Worried about HIV

[Silent245]

On the 8th of March I met a girl and we got talking and I was really into her. It turned out that she was a **********. I was however really into her by that point and I said what the hell.

However during the course of sex (I had a condom but before I could use it), she started rubbing my penis on her vagina and ***oris. There was definite presence of vaginal fluid on the head of the penis.

I freaked out, but was assured by her that she is not HIV positive and I have nothing to worry about.

I later looked up symptoms of HIV on the net and one of the symptoms mentioned was rashes. about a week later I found red bumps on the arm. -https://ibb.co/i1T99c

Started to apply normal cream on the spots (the ones you apply in the winters to keep your lips and cheeks from cracking) and the redness of the bumps went away after a 2-3 days and the bumps also started to 'fall' . The bumps are all much smaller than when started and have started to merge back into the skin.

I have had no fever in this period.

So I was really freaked out and want to post some questions -

1) How many days after HIV do rashes appear?
2) How many days do they last?
3) Can the rashes appear without other symptoms such as fever?
4) Can the rashes go away without specific treatment, and by applying just any winter cream?

 

[Karla MOYA]

Ok u don’t have HIV ..I am an expert on that phobia since it used to be my main one for a long time but I know no matter what I say will make a difference ..the number one Synptom to behind with is fever and flu like symptoms ... do u know the actual chances of getting HIV at a Random encounter like u describe through vago al sex (that’s if you are inside with no codon ) is like 4/10,000 look it up on CDC website .. what I used to do to calm myself down is I used to get the rapid test at Walgreens .. is like 50 dlls and very accurate ... there are also free clinics that offer rapid tests meaning u don’t have to wait more than 1 minute for the result .. I am suggesting this because I know Howe irrational these fears can get

 

[fac6]

Been there, done that and got the T-Shirt buddy. I would not worry about it as the chances of you contracting it are indeed low. However, there is only one way to know for sure and that is to go get tested around 4 weeks after the encounter.

Stress and anxiety can also bring on things like rashes etc.

 

[Silent245]

Hi great of you guys to reply. Reading it does calm me a little bit. I wouldn't have been that worried had she not been a prostitute and red raised dots (the one I have linked in the first message), not shown up.

I have not had fever that is a relief and reading that fever is the primary symptom does make me feel a bit more at ease. The worst thing about doubt is there is no way to shake it off. It goes off and suddenly later you find yourself worrying about it and start to convince yourself that you have it.

I really don't have the courage to be tested right now. In how many days after the encounter does the fever usually come on? That is to say if I am fine and without fever for another two weeks or so (which will be one month since the date) should I stop worrying about it?

 

[fac6]

A fever will not present itself in all cases, even rashes. Sometimes people contract it with no symptoms.

Seriously buddy, I would not worry about it, EVEN if she did have it the chances of you contracting it from just that rubbing is very low. HIV is a very delicate virus and dies very quickly outside the body.

If I am honest I have super health anxiety and I have had lots of unprotected sex in the past and I fear I have it too. I am too cowardly to have a test and my way of checking is every year I get complete blood tests and I say to my self if I had it and it was turning to AIDS my WBC would be super low. Not ideal and it's a rather pathetic thought I know about how it would show.

I stress about this also so you are not alone...

 

[Karla MOYA]

You know the answe is yes .. you are Ok . Endless googling the symptoms will give you ease at moments .. if your anxiety about it comes back bad I suggest getting a rapid test ONLY so that you can move on (been there done that ) how old are you ?

 

[Kelculator]

Also, note that being anxious can cause a low-grade fever. Just saying in case that happens and gets you worried.

 

[Silent245]

Thx for the replies guys. I am 32. I feel quite pathetic really, scared silly and not having the balls to see anyone about it. Your replies do calm me down, but everyday at some point I find myself googling what ARS rashes look like and trying to compare them to the red spots that I had. So far there isn't a match btw, there is usually something that doesn't fit, like at the very least the itchiness factor.

However I am still a pathetic mess right now. I just can't seem to help it. I am calm for most of the day, but there is always some point during the day, when I am back to googling symptoms and scaring myself silly.

However I can only say thx to all of you replying and trying to help.

 

[fac6]

Ok so worst case scenario... Let's say you have it ok?

