Hi doctor wish you a happy new year

Welcome to our Forum.  We receive many questions about the ARS.  The ARS is a flu-like syndrome which some but not all (and perhaps not even most) people who get HIV experience early in the infection, typically 1-3 weeks after the exposure that led to infection.  The symptoms of those of the sorts of non-STI viral infections that most people get from time to time and include high fever, a rash, muscle and/or joint aches and on some occasions diarrhea.   Among at risk, sexually active persons who experience these symptoms, less than 1% have HIV and the rest have the sorts of viral infections I mentioned above.  Thus the symptoms you have are compatible with the ARS but it is most unlikely that you have HIV.   I say this because:

1.  Most commercial sex workers do not have HIV.

2.  Only 1 in 1000 unprotected sexual exposures to infected sex partners, on average, lead to HIV infection.

3. Your exposure was condom protected and condoms work.  Most condoms used by commercial sex workers are latex and even if a non-latex condom was used (most unlikely) while they are not perfect protection they reduce the risk for infection somewhat.

4.  Your condom did not fail.  If it had, you would have been aware.  When condoms break, they break wide open leaving no doubt that they broke.

5.  While combination HIV tests are not completely reliable until 28 days after an exposure, at 14 days post exposure, they detect most infections and this is particularly true if you were going to develop the ARS the next day

For all of these reasons, I am confident that your symptoms are not the ARS and that you did not acquire HIV from the exposure you describe.  For your own peace of mind however, you may wish to re-test again with a 4th generation, combo test 4 weeks after your exposure of concern.  I am confident that when you do, the test will b e negative. 

I hope these comments are helpful.  EWH

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Thank you for re assuring doctor

There is no reason for you to think your symptoms are the ARS.  The duration of the ARS however can be just a few days however.  EWH
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Dr. Edward:

Final answer.  At three weeks if your current symptoms were due to HIV the combo-test would be positive.  Your symptoms however are far more likely to be due to a flu-like illness or some other, non-HIV cause than HIV.  If you were my patient I might order the test for you (once) to provide you with reassurance that you did not acquire HIV from the exposure you have described but then would not repeat it again in the future if you were still concerns.  EWH
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Thank you doctor you are always right, the combo test today came back negative my symptoms not related to ARS.

I'm glad I could help.  EWH
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