Question Hello. I once dated a guy who said he was HIV negative. We had oral on two occasions, but he never ejaculated in my mouth. I'm not sure if any pre-cum was present, but it was very little if there was at all. I once topped him with a condom and I did not ejaculate. About a month after that, I got a cold, complete with stuffed up nose, watery eyes and eventually the mucus went to my chest, as I tended to swallow the mucus from my nose. I never had fever, rash or anything like that. I then tested negative for HIV 8 weeks after my last encounter with that guy. That test was 3 weeks after my cold. My questions are: do you think those cold symptoms are indicative of HIV? Some sites say HIV infection can produce cold symptoms, while others say flu-like symptoms. Also, do you think an 8 week hiv test is reliable? Please help. Thanks!
Answer Hi Mike,
As you've practiced safe sex, the chances of infection dramatically decreases. I am assuming that the symptoms you've experienced is unrelated to HIV. However, the only way to know is to get tested.
Acute retroviral syndrome does present with flu-like symptoms. Each individual experiences it differently. It could be mild fever to generalized fatigue to rashes. No physicians can accurately tell you if it was related to HIV without a HIV test. There are different HIV tests available in the market today. The most common test is the OraQuick advance rapid HIV 1/2 antibody test, which samples can be taken from oral fluid or blood (i.e. fingerstick), and ELIZA, which is a blood test. These are 99% accurate if done 3 months from the date of the incident. There are very few selective individuals who can take up to six months for HIV to test positive. The understanding behind this is unknown.
There are also blood tests, such as NAT, and p24 antigen. So it depends on the type of HIV test you've had. These tests are also very accurate and can identify HIV within 2-3 weeks from the date of the incident.
At this time, my best advice would be to get retested a month from now.
