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
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.
If someone tests HIV-positive with an antibody test, this is always confirmed with a second test called Western Blot to pick up the very small number of false-positive results. A confirmed positive result is 100% accurate.
HIV infection is always caused by ONE exposure. Sometimes this is the only exposure someone has had and they have just been very unlucky.
Hi, I have a question about a friend’s situation. He tested HIV+ 3 months ago. He claims that he only had unprotected sex with his longterm girlfriend once. How likely is it that he is a false positive? Is this more likely than him getting HIV from one possible exposure?
Your negative test results are a good indication that you did not catch HIV.
There is no point testing every week for this. HIV is a difficult virus to catch, so the odds from this one incident are in your favour,
Most health workers would suggest that you have a final test in 2-3 months time just to confirm this.
I was exposured to HIV in early December and I didn’t have any sores on my penis but there was presence of blood. Could I be positive? I have had four tests so far and they are all negative including one ELISA and rapid tests.
The ELISA test was 2 months after exposure with an HIV-positive sex worker it was negative but I’m still not convinced. Am I over reacting?
Just to clarify that in my answer to the original post I was saying that it is unlikely that the situation described was likely to have led to a new infection. 95% people even at risk do not become HIV-positive from one exposure, and the orgininal post was not describing symptoms.
The other comments all seem sensible :)
It is not unlikely that anyone has HIV. You cannot tell by looking at a HIV+ person that they are infected and the only way to be safe is to use a condom – sex worker or not – anyone can be infected and having unsafe sex with anyone can always be a risk. If you test negative – which will hopefully be the case – realise that you have been lucky and remember to use a condom next time.
The information in the earlier post applies to your situation too.
It isn’t a question of you chosing the wrong partner, but not using a condom when you had sex.
Earlier diagnosis and effective treatment is likely to enable many HIV-positive people to lead a long life.
I was diagnosed with chlamydia last week after nothing showing up on my first test. I’ve taken the course of tablets but I’m still not satisfied. I came back off my holiday a week ago where I had one sexual partner but didn’t use protection thinking that my first test was clear. I now have the flu and my glands have swollen a little. After taking the tablets I have lower stomach pains and was wondering was that a reaction to taking them. Looking up websites to check i came across one that said having chlamydia increases your chance of developing HIV I want to no if this statement is true? I just want to no what my chances are of catching HIV while having chlamydia if I really have chose the wrong partner?
If people did develop HIV and are early on, would there be any chance of them living to an old age with the virus under control?
Your anxiety and worries are very common.
We get calls daily from people who are at very very low risk of HIV, after one potential risk, and this often involves a commercial sex worker. There is a very close link between sex and guilt, and this pushes the mind to think of the worst possible outcomes.
Luckily, from what you describe your risk of HIV is very low. Even if your partner was HIV-positive (which is unlikely) then the risk from receiving oral sex may be as low as one in 20,000. The shared sex toy is also probably low, but condoms should be used to reduce that risk to zero.
If your partner was HIV-negative, then the risk of catching HIV from any activity is zero.
Thank you so much for your reply. Most appreciated.
spent all day yesterday worrrying I might catch flu (before I received your email) and by the time I went to bed my throat was a bit sore. I woke at 1am (it’s now 4am and I can’t sleep) with a sore throat, ususally the first indicator of flu for me.
The only glimmer of hope I have is that my daughter who I work with had flu last week. I am now absolutely paranoid and almost accept I have HIV.
Thanks again.