r/HIV_Anxiety

Hello,

I am 37 years old (male), and two months ago I had my first-ever sexual experience. Truly my first. I met a girl (38 yo) at a nightclub who comes from a place where the percentage of people living with HIV is as high as 2% (Ukraine). After the party, we went to my place. We kissed, she gave me unprotected oral sex, and I performed unprotected oral sex on her (cunninglus) for about 10-15 minutes. I was very drunk, and I do not remember whether there was any blood or whether either of us had any cuts or sores in our mouths. However, I am 100% certain there was no vaginal or anal penetration.

For the past two months, I haven’t been able to think about anything other than HIV. This woman has never been tested for HIV. I am wondering whether I should commit suicide before taking the test or after taking it. I am already completely worn down by the stress. It's not a joke. I haven't had any symptoms so far but I am suicidal ☹️☹️☹️

Okay so I had protected sex with a sex worker and lost my virginity. And now I'm in a rabbit hole did I catch something. Right after sex the next day I got worried about hiv and went to a clinic and got on PEP within 24hrs. Past couple days I got no sleep.

The sew worker provided the condom.

How do you know if condom breaks. Like it stayed on, didn't like snap in half and semen pooled in the tip. I'm worried about not visible holes.

I ask myself: did the condom break, how do I know if there aren't micro holes, how effective is the anti viral drug pep. Etc and I literally can't function every hour I'm on the internet searching and exploring to where I'm only getting 3-5 hours sleep a night.

Please help!

Man

Hi all - I’m looking for clarification specifically on HIV-1.

I had a potential exposure (vaginal sex & oral, I’m male) and have had:
- Day 28: Negative venous laboratory 4th-generation HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab test.
- Day 34: Negative qualitative HIV-1 PCR/NAT from venous blood. The clinic confirmed the test is made by Cepheid and detects HIV-1 RNA and proviral DNA. My result states “HIV-1 RNA and proviral DNA PCR — NOT DETECTED.”

I have not taken PEP, PrEP or ART, and have had no new HIV-risk exposures since the original exposure.
The reason I’m asking is that CDC states that a NAT can usually detect HIV 10–33 days after exposure.
CDC also states: ”If you test again after the window period, have no possible HIV exposure during that time, and the result is negative, you do not have HIV.”

Since my qualitative diagnostic NAT was performed on day 34, am I therefore correct that I can consider HIV-1 conclusively ruled out from this exposure under the CDC window-period guidance?

I understand that my PCR is specifically for HIV-1, not HIV-2. I’m still planning to have another laboratory 4th-generation HIV-1/2 test at day 45 to close out HIV-2 / the full combined testing window.

I’m specifically trying to confirm one thing:
Negative diagnostic HIV-1 NAT at day 34 + no PEP/PrEP/ART + no subsequent exposure = can I conclusively rule out HIV-1?

Thanks a lot!

So I was the receptive partner in a one time hookup with an unknown status top. He did not use a condom and he did ejaculate inside me. This was on July 5 around 7 pm. I just got a 4th generation test today, August 19, which is 45 days later. However my exposure was around 7 pm and my test today was 6 am. Does this timing difference matter? Should this be conclusive?

On June 2nd I cheated on my girlfriend and had 3 rounds of unprotected sex with a girl who I then discovered was having sex with multiple other men.

On June 20th I stared seeing watery discharge from my penis went to the doctor and learnt I had gotten chlamdyia.I thought this was the worst unfortunately a lot was still left to come.On the 13th of July 6 weeks later I stated having flu like symptoms literally every symptom imaginable from a small mouth ulcer on the outside of my mouth then one on my tongue terrible body aches diarrhea fatigue I had even noticed I’ve lost weight,these flu like symptoms lasted one week.I even noticed earlier on I had 2 nights of night sweats which I thought was the heat and a persistent dry cough before I put things together…

I’m Scared of what’s to come I literally had the best life possible my parents have given me everything I’ve ever wanted,I have the prettiest and most loving girlfriend and this is what I’ve brought onto my self and them🤦🏽‍♂️
I’ve been so depressed and at one point I can’t believe I’m saying this but even considered self harm but then I remember my nieces and nephews my loving parents my brothers and sisters.i cannot believe I have let my self in this position I cannot tell anyone the disappointment and shame I would bring to them.I live in Jamaica where stigma is Probably some of the highest in the world and we are pretty aware of this virus and I don’t know how I got my self into this position.My carelessness caught up to me and I guess I got what I deserved.
I’m so scared to go tested now at 77 days after exposure because I’m 99.99% I’ve contracted this virus my parents had warned me multiple times use condoms and I don’t know what got over me that day.

