[Question #10924] Complete for Question #10875
18 months ago
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I'm sorry for coming back again, but I want to ask you a question. The symptoms that you described before came to me in the third week after the accident, and I am now at the beginning of the fourth week. My symptoms lasted for 4 days, headache, sinusitis with a little runny nose, soreness and itching in the throat without tonsillitis, and soreness. Throughout my body, I do not know whether this pain is in the joints and muscles, because of the nature of my job, sitting for a long time behind the table, or because of the initial symptoms of seroconversion. In addition, and most importantly, about 7 pimples appeared next to each other today morning, resembling mosquito bites or bed bugs, with severe itching on my neck. Is this a skin rash for the seroconversion stage? ? The symptoms occurred in the following order, 5 days ago. Headache on the second day. Itchy throat and physical fatigue on the third day. Runny nose and sinusitis with itchy throat on the fourth day. It continued after this. The 7 pimples appeared with severe itching. I know that I am in the reversal phase. What should I do? I am upset and I deeply regret it. What should I do?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
18 months ago
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I'm also sorry you felt the need to return. I'm managing this question, but I have reviewed your recently completed discussion with Dr. Hook. I agree with all he said.
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To repeat his main point, HIV is not transmitted sexually unless there is penile penetration. If there are exceptions, they have never been reported. The biological reasons are complex, but they have to do with access of LARGE amounts of HIV to certain kinds of cells INSIDE the body.
As for your symptoms, they are less typical for a new HIV infection than you seem to think. But in any case, symptoms almost never are useful indicators either for or against a new HIV infection. The symptoms of HIV are identical to those of many other medical conditions, all far more common and generally not serious. And anyway, most people with new HIV infections have no symptoms at all.
"What should I do?" Have an HIV test. Plenty of time has passed for a positive test result if you have HIV. More important, it isn't possible to have HIV symptoms and to test negative. In other words, a negative test at this time would prove for certain that HIV isn't the cause of your symptoms.
I will be happy to comment further if you go ahead with testing and would like to let me know the result. However, I will have nothing else to say until then. Do your best to relax in the meantime: there is no realistic chance you have HIV and you can expect a negative test result. I look forward to reassuring you further at that time.
HHH, MD
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18 months ago
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My last question regarding your experience: 1) Have you seen anyone infected with HIV in a similar incident as mine? ... 2) Weren’t the symptoms that I experienced: headache, runny nose, itchy throat, dry mouth, muscle and joint pain, and the appearance of 7 pimples with itching on my neck. I don’t know whether it was an insect bite or a skin rash. They were at the specified time for the start of the ars, that is, 3 weeks after the accident? ...3) What is the risk of moving on from that symptom? Is it necessary to analyze it, or should I forget it? I want a final answer from you so that I can adhere to it
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
18 months ago
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1) Nope, I've never seen or even heard of anyone who acquired HIV after such an exposure. Even on this and our preceding forum, no user has yet reported they tested positive for HIV, even after far riskier exposures than this. That's after thousands of questions from people worried about possible HIV exposures. You won't be the first positive on our forums! If and when it finally happens, surely it will be a genuinely high risk event (think unprotected vaginal or anal penetration with a known infected partner).
2) The timing of your symptoms might be consistent with HIV, if they started before 2 weeks after exposure. Three weeks is too late. Equally important, your symptoms are not at all typical for a new HIV infection; they actually don't even come close!
3) Symptoms are terrible indicators of new HIV infection. Despite information you can find online (and easily misinterpret), symptoms almost never are helpful. Every symptoms of ARS occurs more commonly in other, more common, generally minor health problems; and most new HIV infection don't cause symptoms at all. Never, ever rely on symptoms as either good news or bad. ONLY testing is valid in judging new HIV infection. You can safely disregard all online advice to the contrary: it's mostly BS.
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18 months ago
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Hello Doctor, I want the latest answer from you. Do I consider myself in a safe position and have no danger from the grinding operation that the girl did on me, as our genital organs were touching and they were grinded on? Is it possible for the fluid to enter the urethra of the urinary opening? What is my risk level? Will I complete my wedding in a month without Do an HIV test or cancel the concert?
I want you to explain to me why you say there is no danger in the grinding process even though the organs are in close contact between my penis and her vagina and there is fluid on me. Do you mean without microscopic wounds or with microscopic wounds?
18 months ago
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Sorry, I forgot one more thing. What is your explanation for the fact that I had a slightly high temperature, a slight sore throat, and a little cold sweat? It happened two nights of sweating, not profuse, but normal, in addition to the muscle pain. What are the pimples that appeared on my neck? 7 blisters clustered together with severe itching. After 3 days, it still persists, but to a very mild degree. Is it still a little itchy?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
18 months ago
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You're asking the same question I already answered. I'm not saying grinding without penetration is zero risk, but it's obviously very low since there have been no persons with HIV who described such an event as their only possible exposure. That doesn't mean it can't happen, but obviously it's very rare. As for why the risk is so low, I already explained why; see my initial reply above starting with "The biological reasons...". "Microscopic wounds" rarely if ever are a risk for HIV; that's pretty much an urban myth.
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As for your temperature and other symptoms, I already explained that as well in my initial reply above. Re-read it.
I'm sorry you didn't accept my main advice, to have an HIV test and let me know the result. I have to assume you haven't been tested but I hope you do it. It will be negative.
That completes the two follow-up questions and replies and so ends this thread. Please note the forum does not permit repeated questions on the same topic or exposure. This being your second, with almost exactly the same questions each time (and repeated twice in this thread), it will have to be your last about this exposure and your concerns about how HIV is transmitted. Future ones may receive no reply and the posting fee will not be refunded. This policy is based on compassion, not criticism, and to reduce temptations to keep paying for questions with obvious answers. In addition, experience shows that continued answers tend to prolong users' anxieties rather than reducing them. Finally, such questions have little educational value for other users, one of the forum's main purposes. Thanks for your understanding.
I do hope the two threads have been helpful. If you remain concerns, I suggest you carefully re-read both of them. And that you get tested for HIV. Best wishes and stay safe.
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