Scared to death of contracting HIV

[Charles Price]

A possible exposure happened last summer, from what I know it was a low risk exposure and it's all in my head.
It was around Last June I slept with a girl just the once around 20 days later I get an unusual flat none itchy rash on my chest that i'm relating to ARS symptoms thankfully I didn't have any other symptoms and apparently a rash due to ARS is always in conjunction with a fever etc
I remember clearly when the rash first appeared it was really hot I didn't realise how hot I went out in a T shirt, jeans, and Baseball jacket and I was dripping with sweat I only noticed when I got back home and took my t shirt. The rash persisted for around 2 week, is it possible to have a none itchy blotchy macular chest rash on my chest due to sweating or heat? it all just bad timing and I'm scared to open results to see what my HIV status but I know If I do it will put me out of my misery and I can move on. It is in my favour that female to male transmission is 1 - 1000 and I didn't have anything wrong apart from the rash. It's really getting the best of me I haven't been myself lately i'm breaking down in tears all the time.

[oban]

A possible exposure happened last summer, from what I know it was a low risk exposure and it's all in my head.
It was around Last June I slept with a girl just the once around 20 days later I get an unusual flat none itchy rash on my chest that i'm relating to ARS symptoms thankfully I didn't have any other symptoms and apparently a rash due to ARS is always in conjunction with a fever etc
I remember clearly when the rash first appeared it was really hot I didn't realise how hot I went out in a T shirt, jeans, and Baseball jacket and I was dripping with sweat I only noticed when I got back home and took my t shirt. The rash persisted for around 2 week, is it possible to have a none itchy blotchy macular chest rash on my chest due to sweating or heat? it all just bad timing and I'm scared to open results to see what my HIV status but I know If I do it will put me out of my misery and I can move on. It is in my favour that female to male transmission is 1 - 1000 and I didn't have anything wrong apart from the rash. It's really getting the best of me I haven't been myself lately i'm breaking down in tears all the time.

Do you have anxiety to begin with, or is it just stress from this incident? I went 7 years w/o having sex in university (I had opportunities) because I was afraid of HIV or pregnancy.

[Anne1221]

I think you should be tested so you can move on. The fear and not knowing is sort of paralyzing you. Yes, you can get a rash from being hot and sweaty. You have no other symptoms so that's good. It's hard but you have nothing to gain by continuing to be fearful. If your statistics are right, then the odds are so much in your favor it tilts things in the direction of getting tested. Find a good doctor that you're comfortable with- that's the first step. Talk to the doctor because they will put you at ease about it. Also, you probably didn't have sex with someone who had HIV in the first place.

[Dahila]

Get tested, Anne is right, so you can start life without this fear. The danger is real so say NO to one night stand ladies or gentleman, practice safe sex only. It is not only for HIV but for other sexually transmitted diseases. One partner, no cheating one is the best:)

[Charles Price]

Thanks for the advice people and sorry for the late reply, It really is affecting me i'm a hypochondriac in general I know it's up to me to help myself but it's easier said then done. The girl I was seeing at the time claims she was negative also I need to stop playing detective because it's making me feel terrible :/
does a sweat or hear rash persist for that amount of time and have any of you had anything similar?

[Charles Price]

Negative I was being paranoid

[Dahila]

good and be smart next time, do not put yourself in this position. You can get rush from detergent, from anxiety, heat, and countless things. My guess would be clothes was not rinsed enough or you use something harsh to wash your t-shirt.

[grcboy77]

Dude! This was me a year ago!
Lol seriously I know what you feel like.
I went for my very first HIV test last year! The nurse asked me if I had sex with men. Nope. IV drugs? Nada. Unprotected sex? Once. She said how many times? Once. She said your odds are ridiculously small.

Ahhhh but you and me aren't like the others. We know for sure we will be the one out of 1,435,636 people who will get it. Unfortunately this doesn't work for lotteries for some reason.

Anyway while I sweated and hyper ventilated she drew the blood and was actually laughing and smiling.

Negative.
No way. Really?!?
Take a look.
Negative!
Yep!

That was it.
We all screw up. Sometimes we ahem drink a little too much uh huh and forget certain things and next thing you know it's morning...

Deep breath. You are fine. ARS is a deathly I'll reaction. Those with it are so sick many are hospitalized. What you explain is somatic nervous illness. Your mind can do it. Take it from a guy who made his testicle swell and loss his sense of smell and taste not to mention his hands swell just with his mind. No fooling. I'm that good.

Peace coming your way. What you did has happened 14,535 times in the time it took me to wrote this is California.

Next time rubber up. ;)

[grcboy77]

Actually, sorry one more thought,

Up until last year I had never been tested for HIV. I harbored an enorrrmous fear of AIDS cause I grew up in a time when it first came out, no one knew what it was and you died in a month. Not good for a guy approaching puberty to hear. A lot of fear and ignorance but I digress.

The reason I did it was because I had to have a full physical with a look under the hood (pun intended) and of course it was a fill in doctor beautiful as could be. Irony. Anyway she saw a small wart on my penis and said have you ever been tested for STIs? I said no. She said well it's good to know this stuff. I said should I? She said it's up to you just making a point.

Well saying something like that + GAD = recipe for disaster.
Sleepless nights
Cold sweats
Internet reading
No eating
Pacing
Internet reading
Panic attacks and
More Internet reading

Finally a friend said you will NEVER move on till you know. So oooooo, a month later I went to a community health centre and they have HIV workshops there and I did it. Took 5 minutes. I did it!

Dude when you get you're negative you will feel like $1,000,000 and very proud you were able to face your anxiety.

And it will be negative.

[grcboy77]

PS the wart on my willy wasn't an STI. My GP took one look at it and said. Flat wart. Can back and burned that sucker off with liquid nitrogen. Problem solved.

[TCaf]

I totally understand how you feel, I went through the same anxiety last year as my ex boyfriend had a questionable past. I stewed over getting tested for months to the point I had panic attacks, chest pains the works. My sister finally talked me into going to get tested, the doc understood my concerns and was lovely, anyway the results were negative which you sort of know of in the back of your mind but you cant relax until its confirmed. Long story short if I had just went to the doc straight away I wouldnt have suffered.
:)