This is the worst I’ve ever been in my life I don’t see a way out and I know I must take responsibility for my actions but this feeling of emptiness and a dark void has taken over me.I’ve been researching and reading that this virus is hardest to contract from female to male and it would appear as it’s found its way to my door and I ask my self why me ??

Good day! :)

I just want to share my experience. I had a screening test, and unfortunately, the result is reactive. Is it possible for the confirmatory test to come back negative? Has anyone here experienced a false-reactive screening result? If so, could you please share your experience or give me some advice?

Thank you so much!

For those that think Oral sex poses risk (no matter how much) explain youself clearly why? Eplain the risk on different types of such exposure?

For those that think it is no risk whatsover (explain yourself why)? Explain the risk on differnt type of exposure.

I see a lot of "professionals" some throw no risk, some throw low risk.

There is a day and night difference between those two, one means you dont need to test the other means you need to test with a low possibility of you neing positive (think lottery winning)

I dont want arguments, I want just professional statemens from professionals (I see there are now multiple people like that on this sub)

I had in the end of 2023 unprotectdes anal,vaginal, oral sex with a prostutite i was young and didnt know much about hiv, she infected me with chlamydia and it cured with doxycyclin. But since at mid 2025 ( last year) i always have shortness of breath and my lymphnodes on my throat ( under my chin) are swollen and they pain always. But i had after this risks many hiv tests like 4th gen and elisa and fingerprick.. it was always negative. But why i habe these symptoms?

Hello everyone, I had an exposure on August 2 and the fastest test available is scheduled for October 13. The test will be a Chembio rapid HIV test. I picked it because it’s the soonest appointment available. However, I’m scheduled for a 4th generation blood draw test as well as a another rapid HIV test in November 4. Just to be safe. My question is would the first test be accurate/conclusive or at least highly accurate? And if so, by how much? That is what is causing me anxiety.

I have tested negative Via blood draw RNA test 3 weeks after an exposure the ER doctor did not consider a significant exposure.

I have also had 4-5 negative HIV tests prior to this due to anxiety.

but then I started to worry I got HIV from getting my blood drawn as two weeks later i noticed my lymph nodes were swollen.

I am constantly terrified I have exposed my child or partner. Recently I popped a zit in the car and got blood on my hand then wiped it with a sanitizing cloth but then worried that my daughter touched the bag I touched and rubbed her eye.

I am living in a constant hell. What do I do. I can’t live like this anymore.

Last week, I went to a party in a public for gays mainly. My attempt at being socialising. I was very careful. Used sanitizer continuously, tried not to sit. Cleaned hands after touching doors. Didn't use washrooms. But I suspect few might have it and I some how might have got it.

Been only 7 days and I don't know how to confirm. What should be my way now?

Process of testing, waiting etc. anyone please tell me.

Hello I’m a 24 m and I recently had symptoms of a swollen lymph node, body aches, chills and throat pain, I do wanna say that I did have a recent dental infection a month ago and that I felt pain in this node before, don’t exclude the fatigue I feel from time to time, I mainly started feeling this fatigue when I basically stopped eating, I’ve been in my head so much for the past week and can’t just can’t I’m currently living with my girlfriend and we have unprotected sex, I been clean for 5 years of all sti and now I’m having these symptoms… I feel as it’s the stigma that’s making me feel tingles and shit but yesterday was the first day I felt Ive seen my lymph node swell a little and it haven’t gotten bigger since, it’s not enlarged but it still looks swollen a lil, I did do research and seen that it could be do to the tooth infection and yes I have been touch it and poking it so its probably inflammation in that area from me, Ik ik I’ll stop I’m just spiraling atp cause how the hell do I tell my gf this and keep her after, been with this women for 5 years and idk if she gave me this or if I gave it to her, we don’t use protection but any other partner before her I used protection so I’m so confused, I did do a 4th gen test 9 days ago and everything came back negative but I felt it was too early for anything to be conclusive so now I’m around day 20
And plan to go today for a second time nd hopefully they come back negative cause it’ll be catastrophic if positive, I keep googling shit,
I keep ask chat gpt shit and every time I get around her nd we smoke my anxiety literally goes straight through the roof that I can’t sit still or play the game, i wanna blame it on why my appetite has stop but idk if that’s a sign tooo omg omg my lymph node is not fixed in place but tender when pressed or inflamed but you can’t literally tell a difference unless I press my chin to my neck but my main concern is my gf and how will she react when if I do have it, I’ve been in survival mode for weeks now

