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Had Protected Sex. Tested Negative For HIV. Having Night Sweats And Sleeping Difficulty. HIV?
Question: Hello I am a 21 year old from the UK
I had protected sex with a sex worker over 6 weeks ago. It was oral and then vaginal which lasted about 10 seconds. I have been freaked out ever since.
I took my urine and hiv blood test 2 weeks and 3 days after exposure and got my result in my 3rd week which was negative.
I have been having sleeping disorder for over 3 weeks and the 1st week was very bad and I had my back sweating a lot after sleep nightmares. I don't know if its called night sweat. It gradually reduced a lot over 2 weeks.
But I also had night sweat once last week and yesterday which my T-shit was soaked with sweat which I had to change. I did feel kind of hot when I covered my self with the blanket but the room was cold, so I don't understand why this was happening to me.
I also did cardio yesterday because the doctor said it will help reduce insomnia. When cardio was finished 4 hours later I went to bed after a shower.
Is my night sweat related to HIV?
I have no flu,fever like symptoms or swollen lymph nodes. But I do have lower left back pain sometimes.
Is my sleeping disorder related to any std including HIV?
I think I took the test too early should I take blood test again in another clinic?
I went clinic again last week and the doctor said I don't have any symptoms of STD and I am clear. the doctor only took my urine test which came out negative again but did not do blood test as she said I took it already and came out negative, she said I was in the clear. But I forgot to mention about my back sweating at night to the doctor.
I had protected sex with a sex worker over 6 weeks ago. It was oral and then vaginal which lasted about 10 seconds. I have been freaked out ever since.
I took my urine and hiv blood test 2 weeks and 3 days after exposure and got my result in my 3rd week which was negative.
I have been having sleeping disorder for over 3 weeks and the 1st week was very bad and I had my back sweating a lot after sleep nightmares. I don't know if its called night sweat. It gradually reduced a lot over 2 weeks.
But I also had night sweat once last week and yesterday which my T-shit was soaked with sweat which I had to change. I did feel kind of hot when I covered my self with the blanket but the room was cold, so I don't understand why this was happening to me.
I also did cardio yesterday because the doctor said it will help reduce insomnia. When cardio was finished 4 hours later I went to bed after a shower.
Is my night sweat related to HIV?
I have no flu,fever like symptoms or swollen lymph nodes. But I do have lower left back pain sometimes.
Is my sleeping disorder related to any std including HIV?
I think I took the test too early should I take blood test again in another clinic?
I went clinic again last week and the doctor said I don't have any symptoms of STD and I am clear. the doctor only took my urine test which came out negative again but did not do blood test as she said I took it already and came out negative, she said I was in the clear. But I forgot to mention about my back sweating at night to the doctor.
Hello
Thank you for your query.
Though a person who is infected with HIV will become infectious themselves very rapidly (within a day or so), they will normally have to wait a while before an HIV test will produce an accurate result. The length of time before an accurate result can be produced is called ‘the window period’ and will depend on the type of test they are taking.
In the majority of cases globally, the standard test that will be offered at an HIV testing centre will be an HIV antibody test. The HIV antibody test looks for antibodies to the virus in a person's blood. For most people these antibodies take 6 weeks to 3 months to develop. In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months. It is extremely rare for a person to take any longer then 6 months to develop detectable antibodies.
Getting tested before 3 months have elapsed may result in an unclear test result, as an infected person may not yet have developed antibodies to HIV. These 3 months are known as the 'window period'. So it is best to wait for at least 3 months after the last time you were at risk before taking the test. Some test centres may recommend testing again at 6 months, just to be extra sure, though in most cases this is not necessary.
The vast majority of HIV tests that are given in clinics are antibody tests, though other types of test may be available in some clinics. In some countries, such as the UK, fourth generation tests (tests that combine a p24 antigen test with a standard antibody test) are the primary recommendation. These have a smaller window period, estimated between 11 days and 1 month.
When testing a sample for the actual virus through RNA, positive results are reached more quickly than with the antibody testing method. The RNA test has a much shorter window period. The CDC reports that the virus becomes measurable in the body of an infected person between nine and 11 days after infection. While RNA tests are able to detect the virus quicker than the antibody test, RNA tests are costlier and not as easily accessible as the antibody tests.
So I need to know by what method your tests were done, to comment on the reliability.
Regarding your night sweats, it can arise from harmless situations or serious disease. If your bedroom is unusually hot or you are using too many bedclothes, you may begin to sweat during sleep - and this is normal. However, you have mentioned that this is not the cause.
There are many different causes of night sweats. Some of the known conditions that can cause night sweats are:
Andropause or hormonal changes like andropause would cause such symptoms. Since you are 21, this can be ruled out unless you have other hormonal changes.
Idiopathic hyperhidrosis: a condition in which the body chronically produces too much sweat without any identifiable medical cause.
Infections: Classically, tuberculosis is the infection most notoriously associated with night sweats. However, bacterial infections, such as endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves), osteomyelitis (inflammation within the bones), and abscesses all may result in night sweats.
Worryingly so, Night sweats are also a symptom of AIDS virus (HIV) infection.
Night sweats are an early symptom of some cancers. However, people who have an undiagnosed cancer frequently have other symptoms as well, such as unexplained weight loss and fevers.
Taking certain medications can lead to night sweats. Antidepressant medications are a common type of medication that can lead to night sweats. Other psychiatric drugs have also been associated with night sweats. Medicines taken to lower fever such as aspirin and acetaminophen can sometimes lead to sweating.
Sometimes low blood glucose can cause sweating. Sweating or flushing can be seen with several hormone disorders, including pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome, and hyperthyroidism.
