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Suggest Treatment For Bug Bite
k..here it goes. A little over a month ago.I. had sex with a friend of mine that was staying with me from out of town. Have known the girl for a while. It was unprotected. Then on may 20th. I had unprotected sex with another friend at her bday party.again have known the girl for years. A few weeks later I was having diaherra and was a little tired. I had also recently started a new job and was working a lot of hours, for sometime 6 or 7 days in a row. Like a dumbass I went online to start researching and came across HIV. I went to the dr and they told me it was nothing. Last Sunday I decided to take one of the home access hiv tests whichis approved by the FDA..etc...on that Monday while I was waiting on the results..I noticed three nasty marks. On on my leg.one on my inner thigh opposite leg.and one on my chest..it was like a shot gun blast to the gut...lesions? I rushed to the ER..where the dr told me they were bug bites. The next day the results from the at home test came back negative. Since then I've still been a nervous wreck..I've notice dry skin on my hands and feet..which I don't know if its flaky skin" or what. There are what looks to be acne around my mouth and my throat which I had previously dismissed as acne or razor burn. Ii think my left armpit may be swollen..I don't know...and todya I have noticed really tiny red or purple dots.. in a couple. Places/on my body..I'm gonna take another test in a few weeks.
Wed, 19 Oct 2016
Short answer: No choice but to wait and retest
Long answer:
Hi there,
From your query, I gather that you are worried more about whether you have contracted HIV from your two unprotected encounters, than you are about the various symptoms that you have described. However, since you have mentioned it, I will provide some simple solutions. The bug bites can be managed with a simple hydrocortisone cream to bring down the swelling and discomfort. Acne is common in areas you mentioned, and is usually managed with topical creams like benzoyl peroxide. If you are unsure as to whether there is a swelling in your armpit, you should show it to your regular doctor, as it could be a sign of other infections.
Regarding the HIV per se, as you may have learned, HIV seroconversion is very vague and non-specific, and we usually do not proceed with extra steps other than to caution you on avoiding further sexual contact while waiting for the testing. You should be pretty safe if your HIV test was done at least a month after your last encounter. Be sure to repeat one last test 3 months from your last exposure risk to ensure the accuracy of even the oldest testing methods.
I would advise you to refrain from any sexual encounters until the final test, and stress the need for responsible safe sex in the future. There are many other sexually transmitted diseases that you need to protect yourself from, like the far more common chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further questions.
Regards,
Dr. Teh
Long answer:
Hi there,
From your query, I gather that you are worried more about whether you have contracted HIV from your two unprotected encounters, than you are about the various symptoms that you have described. However, since you have mentioned it, I will provide some simple solutions. The bug bites can be managed with a simple hydrocortisone cream to bring down the swelling and discomfort. Acne is common in areas you mentioned, and is usually managed with topical creams like benzoyl peroxide. If you are unsure as to whether there is a swelling in your armpit, you should show it to your regular doctor, as it could be a sign of other infections.
Regarding the HIV per se, as you may have learned, HIV seroconversion is very vague and non-specific, and we usually do not proceed with extra steps other than to caution you on avoiding further sexual contact while waiting for the testing. You should be pretty safe if your HIV test was done at least a month after your last encounter. Be sure to repeat one last test 3 months from your last exposure risk to ensure the accuracy of even the oldest testing methods.
I would advise you to refrain from any sexual encounters until the final test, and stress the need for responsible safe sex in the future. There are many other sexually transmitted diseases that you need to protect yourself from, like the far more common chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further questions.
Regards,
Dr. Teh
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