[Question #9837] Testing question

28 months ago

Hi Drs.

I have a quick testing question about hiv chances, Ars etc. first I would like to say thank you for this platform. It has brought a lot of peace to me and others that I have referred here.

That being said, here’s my thing: on March 10 I had unprotected sex with someone I had been seeing for a bit. She had mentioned that she got tested in November and that she was “clean”. I have been having incredible anxiety since. I have spoken to her and she has assured me she was tested.

I have been hyper viginalt with symptoms. Such as headache, sore throat, temperature checks etc.

If I were to have Ars, would it be very noticeable, like flu or mono? Or could my anxiety be giving me false symptoms?

Also, I did a rapid insti test on the 28th and it was negative. I’m sure that isn’t enough time. Would you recommend testing at this time or would you presume I’m safe based on what you’ve seen before?

Than you

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

28 months ago

Welcome back to the forum. Thank you for your continuing confidence in our services.

Assuming your partner is not at particular risk for HIV (sex worker, injection drug user, tropical African origins, etc), the chance she has HIV is nearly zero; and it seems she also tested negative only a few months ago. And when a woman has HIV, the average transmission risk from a single episode of unprotected vaginal sex is around one chance in 2,500. Considering all these factors, the chance you acquired HIV are under one in many million. And on top of that, you've had a negative test result that was at least 95% reliable.

Symptoms rarely are useful in recognizing a new HIV infection. About half of newly infected people do not experience overt ARS, and most people with apparent ARS symptoms in fact have causes other than HIV for those symptoms.

There is no chance you have HIV. However, many anxious persons are more reassured by negative HIV test results than by professional opinion, no matter how expert. If that applies to you, you can have a conclusive AgAb (4th generation) HIV blood test 6 weeks after the exposure. This does not mean I believe there is actually any possibility you have HIV -- only for reassurance if this advice doesn't quite get you there.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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28 months ago

Thank you Dr.

I trust you know more than any google site would know, so you have put me at ease. After browsing a bunch of other answers, it seems that if I were to have Ars, it would have come by now (almost 4 weeks) and I have not had anything aside from a bit of a nasal drip which I believe to be allergies.

You mentioned that the insti at 18 days is 95% conclusive. That is great to hear. Based on your answer, my anxiety has been reduced and I will make sure I have a safe sex life.

Thanks again.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

28 months ago

ARS symptoms start no later than 10-12 days after exposure. And as I said, even if you had typical ARS symptoms, they would not mean you have HIV. ARS symptoms are entirely nonspecific -- which is the medical term for not pointing to any particular diagnosis. There must be a hundred medical conditions, or more, that have many of most of the symptoms said to be typical of ARS. Which is why symptoms rarely are useful in judging the possibility that someone has HIV. Both now and in event of risky events in the future, ignore symptoms entirely and rely on testing.---

28 months ago

I understand. Thank you