POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: WANT2BEOK on November 01, 2006, 11:45:43 am
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Hi Everyone
Im a 23 y/o gay male. About two months ago, I made the HUGE mistaken of having unprotected receptive anal intercourse. The guy did not ejaculate inside of me. The guy has since complained to me about having night sweats that he thought were caused by his use of Acutane (but I discovered that night sweats are not characteristic of Acutante use). About a month after this incident I developed a fever, headache, fatigue, general malaise, and sore throat. It got really bad after a couple of days so i went to the doctor. The doc, without doing anything but looking down my throat told me I had tonsilitis. He prescribed me the anti biotic amoxicilian. After completing the course of anti biotics and feeling better, I relapsed two days later. I went back to the doc and he said that it must not have been a strong enough dose. I was prescribed more amoxicilian with clavulin (for bacterial resistance). After completing the second regimen, I felt better for a few days but then started feeling sick with the same symptoms again. Shortly thereafter I developed a rash all over my chest and back which has now spread up to my neck and down to my legs. I went back to the doctor and he took a throat swab and some blood. I have now been sick with this illness (though everything has subsided except the rash) for 27 days. I did some research and came to the conclusion that my symptoms are the result of either actue HIV infection or mono. Given the time frame with which my sickness appeared (a month after unprotected receptive anal sex), im afraid that mono would be too great of a coincedence. All of the symptoms are congruent with those of both viruses except the rash which is uncommon for mono. However I did some research and about 90% of people with mono who take amoxicilian develop a rash. Knowing that I am in a high risk category, could anyone speak to my situation (Mono can last 27 days, can Acute HIV infection symptoms also?) Any input into whether this might amount to Actue HIV infection would be helpful. Blood work results due in tomorrow. Scared to death.
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Want,
You have had a definite risk and you do need to test. It is unclear exactly how much time has passed since your unprotected intercourse, but the vast majority of people who actually have been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks. A negative at the six week point must be confirmed at three months. If it has been six weeks or more, you can test for hiv now for a good idea of your true status.
I'm not telling you to test because of your symptoms, because symptoms or the lack of symptoms mean nothing when it comes to hiv infection. Only testing will reliably reveal your hiv status. And yes, it could very well be mono you are dealing with. So don't guess - get tested. Unprotected receptive anal intercourse is the most risky thing you could possibly do and you DO need to test, regardless of symptoms or the lack thereof.
Let us know how it turns out. Fingers crossed it's good news.
Ann
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Thanks for the advice.
The unprotected incident was two months ago, and I got sick one month ago, so 4 weeks after the incident. If the worst does happen, will the doctor have a counselor or someone to speak to or will he just give me my results, and let me go?...cause i dont know what i will do if that happens.
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Want,
Different clinics operate differently. You'll have to ask at the clinic you attend what proceedure they follow for giving results. You are within your rights to request counseling after a result of any sort.
A test now would be an excellent indication of your status, but remember, a negative at this point must be confirmed at the three month point. And yes, it is totally possible that you may test negative, but testing is the ONLY way you'll know for sure.
Ann
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Thanks Ann,
After reading the other posts, I have a question for anyone who can answer it. I'm in Canada so all medical treatment is free. Since the doctor doesnt know what I have, and took 3 vials of blood to do a blood film exam, monospot, white cell count, hemagloben test, and hemacrite tests among others (from the list i can remember) would it be safe to assume that when doing this blood work they are checking for HIV, or should I go to a sex clinic and get an actual HIV test? If I need to go and get a specific HIV test, which one is the best? (since it's free im not really worried about cost). Thanks
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No you can not assume it. You have to ask specifically for an HIV test.
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Want,
As Rod says, you need to ask for an hiv test - and the type of test you need to ask for is an hiv antibody test. There are different types of antibody tests available and any one of them will do, but you may want to ask for one of the 20 minute tests so you don't have to wait for the result.
Ann
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So i got my blood work back today...no Mono, so I guess im screwed. Got the doc to take 3 more blood samples...hep c, syphillis, and HIV. I think im at the end of my rope since the only differential diagnosis for my symptoms given their duration is acute HIV infection. I've been dreading this for a month. Now I really gotta start considering my options. I know that most people will really jump all over me for this, BUT im asking it in all seriousness. When i get the bad news, is self termination an option? I mean if i do a cost benefit analysis and come to the conclusion that the impact of this news on my family (my mom will likely drop dead) and my friends, as well as the health and lifestyle consequences on me would make life not worth living, is there any reason to go on? *I am an atheist so hell and god are not considerations*.
PS: IN NO WAY AM I ADVOCATING THIS AS A SOLUTION FOR ANYONE ELSE. EXPERIENCES AND CONSIDERATIONS ARE LIKELY DIFFERENT FROM PERSON TO PERSON.
