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Conditions and Diseases > HIV and AIDS Forum > Upper respiratory infections and the possibility of HIV
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Q: Upper respiratory infections and the possibility of HIV
asked by: DoctorQuestion on December 2nd, 2008
Last year in september of 2007 i had intercourse with a girl and my condom tore. I got sick about a month after but 2 of my closest friends who I ate and went out with were also sick. I got tested for HIV immediately after, then 3 months after then 5 1/2 months after and they all came back negative. Should I worry. I have a sore throat now for about 2 weeks that my doctors say is due to a basic upper respiratory viral infection. Mono and strep came back negative. I have a WBC of 10.1 and a lymph of 14% which they said is normal when my body is fighting off an infection such as my sore throat. Also, I think that it could be stress induced because I have my exams. thesis, and GRE coming up. Please let me know if you think it could be HIV.


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Dr. Andrijana Shterjovska , MD
replied on December 2nd, 2008
HIV and AIDS Answer A5023



Given the information you provided, it seems likely that you might be having an upper respiratory infection-URI (according to both your lab results and symptoms you report at this moment, it is probably a prolonged viral one, but if a pus occurs-than it might become a bacterial one, so treatment with an antibiotic should be prescribed). And this is not such a big deal.

But since it seems you’ve been having this torn condom problem on your mind for 14-15 months, it might be worth doing one more HIV 1&2 test, just to be on the safer side, exclude completely the possibility for HIV infection during that unfortunate intercourse and to put your mind at ease. That way even the slightest (almost theoretical) possibility of HIV infection will definitely be excluded.

Most doctors and researchers agree that 99% of all infected people have detectable antibodies in their blood by 3 months after HIV infection (called “window” period of seroconversion) and a 6-month window is extremely rare with modern antibody testing. During the window period, an infected person can transmit HIV to others although their HIV infection may not be detectable with an antibody test. But, in extremely rare cases, evidence has shown that the formation of antibodies could be delayed due to various reasons and the window period extended up to 12 months. Because of this, in specific cases, researchers might recommend 2 additional testings, beyond the one that is done after 6 months: test after 9 months and one test 12 months after the suspected intercourse (although the standard ones are after 3 and 6 months). This way they “catch” even the rarest cases of so called “delayed seroconversion” (which, most probably, is not the case with you, according to your symptoms).





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