This question is a follow-up to my inquiry several weeks ago. I had a potential exposure where a man’s genitals touched/playfully poked mine but we were both wearing (wet) undergarments. I understand this to not be a risk for HIV but I did get diagnosed with Ureaplasma following the event which leads me to believe that somehow his pre seminal fluids got on me. I’ve scheduled a 4th gen test for this Friday but in the meantime I took 2 oraquick tests. Now 3 1/2 months post exposure. The tests were both negative but I’m questioning the accuracy since about 5 weeks ago I finished a week long course of 10mg daily prednisone. Would this low dose medication further reduce the validity of the test? If my cold symptoms were due to acute HIV, then that means I’d have antibodies already prior to starting the prednisone right? They would still be present regardless or would the prednisone cause the antibodies to be too low for the test to pick up a month later? I’m freaking out because I was sick for about 4 days when this first happened . Fever chills stuffy nose body aches and then I got a yeast infection. Most recently I developed a boil which I find to be odd. I’ve had one before but not on my side where this one is located. It just all seems too coincidental. I know that anyone can get a yeast infection or a boil but my question is would the combination of all these recent symptoms point to acute hiv infection? I am very careful and always use protection so this encounter would have been my only risk and it was almost 4 months ago.  Please tell me your honest opinion. Thank you Dr.! 

I worry that your level of concern is making you attribute problems (a yeast infection, a boil) to the encounter you described that are not related.  As I said before:

1.  The encounter you describe was a no risk encounter for acquistion of HIV or other STIs.

2.  The cold/URI symptoms you experienced were not typical of the ARS

3. Ureaplasma is NOT an STI but is normally present in the genital tract

Your recent course of low dose prednisone would not keep your tests from being positive if you were infected

Your recent OraQuick tests, which would detect nearly all recent infections serve to further add to the evidence that you were not infected at the encounter you have described.  I remain confident that the testing you are planning will prove that you were not infected.  I hope that after you receive your test results showing that you were not infected, you will be able to move forward without concern.  EWH

I’d like to say thank you for everything. I consider you two doctors my good luck charm! You always deliver rational solid advice. Lastly, for the people like me who have HIV phobias, I want to say, SYMPTOMS MEAN NOTHING!!! I had a fever, chills, body aches , AND a rash not to mention the easy bruising and yeast infection! I was totally convinced! I took so many oraquicks but at the end of the day I could have saved so much money if I had just taken the lab test to begin with! I know easier said than done now but I just wanted to add this for other worried wells like me! Thanks again Dr. Hook!