HIV is now seen as a chronic illness and the facts are that people nowadays diagnosed HIV positive will live long healthy lives. With todays medications, in many cases, the viral load/count in the blood is reduced to near zero.

I am NOT by any means saying you have it but even if you did you have not been given an automatic death sentence like it would have been in the 80's

 

[Silent245]

Hey, but its still worrying. I understand you go through the same issues, but honestly you should understand it more than anyone else, that getting tested scares the hell out of me. Still waiting for atleast a month to pass,and then how things stand.

 

[fac6]

I hear you and totally understand. I wish you well with this and hope the anxiety passes. I am having major anxieties about ALS at the moment and the fact I am showing symptoms of the disease is freaking me out!

Wishing you all the best

 

[llee454]

Hey Silent245,

I seriously doubt that you've contracted HIV from your encounter. All of the explanations given above appear valid to me. But I also know that part of being a hypochondriac is fixating obsessively on highly improbable worst case scenarios. So, let's consider that one. My room-mate is HIV positive. He's been so for years and I can assure you that he's probably in better shape than I am! Just last year, he completed a 100 mile bike ride as part of an event to raise money for a local charity. He's physically active and has an ebullient up-beat personality. With treatment he pushed his viral load below detectable levels and is living proof that HIV is a highly treatable disease. So, in the absolute, improbable, worst case scenario you're fine.

Avoid Googling about the rash. Put up an app blocker if necessary. If you find yourself drawn back to Google, do what I do, and look up hypochondria instead. That's helped me put my fears in perspective and focus on what's actually going on.

As an aside I can personally relate to your fear of any form of medical testing. Tests scare the hell out of me too. Every time I find myself waiting for lab results, I feel as though I'm about to be read a death sentence. Apparently, it's common for people like us to avoid seeking out medical help when we need it, because of our fear that doing so will result in a devastating diagnosis. That irrational fear can lead to real problems over time. I've found that telling my doctor/nurse about my hypochondria helps. I can also recommend bringing a friend along as I've found that this also helps.

 

[Silent245]

A hypochondriac is a word that describes me very well. I automatically think up worst case scenarios and then worry myself silly about it, till I think I am going insane.

Having not drawn up the courage to see a doctor I found a site online that takes your question to doctors and their reverts to you. I copy posted the message in the OP of this thread (link to image of rash as well). Anyway got a reply from her that there is no need to worry about HIV on account of the rash, and that it appeared due to local allergies.

I had moved to another house 2 days before the rash appeared which had been closed for a while. I used a new bed sheet but the mattress was perhaps not cleaned as thoroughly as it should have been. I have looked up dirt related rashes and some pics correspond to the kind of red bumps I had.

It has put my mind at rest to some extent. I am still watchful about flu like symptoms, but atleast the doctors opinion did help.

 

[llee454]

Great!, I'm glad to hear that you were able to get some professional help with this. To my ears, the allergy explanation sounds highly plausible. Try to rest assured, and see if the rash subsides as you remove allergens from your new home.

 

[Steven]

Hey there. I am a long time hypocondriac and was also really worried about HIV recently. I worried for several months and finally went and purchased a home test at the pharmacy. Of course it came back negative and really helped put my mind at ease. Although like any hypocondriac knows you’ll then just start to wonder “what if the test was wrong”, but it still helped me a lot. Even if you’re scared to test I’d recommend just doing it and putting your mind at ease because I wasted several months worrying for nothing. And honestly even if it came back positive, it’s not a life ending illness anymore. Their are people with it who take their meds every day and live normal healthy lives.

 

[Silent245]

Hi guys, I would like to thank you for the help. I have had a second bout of hypochondria today and doubts came back. As I have explained above I had sent pictures of the rash to a doctor online and her reply was that it is not an HIV rash. However today doubts hit me again, what if she was wrong, or didn't see the pictures probably. Its quite pathetic to say the least, but there it is.

In the meantime have not had fever and its been more than a month since the incident. Posting again as I felt that your responses were helpful in calming me down the previous month and just wanted to share the discomfort and talk.

 

[Concernedgal]

Get tested for the virus. That' all you can do . This virus is not something you should play a guessing game about . The only warning my brother had was a cold that wouldn't go away. But, to be fair...he is a former heroin addict. Just get tested. Its either yes or its no..either way ... it will be closer.