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Does Time Duration Of Contact With Genitals Is Low Risk Of HIV?
Question: Hello doctor
I am a straight man. 4 weeks ago I had a risky encounter with a CSW of unknown HIV status. It was genetile rubbing and an accidental (tip penetration) for less than one second. I monitor my body since then for any symptoms and I had nothing. 1 week ago (3 weeks after encounter) I got a fever spike of 38.2C which lasted for 2 hours and never came back with no other symposium.
Can this be ARS fever ?
I am a straight man. 4 weeks ago I had a risky encounter with a CSW of unknown HIV status. It was genetile rubbing and an accidental (tip penetration) for less than one second. I monitor my body since then for any symptoms and I had nothing. 1 week ago (3 weeks after encounter) I got a fever spike of 38.2C which lasted for 2 hours and never came back with no other symposium.
Can this be ARS fever ?
Brief Answer:
Have HIV test and rule out the least possibility.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
The time duration of your contact with her genitals is immaterial.
Likewise it is very difficult to predict whether the short spell of fever is due to Acute retroviral syndrome or not. Thes type of symptms could be just a coincidence and not related to the contact.
At the sametime each individual may respond an infection in different way. (You could have obseved these effects with any vaccinations.. Some have severe reaction and some will not have any reaction at all).
Only HIV serological test will reveal the status. So instead of guessing and worrying, try to have HIV test under the supervison of an expert in this field and get cleared your doubts and status.
Dr S.Murugan
Have HIV test and rule out the least possibility.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
The time duration of your contact with her genitals is immaterial.
Likewise it is very difficult to predict whether the short spell of fever is due to Acute retroviral syndrome or not. Thes type of symptms could be just a coincidence and not related to the contact.
At the sametime each individual may respond an infection in different way. (You could have obseved these effects with any vaccinations.. Some have severe reaction and some will not have any reaction at all).
Only HIV serological test will reveal the status. So instead of guessing and worrying, try to have HIV test under the supervison of an expert in this field and get cleared your doubts and status.
Dr S.Murugan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Thank you for your response doctor. I am waiting for the window period then I will test. Meanwhile to get my thoghts at rest, I read that ARS symptoms appear together (or at least fever + one more symptom) as a reaction to the virys, is this correct ? Also is the short interval of fever which never came back can be ARS ? Or ARS is normally (2 to 3 days) fever ?
Brief Answer:
HIV Qualitative PCR tests are reliable by this time.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
As you had completed 4 weeks after the exposure, if you want you can take up HIV antigen test for HIV 1 and 2 separately,,, They are highly reliable.. Otherwise you can wait for the HIV antibody test or a 4th generation Combo test till the completion of window period.
In Acute retroviral syndrome, the fever would not be so short spell and might persist for more than a week and usually associated with one or two other symptoms.
Dr S.Murugan
HIV Qualitative PCR tests are reliable by this time.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
As you had completed 4 weeks after the exposure, if you want you can take up HIV antigen test for HIV 1 and 2 separately,,, They are highly reliable.. Otherwise you can wait for the HIV antibody test or a 4th generation Combo test till the completion of window period.
In Acute retroviral syndrome, the fever would not be so short spell and might persist for more than a week and usually associated with one or two other symptoms.
Dr S.Murugan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your response doctor.
So from your experience, ARS fever will last at least a full day or couple of days and accompanied by at least 1 more symptome. Is my understanding correct ?
So from your experience, ARS fever will last at least a full day or couple of days and accompanied by at least 1 more symptome. Is my understanding correct ?
Brief Answer:
Symptoms of ARS uaually last for a week or more.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
Medicine is not mathematics to get a constant answer.
You would have come across situations with different vaccinations, presently with Covid Vaccination.
Some people may get severe sequences, some will have mild and few will not have any symptom at all (fever, body pain).
Similarly only 50-70% of the people with HIV will have Acute retroviral syndrome in HIV disease and in those also, mostly it will not be diagnosed and go unnoticed.
Even though I had seen more than five thousand cases of HIV patients in my carrier, I had encounter not more than a handful of Acute retroviral syndrome. I had seen a case of ARS affected brain (Very severe) and lost her. others had fever a week or 10 days.
Dr S.Murugan
Symptoms of ARS uaually last for a week or more.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
Medicine is not mathematics to get a constant answer.
You would have come across situations with different vaccinations, presently with Covid Vaccination.
Some people may get severe sequences, some will have mild and few will not have any symptom at all (fever, body pain).
Similarly only 50-70% of the people with HIV will have Acute retroviral syndrome in HIV disease and in those also, mostly it will not be diagnosed and go unnoticed.
Even though I had seen more than five thousand cases of HIV patients in my carrier, I had encounter not more than a handful of Acute retroviral syndrome. I had seen a case of ARS affected brain (Very severe) and lost her. others had fever a week or 10 days.
Dr S.Murugan
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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