Hi Drs, I'm a male based from UK. Tested negative for hiv prior. 38 days ago in Spain, I got b2b massage at a palour by appointment. I had protected vaginal sex with the masseuse, 2-3 mins. Finished, pulled out, did not notice breakage of condom.

Few weeks later, my partner gave a handjob and I finished on her hand. No sex (or oral), only kissing/touching. 1.5 weeks later, my wife and I had: a sudden sore throat/tiredness. Day2: high fever (spiked to 38.5 (forehead) with chills, muscle aches, runny nose, fatigue. Day3: fever, aches, sorethroat gone except tiredness, headaches, runnynose. Day4: all symptoms gone except for blocked nose/loss of smell. Day5: we took a covid rapid test > was positive. Noted no rashes. My partner had cough and symptoms lasted a day longer. 

You needn't worry at all about HIV, for several reasons. You describe an exposure with little risk:  HIV is rare in women in Spain, including sex workers; and condoms are highly effective in prevention. The symptoms are typical for covid, and not typical for ARS, which does not cause runny nose, cough, or impaired smell -- but covid does all these. Your symptoms also started much too late to be caused by acute retroviral syndrome (ARS, i.e. a new HIV infection); ARS symptoms usually begin 8-10 days after exposure and always begin within 3 weeks. Finally, ARS does not cause false positive covid test results.

Those comments cover your questions, but to be explicit:  1) Almost certainly you did not contract HIV. 2) ARS doesn't cause false positive tests for covid or any other infection. 3) There is no reason not to continue sex with your partner.

If you would like additional reassurance, of course you could have an HIV blood test; in another week or so (6 weeks after exposure), a standard AgAb (4th generation) HIV blood test will be conclusive proof. In the meantime, please don't worry; if you test for HIV, you definitely can expect a negative result.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

I do have something additional to add. Around 5-6 after my exposure once back in the uk, my right tonsil felt painful/inflamed, mild sore throat, and the same side of my neck and under my jaw was sore/tender. I felt a lot of fullness in my right ear at the same time. This persisted upto 2 weeks at which point I tried to clear ear wax which gave some relief and eventually it all subsided. I put it down to ear blockage/wax build up at the time. No other symptoms were present. 

I'm assuming with the absence of a fever, rash, fatigue at the same time, this wouldn't amount to ARS either?

That concludes this thread. Best wishes to you.