Please Help..So Worried

[WorriedHusband_30]

Hi Ann, Ann and other Moderators,

First let me  say you guys are great. You did a lot in your HIV prevention advocacy. Sorry because this post might be long but I want my every questions answered by experts like you.

I am from Philippines..On several accounts I cheated with my wife which I regret now. These exposures were with or without condoms in a penetrative vaginal sex and unprotected when giving and receiving oral from those girls.

My last encounter was mid October of 2010. It was a protected vaginal intercourse with a single mom, I meet on the net. She went down on me and I went down on her which was unprotected. After 3 weeks, I begin to feel unwell.
I have low grade fever for a week, a sore throat which cleared out after taking antibiotics.My muscle twitches also especially  in my shoulders and thigh.

On six to 7  weeks mark, I had painful muscles in my extremities, a burning sensation under my sole, loss of appetite, and severe diarrhea that lasted for two days.

My painful neuropathy which is all over my body now started second week of January 2011. It is accompanied with a generalized itchiness which is really disturbing. I experienced burning sensation in several part of my body that is seems that  hot water is being poured over the  affected area.

I also noticed pin head size seven red spots on my skin that looks like angioma ( I am not sure). I am also belching excessively.

This prompted me to test at 20 weeks post exposure using a 4th Generation CMIA for HIV 1&2 and the result was  NON REACTIVE. The medical technologist who did the test informed me that I should test again at 30 weeks to be sure. I also noticed that the reagent used was set to expired 3 days after the test was conducted.

Can I consider my result CONCLUSIVE ? What are the possibilities that I had a FALSE NEGATIVE RESULT? Are my symptoms HIV specific? I had my test at government owned hospital which is also the ONLY treatment center for people infected with HIV in my area. I was told that the test was a very sensitive one.

Please enlighten me.

[WorriedHusband_30]

Please Andy, Ann & Rapid Rod

please reply

[Ann]

Worried,

You are conclusively hiv negative, which is no surprise since you didn't have a risk to begin with.

Getting a blowjob is not a risk for hiv infection and neither is going down on a woman.

Condoms have been proven to prevent hiv infection. There have been long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.

You do not have hiv and you do not need further testing.

Ann

[WorriedHusband_30]

Ann,

I do not know how to thank you..
But what about the Reagent, I was tested on 25th of February 2011 and the expiry of the Reagent was March 1, 2011..I promise this will be my last post. Thanks.

Worried

[Ann]

Worried,

What about it? It would have still been ok a few months after the expiry date, so relax. And anyway, a test that has gone past its sell-by date would be more likely to produce a false positive than a false negative.

You do NOT have hiv.

Ann

[WorriedHusband_30]

Ann,

Many thanks Ann! God bless you!

I will try to live a normal life again...

Worried

[WorriedHusband_30]

Hi Ann,

I went to my doctor and later found out that  my itchiness, neuropathy and excessive belching is caused by gall bladder sludge which disrupt bile flow.

After taking my meds, I feel better and back to my normal life again.

Thanks,

Worried

[Ann]

Worried,

I'm very happy to hear that you did the right thing and went to a doctor to find out what was actually going on. All too often we see people who refuse to think outside the hiv box and are quite possibly missing something important due to their hiv tunnel-vision.

Outside your marriage, use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple! Read through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms correctly and with confidence.

Ann