POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: brian197209 on August 02, 2006, 09:57:11 am
-
I am really worried about HIV, first of all i would like to say that i am posting this from Denmark and if my English is not good enough i would like to apologize for it, trying my best. About six weeks ago i had unprotected oral sex and protected vaginal sex with a sex worker from Romania. i have tried to read every topic about it here on the website and know that oral sex is a low risk factor but still want to write my symptoms (looking for reassurance). Two weeks later i was at the beach and when i came home later the same night i noticed that my right leg(just two inches above my angle) started itching(area as big as a coin) , after 5 days the area became very red and i went to the doctor and he said it is some kind of allergic reaction and i shouldn't worry(have never had any allergies before), the itching stopped but the red area started to grow up on my leg and went up to about 1 inch above my right knee, at the same time the rash on my leg started to lose its red color and became pinkish. The whole process took about 3 weeks until it has almost disappeared now. About the same time that the rash disappeared i started to feel pain in my left leg, usually at night and this would not allow me to sleep at night. The pain in my right leg went away after a week but the same pain started to grow on my left leg and this has been going on for 1 week now, i am into sports but can not find anything related to my training the past 4 weeks. I also noticed a white-yellow color covering a my tongue, (dint know if i am more sensitiv now, i might have had this white color on my tongue before). I have been measuring my fever twice every day and have no fever. Besides my legs i have not noticed anything else. I have also been checking my body every day to see if there are rashes anywhere else but ha vent seen anything unusual. Once again thank you for the information this site provides and i really would appreciate an answer.
-
Brian
From what I gather there have been no real risk for HIV infection.
You vaginal sex was protected. That is what counts.
If you have been on the receiving part during oral sex, there is no risk for HIV.
If you have been the active part (going down on the female) there is a a very, very (like minimal) small risk at best.
Your symptoms are in no way HIV specific. Anyway, symptoms are never, ever a way to diagnose HIV.
If you want, you can test after 3 months. However I donīt think itīs necessary.
Hope this helps!
Regards from Switzerland to Denmark!
Darkfiber
(who, by the way used to be in Kopenhagen lately)
-
Brian, condoms provide very effective protection against HIV transmission. You were not at risk because of oral. So this is essentially a no risk situation that you're worrying about.
If you haven't already read the lesson on Transmission on this site, please do so.You can reach it through the link found in the opening thread in this section. Getting that information and consistently using condoms will allow you to enjoy your sexuality, protect your health and spare you the kind of worry you are having now.
As to your rash, simply because you have never had an allergic reaction that you can recall doesn't mean you can't have one now. And simply because you haven't had a satisfactory diagnosis does not by default mean this is an HIV situaiton.
By the way, in general it's a good idea if you are sexually active to have a full panel of STD tests done at least annually.
This time out I don't see any cause for further concern about HIV.
Cheers,
-
Thank you guys for caring enough to give me answers both of u guys. U have been most kind.
-
Glad to know you found these exchanges to be helpful to you.
Cheers,
-
Thank you once again Andy. I have been reading the website more carefully after your reply and feel that i know a whole lot more about HIV compared to what i knew just this morning. I had a follow up question and was wondering if u have the time to answer me, would appreciate it a lot. Since body rashes are common on people just infected, what part of the body do they usually appear ( thinking about my left leg as i explained in my first posting)? what about signs on the tongue, a white-yellow cover over the tongue , how normal is that?
Do not wanna waist your time , answer me when u have the time.
By the way ,just curious;;; are u a Doctor or just a person whit a lot of experience in these matters?
Thanks
-
Brian,
Your rash is nothing like the rash associated with ARS, which doesn't itch and doesn't appear on the legs.
You didn't have a risk of hiv infection, so how could you possibly be experiencing anything related to hiv?
Neither getting a blowjob nor protected intercourse are risks for hiv infection.
Ann
-
Thanks Ann for the answer. Extremly helpful to know about the rash. You guys are wonderful with the kind of help you are providing to people like myself. I have been worried sick because of this for about a month now, i wish i had asked my questions already then.
One last question, does the muscle pain related with HIV appear all over the body? and is it fair to say that lack of fever is a good indication of not being infected with HIV? (i am saying this because i have read somewhere that some people never have fever regardless of how sick they are)
Thanks
-
Brian,
Symptoms or the lack of symptoms mean absolutely nothing when it comes to hiv infection. Some people experience none, but test positive. Some experience every symptom in the book, but test conclusively negative. One thing I can guarantee WILL give you symptoms - is reading about them.
The ONLY way of knowing your hiv status is to test. You do not need to test unless it is part of a routine sexual health care check up that any sexually active adult should be having once or twice a year, depending on the level of activity. As long as you use condoms for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return negative results.
You had no risk in this particular incident and you do not need to test specifically because of it.
Ann
-
Read this carefully: Neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms will ever tell you anything accurately about HIV when you have had a genuinely risky incident. The symptoms of ARS, if they appear noticeably, are simply too similar so many other events like flu, etc.
So an HIV test at the appropiate time is the ONLY way to know about one's HIV status.
All of this is of course totally irrelevant in relation to your incident since you were not at risk. You had safer sex. Period. So you need to stop right here and now and get off of the what if worry wagon. And only you can control that.
You were not at risk. Period. End of story.
-
ok. guys, i am gonna stop the questions. Thanks again.
-
Andy, Ann and Jonathan, I did not know who to ask and i really appreciate your reply to this posting, and i promiss i wont be asking a whole lot of questions.
The rash that I had for about a month ago is totally gone, my muscle pains in my legs are gone as well, but the past few days I noticed a bump under my chin has been growing and now in the fifth day it is as big as a bean. Went to the Doctor and he said it is a lymph node and i should not worry about it if it doesn't grow, please tell me your opinion , could this be related to HIV? i mean even if i had protected vaginal sex, i might have got some vaginal fluids while pulling of the condom and touching my own penis! It has now gone 50 days since the incident that i am worried about! Please answer!
-
The answer to your question is NO. You didn't not have a risk period. Don't come back with the buts or what if questions either. YOU DIDN'T HAVE A RISK!!!!!
-
Thanks for the answer, I know that u guys keep answering the same kind of questions all the time AND IT MUST BE VERY TIRING, but even your short answer was very reassuring, I am sure you understand the kind of games your mind can play on you. I still would very much appreciate any other reply on my question specially considering the fact that swollen lymph nodes is a sign of early HIV!
-
Brian,
A single swollen lymph node is NOT an indication of hiv infection. Period. Lymph node swelling would be body wide.
And symptoms, if they occur at all, do so 2-4 weeks after infection. They come all at once and go all at once a week or two later.
Morgan
-
Thats the best information i could get, dont really know how to express my appreciation. I guess the best way is to stop asking stupid questions , so thanks once again.
-
;)