very scared

[mike11]

hi,

i had protected vaginal sex with a total stranger i met at a bar. the condom broke duting the encounter, and it took me about 20 seconds to realize and stop. after that we didnt continue to have sex. a couple of days later (2-3 days) i came down with a fever. i went and got checked at the doctors, expressing my concerns. they told me its probably just a flu. i am being very paranoid and am worried about an hiv infection. it is now 8 days after the incident and i think the fever has died down, but i do get some night sweats (another symptom of hiv).  i had brief, slight diahrrea during the fever, but that seems to have gone but i do feel a little nausuea still. at times i experience depression and fatigue (in the mornings). Can someone please enilghten me with their thoughts. can i contract hiv that quickly? do the symptoms show up that fast? i am only 20 and very scared. also the women seemed to have a yeast infection (which she was unaware of). i have researcehd and found that hiv+ women expperiece frequent and severe yeast infections. do i have HIV?!??!?

[changed4ever]

Mike,
 I'm new to this board, and not an expert....the only way to know for sure is if you are tested.  From what I understand, symtoms don't show up that fast.  Most likely, you contracted an STD, but probably not HIV....it's hard for men to contract it from women....Get tested.... keep in touch

[pancha_villa]

Hi mike,
   Im no expert neither but it does sound like you got a std, Im not hiv positive but im hcv positive .You of course would need to get tested and be sure to get tested every 6 months for now on ,if you continue to share sexual relations with women you just met, you did do the right thing, in wearing a condom, you might want to look into buying better or stronger condoms for the future,. And then of course you could of got a bacteria infection or the flu, so i hope you are feeling better soon and let us know how you are doing,. take care and thank you for sharing this experiance with us,. Have a good New Years Eve, pancha villa

[Willy50]

Hi Mike.  Sorry that you are going thru this, but it is probably a false alarm.  The odds are slight that you found a woman HIV positive to have sex with.  It's also unlikely that the virus would have been transferred in 20 seconds after the condum broke.  I would suggest getting tested, refrain from having sex till you know the score.  There may be some that might tell you that the odds are so slight that you don't need to do this.  My viewpoint is that the relief that you'll experience is worth far more than the money you'll give up for the test.  This will also prevent you from unknowingly transmitting the virus should you have it.  Furthermore...... if the one in a thousand or one in ten thousand chance that you could have contracted the virus......... you could then seek treatment.  Early treatment can greatly extend most peoples lives by years.....possibly decades.

In a way........ getting tested will "only" prove that you are not positve for HIV....... but as I mentioned, it will lift a large burden off your shoulders.  Not only will you feel immedicately better..... you will feel less in fear about any of your future relationships.  I just don't think you can put a dollar value on it.

Finally....if you get tested, make sure that you ask in advance about how many weeks you should wait till you take the test.  The body takes weeks to develop antibodies.  This is what they will test you for.  DON"T get a test today only to find out that the results would be unconclusive because you took it too soon.

There is an expression that a good scare is better than good advice.  If you get tested you will probably find that you have been given a reprieve.....this time.  Use plenty of thought and care in the future.  

There is also a board on AIDSMEDS for those that fear that they have contracted HIV.  It is not uncommon that people are able to manifest many of the symptoms of the virus in spite of being uninfected.  It is also not uncommon that the symptoms can persist either due to the power of the mind OR some other type of sickness  or condition.

I hope that this helps.....

Good luck with the results,

Best,
Willy