[Question #370] HIV Testing

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105 months ago
I had a sex encounter with a sex worker 18 months back. I used a condom for the same and not sure if the condom broke during the act.
Symptoms:
1. My wife developed a bout of fever, sore throat and rash within 3 months of my episode. The rash appeared on the 3rd day of fever and lasted 2 days.
2. Now almost after a year she has started getting tingling pains in here hands , legs and body. She also has vaginal burning for sometime now
3. I have developed slight burning, itchiness and white feeling in my tongue for the last two months after 18 months. I am nor sure if it is candida and doctors have given medicine for glossitis
Test
I have done 2 HIV ELISA test in well known hospital and 1 rapid test in India post 18 months after exposure and the result have come back negative for these tests.
1) Are my tests conclusive ?? Do the 3rd and 4th Gen Elisa tests catch all the strains in all countries or some strains are missed ? Do I need further testing ?
2) What about our symptoms mine and my wife. Are they linked to HIV
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago

Welcome to the Forum.  I'll try to help.  My responses will focus 1rst on your concerns about test results and test results, then I will comment on your specific questions.

First related to the condom, unless you saw an obvious break, your condom did not break.  When condoms fail they break wide open with obvious tears leaving no doubt that they broke.  Condoms do not break or tear just a little.  Further, modern HIV blood tests are highly reliable and give completely accurate results at any time more than 8 weeks following an exposure.  Thus, since you have been tested twice you should be confident in the test results.  Concerns that they might miss some rare strains are not warranted.  HIV is not casuing the symptoms you mention.  As for your specific questions.

1. My wife developed a bout of fever, sore throat and rash within 3 months of my episode. The rash appeared on the 3rd day of fever and lasted 2 days.

There are many causes of this combination of symptoms including the Acute Retroviral Syndrome (ARS).  Typically, even in high risk persons (and there is nothing to suggest that you or your wife are high risk), less than 1% of persons with these symptoms have HIV.


2. Now almost after a year she has started getting tingling pains in here hands , legs and body. She also has vaginal burning for sometime now.

These sorts of symptoms are non-specific and do not raise a concern for HIV acquired within the past year.

 
3. I have developed slight burning, itchiness and white feeling in my tongue for the last two months after 18 months. I am nor sure if it is candida and doctors have given medicine for glossitis.

Glossitis is a non-specific term for inflammation of the tongue.  Again, I would not worry that that your tongue symptoms are due to HIV.

I hope these comments are helpful.  Please do not worry about HIV from the exposure you describe.  EWH


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105 months ago

Thanks Doc  EWH

1) So based on the facts I have provided do you feel that I had a no risk exposure or low risk exposure as you feel the condom breakage would have been known to me, I never remember it broken  but not sure because of the symptoms ?

2) On the topic of symptoms, my wife has been having vaginal burning  for the last 6 months ( 18 months after the above event ) . This increases just before and during her periods. My tongue burning has been going on for the last 2 months. Is this reflective of both of us having persistent yeast infection ( we never had experienced this before ) and is this linked to HIV as I read on the internet in many places that these are the first symptoms of HIV in latent phase. How are this symptoms linked to HIV ?

3) Should I forget HIV from the exposure I had and the results combined completely and move on ?

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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago

1.  Correct, the exposure you describe was essentially no risk.

2.Tongue or vaginal burning is not a sign of HIV.

3.  Yes, I would advise you to forget the events you described and move forward without concern.  EWH

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105 months ago
Thanks

An incident in the night has made me very worried. I saw a blood blister ( 2mm dia) in one of my cheeks inside the mouth. It is painless and has not gone after 12 hours since i saw it . Is it linked to HIV. This does not have any external cut on it. Please advise sir


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105 months ago
This blood blister is gone now. I think it might be a minor trauma
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105 months ago
I think this will be my last question as I have to open a new thread incase I have more questions

The question is on My wife symptoms

1) She has a lot of  neurological pain in the body. She has been having tingling and shooting pain in different part of the body primarily in limbs. She also has a numbness in the thigh and pain in the pelvic area for a month now

2) She has vaginal tingling and burning which increases before periods for the last 6 months. Is this also neurological?

Should I link them to HIV symptoms because of the exposure I had or I should consider them as a different problem not at all associated with the exposure I had? Do you see the above symptoms in HIV positive people and When do they manifest in HIV positive people . Our age is 45 and 40 respectively
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago

Oral blood blisters of the sort you describe are not a sign of HIV. 

Tingling of the sort you describe in your wife is a non-specific neurological abnormality which could have many causes and should be evaluated.  There is still no reason for you to be concerned that you acquired HIV however, or that you gave it to your wife.  I urge you to believe the test results you have which provide that you do not have HIV. 

I hope my answers are helpful to you.  As you point out, this will conclude this thread and further questions should be started as new threads.  I hope however you will not feel the need for additional questions.  EWH

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105 months ago
Thanks for assurance Doc. May God bless you for the service you do to people like us. Regards