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What Are The Symptoms And Treatment For HIV?
Dear Doctor,
I am writing to ask your help regarding HIV and testing.
In early February this year I was working in Thailand and very stupidly had unprotected sex on one occasion with a girl. The day after the unsafe sex I came down with quite bad symptoms including fever, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, painful joints and diarrhea. Most of these cleared up within a week although some did persisted for longer.
Needless to say I have been very anxious and concerned about HIV over the past few months. At one week the girl I had the encounter with agreed to accompany me to the local hospital and get tested. They conducted a blood antibody test which was Negative as well as Negative results for Hep B+C and Syphilis.
I have had three subsequent tests - an HIV antibody/p24 antigen duo test at 4 weeks which was Negative - and two finger prick antibody tests at 5 weeks and 8 weeks which were also Negative.
My questions doctor are;
1. Do you think the tests I have had so far are conclusive or do you still recommend testing at 3 months?
2. I know some people do not exhibit any symptoms when first infected, but is it possible to experience ARS symptoms within a day or so of contracting the virus?
3. My lips have become very dry over the past few months and I feel my skin has become lighter. Could these be symptoms of HIV?
4. Although the girl's test at 1 week was negative, I am right in thinking that wouldn't rule out completely the possibility that she was infected at the time?
Many Thanks Doctor,
I am writing to ask your help regarding HIV and testing.
In early February this year I was working in Thailand and very stupidly had unprotected sex on one occasion with a girl. The day after the unsafe sex I came down with quite bad symptoms including fever, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, painful joints and diarrhea. Most of these cleared up within a week although some did persisted for longer.
Needless to say I have been very anxious and concerned about HIV over the past few months. At one week the girl I had the encounter with agreed to accompany me to the local hospital and get tested. They conducted a blood antibody test which was Negative as well as Negative results for Hep B+C and Syphilis.
I have had three subsequent tests - an HIV antibody/p24 antigen duo test at 4 weeks which was Negative - and two finger prick antibody tests at 5 weeks and 8 weeks which were also Negative.
My questions doctor are;
1. Do you think the tests I have had so far are conclusive or do you still recommend testing at 3 months?
2. I know some people do not exhibit any symptoms when first infected, but is it possible to experience ARS symptoms within a day or so of contracting the virus?
3. My lips have become very dry over the past few months and I feel my skin has become lighter. Could these be symptoms of HIV?
4. Although the girl's test at 1 week was negative, I am right in thinking that wouldn't rule out completely the possibility that she was infected at the time?
Many Thanks Doctor,
posted on
Thu, 13 Mar 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Fri, 25 Jul 2014
Answered on
Wed, 30 Jul 2014
Last reviewed on
Thanks for posting the questions . I will answer one by one
1.A 4th generation HIV test (antigen/antibody) will detect 95% of infections at 28 days after exposure. It will detect more than 99.99% of infections at three months and this needs to be confirmed after 3 months with a second test.So need to go another test at 90 days.
2.Acute retroviral syndrome usually occurs within 2-6 weeks of the event that led to the transmission of infection. It is certainly possible for the symptoms to develop within the first week after expposure, but such early symptoms would make me think more of other STDs, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis. However, if one of these may have been transmitted, I would also make sure that HIV was not also transmitted, and that the symptoms have nothing to do with the latter event.
3.No,it could be due to anxiety
4. HIV tests are conculsive at 90 days , so till she is tested negative at 90 days, yes the possibility remains .
Hope this helps
1.A 4th generation HIV test (antigen/antibody) will detect 95% of infections at 28 days after exposure. It will detect more than 99.99% of infections at three months and this needs to be confirmed after 3 months with a second test.So need to go another test at 90 days.
2.Acute retroviral syndrome usually occurs within 2-6 weeks of the event that led to the transmission of infection. It is certainly possible for the symptoms to develop within the first week after expposure, but such early symptoms would make me think more of other STDs, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis. However, if one of these may have been transmitted, I would also make sure that HIV was not also transmitted, and that the symptoms have nothing to do with the latter event.
3.No,it could be due to anxiety
4. HIV tests are conculsive at 90 days , so till she is tested negative at 90 days, yes the possibility remains .
Hope this helps
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