worried!!!!

[ziggster]

hey... about 20 days ago I had an unsafe sexual encounter with a girl I've known from college. Basically, we had unprotected vaginal sex. A couple days went by, and all seemed fine. I went swimming one day (the lake water was pretty cold) and later that night I noticed my throat began to get sore. I completely lost my voice, went to the doc and he put me on anti-biotics. The prescription has run out now, and my throat is still a little sore. My glands under my throat were a little swollen, but not my groin or under my armpits. I got a little bit of a rash on the inside of my elbow on my left arm but that cleared up with some cortison, because I've gotten those kinds of rashes there when it's hot my whole life... but I can't help but feel that I'm HIV positive or something because of the sore throat! I don't have a fever or anything like that, and it's mainly this sore throat but I just can't seem to shake it after that unprotected sex encounter. I live in North Idaho... and it seems like the disease is all but nonexistent here... but I still keep getting worried like, "Well what if that girl I had sex with was the one girl who had HIV?". I dont know, this is probably all in my head but I'm just worried. Any thoughts?

Thanks 

[Matty the Damned]

Zig,

Unprotected vaginal sex means that you will have to have an HIV test 12-13 weeks from the date of the encounter. Symptoms mean nothing and you should note that HIV transmission from female to male is possible but not common.

Please read the lessons section on this site. You'll find the link in the upper left hand corner of the page.

MtD

[Morgan]

Ziggster,

Symptoms, or the lack of symptoms, mean nothing when it comes to hiv.  You can have some, none, or all of the symptoms usually associated with primary hiv infection and be positive or negative.

That said, symptoms of infection, if you have any at all, don't appear for 2-4 weeks after exposure.  They come all at once, and go all at once within a week or two.

While the activity you describe is a risk for hiv infection and, as such, warrants testing, the timing of your symptoms is not indicative of hiv infection.

But the only way to truly determine your hiv status is through testing at the appropriate time..... 13 weeks post exposure.  

Morgan

[ziggster]

Oh ok... well, its about 3 weeks post exposure right now. I think I'll get tested at 6 weeks to see what comes up, if anything to set my mind at ease. Then when 13 weeks rolls around, I'll get tested just to be sure. Thank you for responding so quickly.

[Morgan]

Zig,

A 6 week test will be an excellent indication of your status as the vast majority infected would get an accurate result at that time.  Just make sure to confirm any neg. result at 13 weeks.

Morgan

[Matty the Damned]

Zig,

The vast majority of people who are going to test positive do so at 6 weeks. So a negative result at 6 weeks is a very good sign. You are right though, you'll need to test again at 12-13 weeks to be sure.

Best of luck with your tests and read the lessons!

MtD

[muffle]

Do an HIV test to be reassured..dont worry! Fings wil b awright.

[Ann]

ziggster,

As the others have indicated, you do need to test and a test at six weeks would be an excellent indication of your hiv status. A negative result at six weeks must be confirmed at 12-13 weeks.

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 STIs together. 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, 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.

While I would expect you to test negative over this one-time incident, please, make sure you use condoms in the future. Use condoms and avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann