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Sore Throat After Having Unprotected Intercourse. HIV Test Came Negative. What Else It Could Be?
Posted on
Wed, 13 Feb 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Thu, 14 Feb 2013
Answered on
Thu, 7 Mar 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : Hello, I have a concern and wanted to get your opinion. I took an hiv test that was negative after 7 weeks of unprotected sex back in 2011. Since that time I didn't receive a follow up test but got strep throat 3 times last year. The first time was in March and the only symptoms were a slight sore throat without fever. I took the antibiotics for about 7 or 8 days and thought I was feeling better so I stopped taking the medicine. About a couple days after my throat was hurting again so I called my doctor and he said to resume the medicine and to finish it. After that I continued to feel better but then in XXXXXXX my throat starting hurting again so I went to the doctor and they sent off a culture and it was determined that it was the strep bacteria and prescribed the same antiobiotic again(Amoxicillan). I then got better but then in November, a coworker has strep at work so I then got strep again. So my question is, did the hiv test I took accurate? I am going to get another test along with my physical in couple weeks but just wanted to get your opinion, thank you so much in advance
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
HIV has a very long and varying incubation period. In few people it gets detected within weeks of exposure while in others it may even take an year. So it cannot be said that test was not accurate.
Recurrent streptococcal infection need not be always associated to HIV. In HIV, immunity is low and hence any type of infection can occur, but then the infection should spread. However, in your case it is localized to throat. Don't worry much, you might be safe.
This time please get both ELISA and P24 test of HIV done. P24 detection is usually positive in early cases, but sometimes it might be helpful to detect cases where regular ELISA is not positive.
Feel free to ask any further doubts.
Wishing you a good health.
Thank you
Thanks for writing to us.
HIV has a very long and varying incubation period. In few people it gets detected within weeks of exposure while in others it may even take an year. So it cannot be said that test was not accurate.
Recurrent streptococcal infection need not be always associated to HIV. In HIV, immunity is low and hence any type of infection can occur, but then the infection should spread. However, in your case it is localized to throat. Don't worry much, you might be safe.
This time please get both ELISA and P24 test of HIV done. P24 detection is usually positive in early cases, but sometimes it might be helpful to detect cases where regular ELISA is not positive.
Feel free to ask any further doubts.
Wishing you a good health.
Thank you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Mohammed Kappan
Answered by
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