Neurologic conditions such as autonomic dysreflexia, post-traumatic syringomyelia, stroke, and autonomic neuropathy may cause increased sweating and possibly lead to night sweats.
I think you need to know by what method earlier test was done, and yes, a repeat testing would allay your anxiety more, since night sweats have been described with HIV.
ALso, you mentioned that you had protected sex. If it was totally protected ( both oral and vaginal ), your cause for worry reduces.
Take care meanwhile, and feel free to ask for further clarifications.
Thank you for your query.
Though a person who is infected with HIV will become infectious themselves very rapidly (within a day or so), they will normally have to wait a while before an HIV test will produce an accurate result. The length of time before an accurate result can be produced is called ‘the window period’ and will depend on the type of test they are taking.
In the majority of cases globally, the standard test that will be offered at an HIV testing centre will be an HIV antibody test. The HIV antibody test looks for antibodies to the virus in a person's blood. For most people these antibodies take 6 weeks to 3 months to develop. In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months. It is extremely rare for a person to take any longer then 6 months to develop detectable antibodies.
Getting tested before 3 months have elapsed may result in an unclear test result, as an infected person may not yet have developed antibodies to HIV. These 3 months are known as the 'window period'. So it is best to wait for at least 3 months after the last time you were at risk before taking the test. Some test centres may recommend testing again at 6 months, just to be extra sure, though in most cases this is not necessary.
The vast majority of HIV tests that are given in clinics are antibody tests, though other types of test may be available in some clinics. In some countries, such as the UK, fourth generation tests (tests that combine a p24 antigen test with a standard antibody test) are the primary recommendation. These have a smaller window period, estimated between 11 days and 1 month.
When testing a sample for the actual virus through RNA, positive results are reached more quickly than with the antibody testing method. The RNA test has a much shorter window period. The CDC reports that the virus becomes measurable in the body of an infected person between nine and 11 days after infection. While RNA tests are able to detect the virus quicker than the antibody test, RNA tests are costlier and not as easily accessible as the antibody tests.
So I need to know by what method your tests were done, to comment on the reliability.
Regarding your night sweats, it can arise from harmless situations or serious disease. If your bedroom is unusually hot or you are using too many bedclothes, you may begin to sweat during sleep - and this is normal. However, you have mentioned that this is not the cause.
There are many different causes of night sweats. Some of the known conditions that can cause night sweats are:
Andropause or hormonal changes like andropause would cause such symptoms. Since you are 21, this can be ruled out unless you have other hormonal changes.
Idiopathic hyperhidrosis: a condition in which the body chronically produces too much sweat without any identifiable medical cause.
Infections: Classically, tuberculosis is the infection most notoriously associated with night sweats. However, bacterial infections, such as endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves), osteomyelitis (inflammation within the bones), and abscesses all may result in night sweats.
Worryingly so, Night sweats are also a symptom of AIDS virus (HIV) infection.
Night sweats are an early symptom of some cancers. However, people who have an undiagnosed cancer frequently have other symptoms as well, such as unexplained weight loss and fevers.
Taking certain medications can lead to night sweats. Antidepressant medications are a common type of medication that can lead to night sweats. Other psychiatric drugs have also been associated with night sweats. Medicines taken to lower fever such as aspirin and acetaminophen can sometimes lead to sweating.
Sometimes low blood glucose can cause sweating. Sweating or flushing can be seen with several hormone disorders, including pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome, and hyperthyroidism.
Neurologic conditions such as autonomic dysreflexia, post-traumatic syringomyelia, stroke, and autonomic neuropathy may cause increased sweating and possibly lead to night sweats.
I think you need to know by what method earlier test was done, and yes, a repeat testing would allay your anxiety more, since night sweats have been described with HIV.
ALso, you mentioned that you had protected sex. If it was totally protected ( both oral and vaginal ), your cause for worry reduces.
Take care meanwhile, and feel free to ask for further clarifications.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
is my sleeping disorder related to hiv?
I did have very bad stress and anxiety a few weeks ago but its mostly gone now. I do get stress sometimes is this related to night sweats aswell?
condom was used properly and did not break or slip. What are my chances with catching std with condom including hiv.
I have no flu,fever like symptoms or swollen lymph nodes related to hiv.
I just have sleeping disorder and sometimes night sweats.
thanks
I did have very bad stress and anxiety a few weeks ago but its mostly gone now. I do get stress sometimes is this related to night sweats aswell?
condom was used properly and did not break or slip. What are my chances with catching std with condom including hiv.
I have no flu,fever like symptoms or swollen lymph nodes related to hiv.
I just have sleeping disorder and sometimes night sweats.
thanks
There's no absolute guarantee even when you use a condom. But most experts believe that the risk of getting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases can be greatly reduced if a condom is used properly.
In other words, sex with condoms isn't totally "safe sex," but it is "less risky" sex.
If your heterosexual partner is HIV-positive, the odds of your infection are 1 in 5,000. If you don't use a condom, your odds are 1 in 500 of contracting the virus.
Yes, the night sweats could be stress related, however they are also found in infection with HIV.
They are not specific for HIV.
The only way to be sure is to have a repeat testing.
In other words, sex with condoms isn't totally "safe sex," but it is "less risky" sex.
If your heterosexual partner is HIV-positive, the odds of your infection are 1 in 5,000. If you don't use a condom, your odds are 1 in 500 of contracting the virus.
Yes, the night sweats could be stress related, however they are also found in infection with HIV.
They are not specific for HIV.
The only way to be sure is to have a repeat testing.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
yes thanks for your answer
Thank you for appreciating.
I wish you all the best.
Take care.
Am sure you will be fine.
Just have a repeat testing for your assurance.
I wish you all the best.
Take care.
Am sure you will be fine.
Just have a repeat testing for your assurance.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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