So on October 16 this past tuesday I had unprotected anal sex with a man who said he was HIV negative (I was the top the entire time but never came inside him). It was a hookup, but he seemed like an honest nice guy and I believe him about being "clean" or HIV negative. On October 18 (this Thursday) I began to get cold like symptoms. Swollen lymph nodes in my neck and sore throat as well as just having that hot sick feeling like my body was a little overheated and also feeling very tired today (Friday, although the tiredness may be due to the fact that i slept 12 hours). Everywhere I've looked it says these can be early symtoms of HIV Although you normally get them 2 or more weeks after you were exposed. Im very afraid that I may have really messed up this time and I know its too early to go in for an HIV test. Can somebody please help me? I would also like to add that I was tested HIV negative as of 9/1/12 and havent had any type of sex with anyone else besides this guy I mentioned in this post. Also these kinds of symptoms have happened to me this soon after doing oral on some guys in the past, but yet I still tested negative. This is the first time I've barebacked a guy and had these symptoms and I am very worried. I could just be being paranoid but any advice or help would be much appreciated.
I seriously doubt you'd have HIV symptoms this soon, HIV can't even be detected for three months. Also, it's cold/flu season right now, so likely you're just sick. But you really should use a condom every time, your health is not something to play around with.
It's unlikely it's HIV. A lot more likely it's a flu or cold... which you might well have gotten from him. To correct misinformation: HIV infection happens near immediately, and the virus starts replicating fairly quickly, though it takes a while for enough of it to be present for symptoms. The most sensitive test (not commonly used because it is very expensive) can detect HIV at about 12-14 days with a pretty high degree of accuracy; the more common tests that look for antibodies are something like 75-80% accurate at 30 days, 90+% accurate at 60, and about 95 or 98% accurate at 90 days. But the important question I really need to ask here... not to be a dick... is why in the fuck were you having unprotected sex with some dude you just met? I'm sorry, but this is one of those things that, to me, simply defies logic. Here's some logic for you: If the guy convinced you to bareback, AND is a bottom, you can bet your ass you aren't the first person he's barebacked with. And regardless of what he told you, it's likely he hooks up regularly, and barebacks... otherwise he wouldn't be pushing you to do it. Which means... he is at extremely high risk. (Unless, of course, it was your idea in which case... it's beyond foolish.) Think about this as well: Anybody who tells you they're "clean" can't be telling the truth unless they haven't had any sexual activity or other high risk behavior for 60 to 90 days after their last test, and have been tested a second time, and haven't had sex since the most recent test. Otherwise, the guy they hooked up with a week ago could have infected them... and they would then be positive, have rapidly replicating virus, meaning a high viral load and an increased risk of transmitting the virus... AND they would test negative, because their body hasn't developed antibodies yet. It is a sensitive topic for me because I know people who were infected with HIV at age 17, 18, 19. And others, who, in spite of advice and strong encouragement to play safe, became HIV+ in their early 20s because they were dumbasses and barebacked. Every one of them deeply regrets their stupidity, because now they're stuck taking meds that make them nauseous, react with alcohol (making it impossible for them to drink) and have all sorts of other activity-limiting side effects. So much for the "you can take a pill" mentality. I'm sure you're having second thoughts. I don't mean to scare you, and I mean what I said about the likelihood that you have a flu or something being much, much more likely than your having HIV. But please read and reread what I wrote above. Most people don't understand the latency period, don't understand what testing does and does not mean, and fool themselves into a false sense of safety. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to *ever* have anal sex without a condom. And it isn't worth your health, safety, and peace of mind to take the risk. So please, please... use this as an opportunity and a wake-up call.
The reason that we were to these things as "flu-like" symptoms because it's usually the flu or a cold that is the cause of flu-like symptoms. But the reason you are freaking out is that you know you did something risky and foolish in the heat of the moment. Remember this feeling so that the next time you don't repeat the mistake. Since you've had a higher risk encounter, you should get a full battery of STD tests to put your mind at ease.
That's what I was thinking, but the fact that I was feeling sick right after had me so paranoid. And Don't feel bad about being a dick you SHOULD scare me. I made such a stupid mistake and I'm never doing it again. But about that expensive test you said could be done 12-14 days after. Do you know where and how I could get that done? Posting on this forum has eased my mind quite a bit but I'd still like to be tested as soon as possible.
Wombats: Check with a doctor for that test. But as others have said, your symptoms are probably a cold or flu, not HIV. This doesn't mean you weren't infected, though, just that you are in the asymptomatic period. Condoms are ALWAYS a good idea when practicing anal sex, because HIV isn't the only risk. Even in a committed relationship, with neither partner messing around on the other, and both being healthy, you can get some nasty infections from barebacking. There are a lot of bacteria in the rectum that are helpful and even neccessary in the later stages of digestion, but can cause nasty infections if they get elsewhere such as in your urethra, where they can work their way up. Also, if you aren't circumcised, they could cause some bad infections just by sitting under your foreskin.
The test I was referring to is the HIV-PCR. Last I checked, it's about $350 (I'm sure that varies depending on where you get it.) and is probably not covered by insurance. You might contact your local health department or Planned Parenthood clinics to see if they offer that test. Otherwise, I'd just wait and get the regular test, which is free or cheap, at 30 days and then again at 90.
You have good reason to be afraid. Good luck and hope all is well, chances are it will be... but no guarantees.
I doubt it's HIV. Like the symptons should come months later. And if it were HIV, given that you already have the symptons, then the test would point positive, if it were possitive. I still think you should get tested. But, chances are you got this death scare out of coincidence. It sounds like the flu.
