Resolved question:
Unprotected sex with a Japanese woman in Shinjuku in September, she was on her period and bled... I think my lymph nodes in my throat have been swollen since October (roughly) but it might have been September before I met her. Right now my lymph nodes are swollen in my neck, armpits and groin. I think it's a chronic HIV infection. I am having surgery on an umbilical hernia in January, for that purpose they took blood on December 13th, my questions are, would an HIV positive result show up in that test? How long does a test usually take? They are on New Years break till the 4th and said teu can't even answer general questions. One doctor said it takes 6 months after infection to know. Is there anything this could be besides an acute HIV infection?
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
HIV- AIDS Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for choosing DoctorSpring.
If the swellings are lymph nodes indeed ( it is better to get confirmed by your Doctor) then HIV is a possibility. Do you have any other symptoms ? Like fever, flu like feeling, loose stools, white patches in tongue etc?
Other causes (any inflammation / blood diseases / infection) can cause lymph node enlargement like this. So it is no possible to say for sure whether this is HIV or not. However an HIV test will easily identify this. The result can be positive in most scenarios within 3-4 weeks now a days ( 6 months was for old tests, now a days the window period is not so long).
The test results will be available on the same day if not the next day.
You should discuss this concern with your Doctor.
Meanwhile you can go for a Oraquick HIV test (though not always 100% correct - need further confirmation) . This available OTC and online. Please note this test is not recommended for confirmatory diagnosis. The best option would be to get the information from your hospital.
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followups
Thank you
I ordered one online to be delivered on the second.
Do you happen to know if Japanese hospitals are still using the old test? One of the doctor's I was seeing for a urological issue at the hospital said you won't be able to tell for 6 months.
I made contact with the girl in early September, I noticed swelling (at least in my throat nodes) in October. Pretty recently I have felt a little feverish, and I had diarrhea yesterday. I looked up online how to feel lymph nodes and am pretty sure, they are swollen. (Definitely bumps in the rib cage on both sides, definitely feel a couple beans on each side of the upper groin, and finally, I had a friend feel and confirm, but both sides of the throat are swollen). Nothing noticeable white in the mouth. I wouldn't call it flu-like either.
Can the herpes virus cause all these symptoms? I had contact with a different girl at the beginning of December and had a herpes like rash on the tip of my penis (started as a pimple, that popped and then looked like a small rash that the doctor -a urologist -same one that said the HIV test won't work until 6 months- said wasn't herpes)
I felt a little feverish when I had that rash, but then felt better, and now I feel worse again (but still relatively minor). I remember my lymph nodes being swollen in October, and now in December, don't remember checking them in November.
Hello Again,
Even the older tests could show results from 3-4 weeks. Just that in some case there will be a window period (in few cases upto 6 months) before the infection can be detected. These proportion of window period cases has come down with newer testing kits and methods. So you Doctor might have said like - the test can stay negative even upto 6 months. But that does not mean you need to wait for 6 months to do the test. You can do at 4-6 weeks and then repeat if it is negative. There are other better combo tests (antigen antibody) tests available.
Well regarding your symptoms - the trick is that many viral infection can cause these kind of symptoms (HIV is one among them). As of now there are no high specific sign for diagnosis of HIV. However since you have a history of sexual exposure, an HIV test has to be done .
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask clarifications.
Thank you