[Question #6534] HIV question

67 months ago

Hi Doctor,

Sorry for being back, Dr.Handsfield said it was a no risk exposure and din't need to worry about it but wanted to ask one more question about it.

I had a handjob at a massage parlor 7.5 months ago and she was touching herself while giving me a handjob and am sure that she used her vaginal fluids on my penis. There was no penetrative/oral sex involved and I had multiple 4th gen and RNA tests after the incident at 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 6 months and all came back negative. Also at 3 month mark I had the 10 panel STD tests which were all negative.

I had sex with my partner 15 days after the initial exposure and she stated having symptoms 2 weeks after that. She started having red rash on her chest and back that doesn't go away. She never had that before. She also started getting tired randomly. When I searched online I found that the rash and fatigue are some of the acute HIV symptoms.

I wanted to check whether there is any possibility of me transmitting any STD or HIV in perticual to her since I had unprotected sex with her 15 day after my incident. Is there any possibility that HIV doesn't get picked by the 4th gen and RNA tests that I had at 3 months and 6 months if I had got it. Also the same question on other STDs, I had the 10 panel tests twice at 3 months and 5 months..any chance that anyof them got missed by those tests. Sorry for the long question, its hard to beleive that its a coincidence.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

67 months ago

Welcome back, but sorry you found it necessary. As for the risks involved, that was covered in your previous thread. This one now asks about your regular partner's symptoms.

Since there was no STD or HIV risk from your exposures to other partners, her symptoms cannot be due to any infection from those events. And in any case, her symptoms don't sound like HIV or any other STD. It is true HIV causes rash and fatigue, but so do hundreds of other medical conditions, mostly no serious. And there is no possibility your tests -- for either HIV or other STDs -- missed any of the infections for which you were tested.

The only reason you find it "hard to believe that it's a coincidence" is emotional, i.e. apparent guilt over a sexual decision you regret. During the weeks and months since those outside sexual events and onset of your partner's symptoms, she had hundreds of interactions with other people, environmental exposures, potential onset of whatever triggered this rash, etc, etc. Trust me on this: her symptoms absolutely have nothing to do with those events. Period. If her symptoms continue and she remains concerned about them (if SHE remains concerned, not if YOU remain concerned), she should see a doctor. But please do your best to stop worrying about this. You have no part in her symptoms.

Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

---
---

67 months ago

Thanks again Doctor for your reply, based on your response there is no way for me to transmit anything to her incident since it was a no risk event and tests results were accurate and conclusive.

I believe it was guilt and I regret my decision as you said. Thanks for the help, I will try to move on and try to forget about that incident and most importantly stop relating every small issue she has to my incident.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

67 months ago

All correct. Glad you understand!---