POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: WorriedSick83 on September 06, 2012, 07:15:26 am
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I had full std testing including HIV done during my pregnancy, 8 weeks after I had my son and just recently in March 2012. But, I recently was stupid enough to have unprotected sex with my sons father. I knew that since we are both single now it was a possibility that it could happen, I brought condoms just in case but in the heat of the moment we did not use them :/
We have been seperated for 1 1/2 years and he has only had one girlfriend/sex partner but I do not know her past and thats why I worry.
My son is 2 years old and was breastfed up until about 5 days ago when I started noticing potential stds of a HIV infection. I tried stopping right after the unproteced sex just to be on the safe side but after reading that HIV is actually rather hard to catch even on the slim chance someone has it, I thought there wouldn't be any risk to him and now I've been eating myself up inside.
I got a sore throat about 3 days ago, with a slight fever (100.1) for two days followign that I've had slightly swollen glands in my jaw area. I have two prominent lymph nodes on the right side of my jaw and right side of my neck, neither of them are enlarged. I also checked for swollen lymph nodes in the armpit/groin area and found none. I often get swollen lymph nodes and fever due to impacted wisdom teeth. I took some amoxicillin I had from a recent visit to my dentist and the sore throat and swollen lymph nodes went away. While out shopping yesterday I noticed my feet felt hotter than normal and slightly tingly and today my body felt a bit achy but being the hypochondriac that I am I may be imagining these "symptoms"
If I had HIV, I could deal with that it would be my burden to bear. But the the tho9ght that my son may suffer and have to deal with doctors, medications and illness his whole life because of my moment of stupidity is too much of a thought to even fathom. Today he complained that his neck hurt, and I felt two swollen lymph nodes, however I read the signs in children are often different than adults so I'm not sure this would be related. I'm hoping I had a virus which he just happened to catch. I'm more worried that I may have HIV and have passed it to him as I read that HIV is highly concentrated in breast milk and that it is most infectious in its early stages.
Any thoughts/opinions on all of this would be greatly appreciated.
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Worried,
You should be using condoms with anyone who you cannot be 100% sure is hiv negative. It doesn't matter what you are told or what think you know about their sexual history.
The earliest you should test is at six weeks following this unprotected incident. The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days.
A six week negative is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point.
Even if he is positive, the odds are in your favour of testing negative after a one-off event, but you do need to test to be certain.
Regarding the breast feeding, it's not a guarantee that you've transmitted the virus to him if you are indeed positive. It is a possibility, but not a certainty. Try to not worry about it.
Nothing you are reporting is hiv specific. Sometimes a sore throat is just a sore throat. Most of the time, in fact.
Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:
You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together.
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.
Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.
Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.
If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.
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!
Ann
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Honestly the only time I ever have sex is in a long term monogamous relationship and I always make sure him and I both get tested, so I've never used condoms. I only let my guard down this one time and wasn't thinking anything was morally wrong considering this is my child's father. I know going unprotected was wrong but there is nothing I can do to change that now.
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Worried,
Having unprotected intercourse is not morally wrong, it's just dangerous. Big difference. We're not here to judge your morality.
Good luck with your testing.
Ann
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Worried,
Having unprotected intercourse is not morally wrong, it's just dangerous. Big difference. We're not here to judge your morality.
Good luck with your testing.
Ann
Oh by morals I meant I didn't see anything wrong with hooking up with him without being in a relationship because he is my child's father (not judging anyone who has one night stands just my personal belief)
Anyways, shortly after my posts regarding swollen glands, sore throat and fever I noticed tingling/pain in the right side of my face. Since I have a bad tooth on the right side I went to my dentist and sure enough the tooth had caused an infection so I was given antibiotics and it all cleared up. I am unsure if the lymph nodes swelling prior to the tooth ache/infection was caused by said infection.
What I'm concerned about now, around september 6th I noticed some tingling/warmness in both feet. It has been persistent since that point so for about 3 weeks now. It is worse when wearing closed shoes or when I am up walking around a lot or at work. Its sort of a burning/tingling but no pain. Does this sound anything like peripheral neuropathy? I know HIV is only diagnosed by test never by symptoms however it is very strange that I would get this issue with my feet given I am otherwise healthy and only 26 years old.
Also, my swollen throat has returned. From what I have read ARS symptoms do not come on one by one, or come and go but I just want to ask about it to be certain. I still plan on getting tested at 6 weeks post unprotected intercourse.
Timeline:
August 19th - Unprotected sex
September 4th-6th low grade 100 degree fever
September 4th-9th sore throat/swollen glands
September 10th-current date foot tingling/burning
September 29th swollen throat/glands returns
If the swollen glands WERE caused by ARS would taking antibiotics make them go away, only to return when the antibiotics stopped working in my system?
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Worried,
It could be that the infection in your mouth has returned. See your dentist or doctor.
The thing going on with your feet does not sound like PN. It does sound like it could be athlete's foot, so get it checked out. Anyone can get athlete's foot, and just because you haven't had it before doesn't mean you can't get it now.
Nothing going on sounds remotely like primary hiv infection and as you yourself note, ONLY testing at the appropriate time will reliably inform you of your hiv status.
If your six week test is negative, it is highly unlikely to change when you confirm at three months. Just make sure you do confirm.
Ann