Test next week scared

[user1105]

First off let me say thank you for the site and what ever response I get from the community. Here's what I'm dealing with and many my say its paranoia or that I'm probably stressing for minimal reason but I want to know what my chances are of testing positive. I've set up a test for next week and I'm going crazy. In my heart I don't feel like I have HIV but after much Googling I have nearly all the symptoms. I am not a risky sexual person I'm a heterosexual male who only has one sex partner which was my x gf who cheated on me. Our relationship ended back in 2007. I'm pretty sure she gave me genital herpes as I have several bumps on my testicles as well in my anal region. These bumps do not burst like normal herpes and don't appear to be warts. So why do you think you have HIV. Well me and my x gf never had unprotected sex I can only think to one it two occasions where we tried it only briefly and it wasn't anal. However over the last few months I've had constant phlem like clear spit on my chest my skin has been peeling in some places as well as burning I have these white spots on my skin that look like they're under my hair follicles. My nails hurt underneath but haven't changed color pee Burns from time to time after eating my stomach hurts but no diarrhea  I get dizzy like my equilibrium is off my hands hurt like carpal tunnel I do a lot of typing but also heard thats a sign my joints elbow and knees hurt I just feel like my immune system is weak. Maybe its panic but with only one sexual partner who did cheat am I infected using condoms 98% of time and still mostllikely having herpes increase chances? Thanks

[Jeff G]

Hi User . The symptoms you are having are not specific to HIV , so it no good even wasting your time discussing them , that's why we do not discuss symptoms . The only way to know if a person has HIV is to test 6 weeks past any possible exposure and again at 3 months to confirm the result .

All sexually active adults should be having regular sexual health checkups for ALL STD's including HIV testing . Since you have had unprotected sex with an ex to whom you do not know her HIV status the responsible thing to do is test .

To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever. You claim to have used condoms 98% of the time but it only takes one time to be exposed .

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid HIV infection. It really is that simple!

Please remember we can not discuss symptoms or assign risk percentages because the only way to know if you have HIV is to test at the appropriate time .   

[user1105]

Thank you for the reply I understand that you can't diagnose me or give a percentage I came to this forum to hear others experience and also to see if what I described is considered the high risk behavior people speak of and if I did have herpes if that increases my likelyhood of having HIV. Im sorry for describing my symptoms thought they were relavent since they arent I apologize. All I can day is I'm praying hoping the test is negative as with only one sexual partner and for the majority of our 4 year relationship condoms were use minus two times and I did not finish. In any event thanks for the response if you or anyone can add anything to ease my mind before this test and how to approach it or what I'm too expect a swab? Shot etc it'd be greatly appreciated

[jkinatl2]

You can certainly find a local health clinic or AIDS Service Organization by (in the USA) putting your zip code into the form here:

http://directory.poz.com/

Some places do rapid testing, others do a blood draw. As it has been more than three months since your brief unprotected sex (with is a low risk) a rapid test would be more than sufficient.