Question

Can stress cause similar symptoms to HIV seroconversion?

22 November 2017. Related: All topics, HIV testing, HIV transmission.

Hi. I’m on a stable relationship with a guy for 4 years now, we always have sex without condoms.

About 6 weeks ago I had sex with two people: oral and penetrative sex with one of them without condom. Both are uncircumcised and HIV status from both is unknown. They ejaculated outside my mouth/anus.

Approx. 2 weeks later (20 days ago from today) I went out one cold and humid night and the next day started having mild fever (around 37.5 C). For the next two weeks I couldn’t rest because of work and continued with cold symptoms, including mild fever, night sweats, some headache and pain in the eyes and also I lost 4-5 kilos (70 vs 75kg). Aspirins didn’t help. Those days were heavily charged with stress and I didn’t get much sleep!

Four days ago, I still had symptoms and went to my doctor. I explained to him in detail all this and my concern about getting HIV and my partner (who doesn’t know and could be exposed since we dont use protection).

He ordered a HIV PCR viral load test + hemogram, and I get results in 2 weeks! He said the chances of HIV are low. He didn’t detect swollen glands or any skin problems.

Meanwhile: After my visit to the doctor I got the chance to fully rest this weekend. Spent 3 days on bed but the fever went up to 38.5/38.7 and I had more night sweating. Today the fever is going up and down, headhache is gone but chilling continues.

During this 20-day fever, I never had diarrhoea, could eat normally (no mouth problems), no skin spots or swollen glands…

Based on this:

– Do you think heavy stress + not cured flu/fever from a cold night could last for +20 days? Now that I can rest why is it not coming to an end?

– Just having fever and night sweating but not the other symptoms and based on the sexual risk I had could still mean an HIV seroconversion?

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

HIV is a difficult virus to catch.

But worry about HIV is stressful and with/without a cold/flu, the symptoms can be difficult to distinguish.

The risk from a single time is probably about 1 in 200, even if you don’t use a condom with someone who is HIV positive and not on treatment, There are many examples of where one partner in a relationship is diagnosed HIV positive and the other is HIV negative, even when they have have unprotected sex (sometimes for years).

However, infection can occur after one exposure, and about 5% of infections are estimated to be related to oral sex. Unfortunately, you now need to wait for your test results.

There could easily be other reasons for your fever including a regular ‘flu. Stress and lack of sleep can also cause and contribute to similar symptoms.

Finally, because you are worried about HIV, you should not have sex with your partner until you get the results from the test, unless you use condoms. You could say that you are not feeling well (temperature, etc) without having to give him/her explanations of why you suddenly want to use condoms.

If it turns out that you are HIV positive, then early infection is a highly infectious time. This is especially if you have symptoms. This would put your partner at a higher risk of also catching HIV.

This answer was updated in November 2017 from a Q&A first posted in November 2007.