[Question #2547] ARS symptoms

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95 months ago
Hi Doctor  (sorry about my English)
My name is Ala'a 32 years male from Jordan 
The problem that we don't have HIV specialist in this country)
I had encounter with rassian traveler escort, the encounter is unprotected oral sex I was the recipient and protect vaginal sex for less than one minute I ejaculated very fast, I'm sure that I used the condom in the right way but I don't know what is the kind of the condom because it was Russian origin and I can't read Russian.
Two weeks exactly after the encounter (before three days) I had fever up to 100 F with muscle pain and joint paint continue for one day and go away, the second day (yesterday) I had upset stomach with gases and still, today I wake up with bad sore throat with tongue ulcer no other symptoms till now,
My questions are:
1) are these symptoms suggest ARS symptoms 
2) do you suggest HIV test or forget this situation?
Please note that my last STD panel before one month and all negative except HSV1
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
95 months ago
Welcome to our Forum.  I will be happy to comment.  The ARS does typically occur between 10 and 21 days after exposure, sometimes as long after exposure as a month.  When it does, the symptoms are similar to those you have, fever, sore throat, muscle aches as well as sometimes diarrhea.  Having said that, I am confident that your symptoms are not due to the ARS.  the reasons I say this are:
1.  Statistically it is unlikely that your partner had HIV or other STIs.  Most commercial sex workers/escorts do not.
2.  Even if your partner did have HIV, most sexual exposures do not lead to infection.  No one has EVER been proven to acquire HIV from receipt of oral sex and the risk for getting HIV during condom protected sex with and infected partner if the condom is worn properly and does not break is less than 1 in a million.
3.  Non-STI/non-HIV viral illnesses including the flu are far more common than the ARS, even among at risk persons.  In one study of persons at risk for HIV with flu-like illnesses, less than 1% of those persons had HIV.

For all of these reasons, you should not worry.  If you wish to prove to yourself that his is not HIV, seek testing with a combination HIV antigen/antibody test.  If your illness were due to HIV, it would be positive at this time.  I am confident however, based on what you tell me about your exposure, that if you test, the test will be negative.

I hope these comments are helpful.  EWH
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95 months ago
Thank you doctor for your kind reply
I will take your advice and make the test today 
To decrease the stress level I'll reply the result to you after receiving to be discuss.
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95 months ago
Hi Doctor 
I just got my result by combo test three weeks after the exposure I described and 6 days day of my symptoms starting whic is negative as per your opinion is it conclusive?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
95 months ago
This result definitely proves that your symptoms are not the ARS and are not due to HIV.  This test result does not rule out the possibility of having asymptomatically acquired HIV but, given the nature of your exposure, I would consider it definitive.  EWH
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