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AIDS/HIV
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HIV conversion sickness?
Originally Published: February 16, 1996
~ Last Updated / Reviewed on: November 10, 2006
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Dear Alice,
I have had an unsafe sexual encounter, receiving oral sex without wearing a condom. Three days after this, I noticed a slight itching on the tip of my penis, and three weeks later I started to feel a slight aching in my lower joints, in the thigh and leg muscles. This aching varied in location. I took an HIV antibody test, which was negative, 9 weeks after having sex. Some weeks later on, I began to feel a little aching in my arms and other joints, as well, and I developed a fever and very swollen lymph glands in the throat. This lasted for about one-and-a-half weeks. I went to a doctor and they took some blood tests, I don't know what, but the doctor said that it was a bacterial infection and I was given antibiotics. The fever and swollen glands ceased, but I still have aching muscles and joints, which has been going on for 7 weeks after the fever. The aching is light, and varies in location from my underarms, overarms, legs, and thighs. Are these signs of HIV conversion sickness and do HIV antibodies only develop after the fever symptoms and not before this? — Worried
Dear Worried, You're not alone in your worry about the possibility of getting HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) after an unsafe sexual encounter. It's difficult to determine the presence of any disease based on a single sign or symptom. Most, including HIV infection, lupus, hepatitis, and even heart attacks, consist of multiple symptoms. Evidence to date suggests, however, that the risk of HIV transmission from receiving oral sex is very low, although the risks are moderate to high for some other more common STIs. Acute HIV infection is not well studied. However, there has been a lot of consistency among observations. The illness has a sudden onset with fever (almost 100 percent of the time), swollen lymph nodes in multiple locations, sore throat, headache, aches in muscles and joints, and rash. While not all of these symptoms may appear in any individual, most will be present. And, even if someone had all of these symptoms, acute HIV illness is still an UNLIKELY explanation in MOST instances. Infectious mononucleosis, among other infections, is much more likely, and most health care providers will order a mono-spot test. Your provider initially diagnosed a bacterial infection. It's recommended that you return to your provider, asking what type of bacteria it was, and also talk with him/her about your lingering aches. And don't forget, a second HIV antibody test is always necessary three months after your first test, to allow your body time to build enough antibodies to the virus for the test results to be accurate. (Though not generally recommended, a second follow-up test can be done after six months if a person or his/her providers still has concerns.) Practicing safer sex in the months prior to the follow-up test will help ensure that the result is reliable. If you would like more information about HIV and other STIs, including transmission risk and prevention strategies, you can contact: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National STD and AIDS Hotline
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