Hello everyone, I just wanted to share, today marks the milestone of 12 weeks post taking pep plus around 4 weeks since my last exposure, Ive had 2 possible exposures, one with a positive HIV person on treatment e BUT not confirmed to be undetectable, and another person who tested negative on a third gen test. I know many of you here have called me anxious, that I don't have HIV, etc etc. but the fear still lingers. I can only test with third gen z and today is the day this test becomes conclusive for me, I'm heading off right now to my local STI centre, I'm scared, super scared, but I will update once I get my test results, please feel free to share your experiences, and maybe even offer me reasurance lol. If you want to know more about my exposures they're in my profile.

This year I started having sexual encounters with men. I'm young (early 20s), so most of my experiences have been with people my age who have little to no sexual history.
However, about a month ago, I had the encounter I'm most paranoid about. He was an older guy, almost 30, and clearly had way more sexual experience. I asked him directly if he had HIV, and he told me he was fine, but obviously, I have no concrete way of verifying that.
Recently, I experienced a sore throat and a single swollen lymph node on the left side of my neck. For context, I'm very prone to sore throats and nasal dryness (caused by using AC too cold and things like that), but I had never experienced a swollen lymph node before. It was just slightly inflamed, and I only noticed it because I was lying face down with my neck bent and felt the discomfort.
A few days ago, I looked up lymph nodes online and found out they can be an early sign of HIV. That completely terrified me, and my mind has been spiraling ever since.
The inflammation in my neck and the sore throat are already gone, but my neck still feels stiff/numb, and I have this weird, vague sense of malaise that I can't even explain. I feel like my anxiety is so high that I might be inducing physical symptoms out of fear. My doctor's appointment isn't until early September, so l've decided to monitor myself in the meantime.
Extra context: I am 100% top/insertive. I know the risk is significantly lower this way, but I can't completely shake off the possibility. Any thoughts?

I had unprotected sex May 16th, the guy told me he’s clean multiple times but I asked to use condoms each time we met and he just forgot about it or idk, I’m concerned because idk any of his sexual history, we did pullout method but I ended up getting pregnant, I terminated because I’m young and he’s really old and I was in a horrible depressive episode I would normally never do anything like that, I’m usually sex repulsed even. Since he didn’t fully cum inside of me obviously but I still got pregnant, I’m wondering what the chance of me having HIV is. I’m waiting for my test results but everything is really scary for me right now, it’s been 24 hours at least but they said within 72 they’ll call me…Also when I went to the hospital after termination to make sure it worked they tested me for stds and everything was negative except BV, which they gave me antibiotics for and it cleared up. I’m on my period rn and I’m normally fatigued on my period but my brain is convincing me I have HIV and i’m really scared 😭😭😭
Edit: Results came back negative!

I (straight male) had sex with a woman on May first week, and the condom broke and I hardly continued for 7-10 seconds (max) before realising it and then i put up a new condom.

The status of the other women is unknown and she has become unreachable currently. (We met on a dating app and she blocked me later on out of an argument)

How likely is it to catch hiv from such an encounter?

I've read female to male transmission via vaginal sex is less likely, that too given the duration wasn't that much, does that reduce chances?

One more thing I had strep throat that was there for 1-2 days, with mild fever (fever went away within 5-6 hours and can be due to from eating excessively spicy foods that afternoon)I had 4-5 weeks after that sex. Although it was mild and I didn't feel it was severe at all, i continued my daily life along with all that, although the throat pain while swallowing anything felt bad, but it got resolved on its own within 2-3 days at max. (I don't remember exactly how many days but not more than 2/3 days for sure).

Incase of strep throat, basically my tonsils felt slightly tender and red with a few white dots over it. It got resolved on its own within 2-3 days.

one more thing I had the exact same throat issue for 2-3 days again later around July end. Can hiv cause such recurring issue?