Hello. I am a female who had receptive vaginal sex with a man I knew but did not ask his hiv status at the time. Shortly after sex, about 3 weeks or so, I experienced ARS symptoms but did not realize I was even sick (didn’t feel sick at all), I had night sweats, appetite and weight loss, some fatigue, and a brief sore throat. I do not know if I had a fever but I did not have lymph swelling, rash, or GI upset. I did not realize anything could be wrong until I got on google and read about HIV 3 weeks later. Well that freaked me out so I went to my gyno and found out I had BV. I was tested for syphillis, clamidhya, gonnerhhea, Trichonomasis, and HIV 1/2. All were negative at 6 weeks, the HIV 1/2 test was an 3rd gen antibodies test and the syphillis was RPR. Negative. During this time I didn’t notice anything off, and also the man I had sex with tested NEGATIVE 8 weeks after our encounter with a 4TH generation test. Then I retook my RPR test and HIV ab 1/2 test at 14 weeks and it was NEGATIVE. I was curious what caused the initial “flu like illness” so I went to my regular doctor and was tested for EBV a and CMV a and CMV came back as IGG reactive meaning I had just caught it. I contributed that to my initial illness since it can stay reactive for months after, But then symptoms started to show up. I developed a uti, then I started to have muscle numbness and weakness which I went to the hospital for and was diagnosed with low sodium and low chloride but looking back now it looks like peripheral neuropathy. I have completed recovered since then. Anyway, I have developed a rash now that is similar to Pityriasis lichenodes which I know cmv can cause. After the rash, a couple weeks after taking macraboid antibiotics for UTI, I developed oral thrush. Real oral thrush which I was given nystatin for. The uti came back, and I was given more antibiotics onwhich made me have diarrhea and some nausea and  light puking. Looking back now I wonder if it was caused by seroconversion. 

I also developed a hemrroid, guessing from the diarrhea from antibiotic. I have had mouth sores (I always get them but now it’s scaring me)  I also have swollen nodes in my neck and random aches and pains along with this, I forgot to mention before I had ars  symptoms I missed my period (maybe because of the plan B I had taken that month?)  The man I slept with tested negative via oraquick just recently at 5 months and is testing again this month. My question is can cmv cause all of this? Is there another explanation? Do I need to test again?  

So to reiterate, I had a negative hiv 1/2 AB test blood drawn on both 6 weeks and 14 weeks after exposure. The man I was with had a negative 4th gen hiv ab/ag test at 8 weeks after I saw him, then a negative oraquick at 5 months. Is retesting needed 

Another thing I forgot to mention before it cut me off ( so sorry!) was that I have not seen him since or had risky sex since. He also did not ejaculate inside of me but I know that doesn’t matter. 

Welcome to our forum. Thanks for your questions. I suspect you are aware that Dr. Handsfield and I share the Forum, Having worked together for nearly 40 years. While our verbal styles differ somewhat, factual content of the information we provide is identical. On this occasion I happened to pick up your questions and will be answering.---

Thank you so much doctor. I have to ask, if someone is seroconverting during their fourth gen test, will there be a time period where there is no antigen or antibody and therefore a false negative? Also, can lymph nodes swell without a particular reason? Is RPR a good test for syphillis? Thanks so much. 

Good questions. I presume your questions regard whether or not a person experiencing the ARS can still have a negative test. The answer is yes but this is very very rare, More importantly, your negative test at 14 weeks however completely overrules any possibility that you were experiencing the ARS and the infection was missed. Your results are absolutely conclusive. I urge you to believe your test results.---

Thank you so much for your replies and your time. I have a couple more questions just bothering me. Is sereconversion the same as ARS? And the man I was with also had a negative blood drawn fourth gen test 8 weeks after I saw him, besides my 14 week 3rd gen test, that should prove I’m in the clear right? I am still having lymph swelling in my neck that is scaring me. Also, Is it normal to be able to feel your groin lymph nodes? Mine feel like small peas. I read somewhere that was normal in thin people. Thanks so much! 

The IRS occurs in some but not all persons require HIV. The letters ARS stand for acute retroviral syndrome which is meant to describe the symptoms that I listed above which occur in some, but not all person to acquire HIV.  ---