I did and all it did was cause 6 months of stress. Many of the medical websites have outdated or useless information. Poz.com has truly been the only useful resource I have come across in my research. Just like to say thank you to the moderators for doing what you do and helping everyone.