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Symptoms or the lack of means nothing when diagnosing HIV. Don't get your cart before the horse.
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When i get the bad news, is self termination an option?
Want,
Get real mate. No, it isn't an option. Do you have any idea what that sounds like to a person who is hiv positive? It sounds really whiney and childish. No kidding. It sounds like you don't think our lives are worth living. It's time for you to get off the pity party circuit and sit tight for your test results. As Rod says and I've already told you, symptoms mean nothing when it comes to hiv infection.
Ann
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hey -
this is the first time i've posted here but your story struck me a bit...
i had a similar experience to yours...i'm also 23, gay. 3 weeks or so after some somewhat risky activities, i had similar symptoms - sinus infection, sore throat, fatigue, headache. wasn't sure what is was, but was too scared to get tested for hiv. a couple weeks later i had an erupted wisdom tooth that required antibiotics, and a few days after starting those, i got a diffuse drug rash. when i presented with the rash and described the other history, they then did a mono spot test, which came back positive. explained alot about the way i was feeling, although most of symptoms cleared up in about a month.
the distribution of the rash you describe suggests it is likely from the a/b's; in fact, administration of a/b used to be a way to test for mono. its also quite possible your mono cleared by the time of the spot, which is a relatively sensitive test. 27 days is a long time to have acute ars symptoms i think. although my rash did clear up in about 7-14 days; what about yours?
anyways i was going crazy too, partly due to being a med student. about two months after the mono thing, so 3 months after the risky activities, i had alot of anxiety about hiv - i thought i was having other symptoms; in fact i was convinced i had it - and finally motiviated myself to go get the test, an oraquick 20 min. test. it came back negative. i too was considering suicide, and i understand how you felt that way. you shouldn't be criticized by people on here for that, it has nothing to do with them, but about your own fear and your sense of responsibility to others and yourself. anyone who has gone through this should understand that.
let me know if you want to talk more, whatever the result of the test. i know how this can make you go crazy. it was a very changing experience for me and i think we have alot in common.
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medkid82, this is not a social forum it's an assessment forum. If you have thoughts or questions please start your own thread do not hijack others to socialize.
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ha, that's ridiculous. very few people on here are qualified to give any kind of meaningful medical advice, regardless of their status. in any case, i gave a medical history of my own experience and offered some emotional support so...what's your problem?
the value of my post is up to the person who asked the question, not you.
if you all are still upset about his exploration of suicide, that's an interesting social aspect of this case. but just come out and say it.
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Medkid82, this forum in like no other. Follow the guidelines that are found in the "Welcome" thread that you should have already read before your first post.
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hey...how are you doing?
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Hey everyone,
Just to give an update...I went and got tested for HIV. It is taking awhile to get the results back...the nurse saw how stressed I was and I explained how this is compromising my performance at law school so she ordered the test to be done stat. Anyway the clinic has told me that the results should take a week to come in and that they will only call me if there is bad news. It has now been 9 days and there has been no call...I think im going to wait until next friday before I try and muster up the courage to go in, but im freaking out anytime my phone rings and it's an unknown number lol.
Further to my note, I wanted to thank medkid82. I really appreciated your post. While I know that symptoms are not determinative one way or the other, I had convinced myself that I had contracted the virus since I couldnt find any alternative explanations for what I was going through. Since you were able to highlight a personal (as opposed to unreliable anecdotal) experience similar to mine, it has helped assuage some concerns about my situation. Also, I appreciate your comment about suicide. I was a bit upset about the overly defensive response I received so I stopped posting here. I wanted to write a response but figured it wasnt worth the time. After reading your post, I have determined it is an important issue. The idea of suicide does not take away from the lives of people who have HIV, it just highlights an option that some people who are infected choose as a result of their particular contexts and life circumstances. It is not an immature and inhuman response as a percentage of people who contract the virus do kill themselves, and a larger percentage who contract it consider the option...therefore it is a NORMALIZED response (or at least to consider it). As a result i dont think it is fair or respectful to dismiss it as childish or immature out of respect for those individuals who do chose it. It simply boils down to a costs benefit analysis. I dont know about the political leanings of the board moderators, but they should realize that most people faced with this dilemma will at some point consider suicide an option.
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Only if your life isn't worth anything and you are a selfish individual. Then you contemplate suicide.
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hey want2beok.. send me a PM...
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Well I guess the 1 MILLION people globally who commit suicide each year are all worthless or selfish! Wait, maybe there's an alternative, more enlightened explanation....that for some people suicide is a legitimate and desirable option.
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An HIV scare or having HIV is never a reason to commit suicide. If you have suicidal thoughts the internet is not going to be of any help. You need counseling.