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Question:
I had a sexual encounter last week with someone I didn't know. Oral sex was performed on me with a condom. There was no vaginal sex. I did place two fingers in her vagina. I also performed oral sex on her for about 10-20 sec. The day after, I have occasional itches and/or burn sensations at different points in my body - like my hands, feet, legs, etc., Is this a symptom of HIV? I didn't think HIV symptoms surface after 24 hours? Could this be another STD?Please help. Thank You!
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Answer:
by Georgan Gregg: (06/24/2004)
Itches & burning sensations over the body, especially occurring so soon after the sexual encounter you describe, seem like physical symptoms of anxiety. I noticed in additional information you provided that you’ve already been tested, although you didn’t say for what. If it’s HIV, the antibodies that the test is looking for will not be present yet if indeed you are infected from this sexual experience. For most people it takes 3-6 months for antibodies to develop so that the test can be considered accurate.
As to HIV symptoms, each person is different when it comes to what the symptoms might be & how early they appear. It usually takes years for symptoms to develop. What you may be thinking of is Acute Viral Syndrome, which can occur as a group of flu-like symptoms shortly after various viral infections, including HIV. Some people experience acute viral syndrome & others do not. No one knows why. The important point here is that these symptoms can be related to many other illnesses so that it’s not useful to look at symptoms to determine whether one’s been infected with HIV. Testing is the only real method to know. That's true for all STD.
I recommend you use the 24-hour services of the CDC National HIV/AIDS Hotline to ask immediate questions & get printed material on STD of all kinds: 800-342-AIDS. Your anxiety about becoming infected can be eased by knowledge. Basically, it’s always best to use condoms & other protective barriers.
Let us know if we can be of further assistance.Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team
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