Question

Exposure risk and HIV test

7 August 2007. Related: All topics, HIV transmission.

I recently had a contact while on holiday in Asia which is causing me massive anxiety.

I took a woman back to my hotel who I was going to pay to have sex with me. After showering we kissed and she gave me oral sex. I then used a vibrator on her and after cleaning it on myself. I am in my fifties.

Within about three days I developed a pimple like blemish below my chest. After a few days to a week a few more appeared on my torso and about two on my upper leg and groin area. Not all had the white head and just appeared as small insect bite looking blobs.

On returning home I went to my GP but because of the sensitive nature of all of this and because I am married I said a masseuse had given me oral sex.

I was put on an anti-biotic called Dicloxacillin. Despite taking this for nine days the original spot is still evident as a small raised spot although it now looks almost normal skin colour. I have since developed another three spots, on my lower stomach, groin area and one on my back.

In addition I experienced some profuse night sweating for three nights about a week after the contact. However I had restarted taking Reboxetine, and anti-depressant which does cause me to sweat. The reason I had only taken it every third day or so whilst in Asia was to avoid sweating there. Also when the night sweats took place I was already extremely anxious about this whole thing. Last night I sweated enough to make me change my shirt.

However I think the sweating is abating now after about a week. One or two nights there was no sweating. My doctor sent me for an HIV test which came back negative but this was only about a week after the contact. I am slowly going insane with worry

that I could have contracted HIV and would appreciate your opinion if the contact I have described would put me at risk and how you interpret the symptoms I have described.

Many thanks

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

None of the symptoms or experiences you describe have a high risk of catching HIV – which is quite a difficult virus to catch.

Because you previously had night sweats, especially linked to medications, it is very possible that the stress itself is causing current symptoms.

If your sweating is linked to very high temperatures, and you have several other symptoms of early HIV infection (similar to a very heavy flu) – the spots are not a symptom – then checking again in a few months time with another test is a good idea, and is something you may want to do again anyway.

It is very unlikely that you have caught HIV, and your sexual health clinic may be able to provide additional information that reduces your current level of worry.