Helped Over 500,000 patients with 98%+ satisfaction.

Connect & Get Personalized 1-to-1 Answers from Expert Doctors

DoctorSpring > Question Home

Unprotected intercourse and swollen lymph nodes after

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?

Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist

Ask Your Own Question

Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist
 30 Doctors Online

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


Patient replied :

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


Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy
Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist
Experience: 
MBBS from Sri Ramachandra University in December 2011
M.Med (Family Medicine) - TNMGR University, Chennai
MBA-MPH in Public Health in March 2016, SRM University
Finished AFIH in March 2016, SRM University
MRCP ( UK ), Internal Medicine, Royal College of Physicians, June 2016
Fellowship in Diabetology from Martin Luther University in January 2017

Currently Resident Physician, in MD Radiodiagnosis - Kamakshi Memorial Hospital, Chennai
Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy and 4 other Medical Specialists are ready to help you

Users who read this, also read:

Make informed and better medical decisions.

Join the 500,000 people who found a smarter, quicker way to get Answers, Recommendations & Expert Opinions.

Expert Doctors at fingertips

Recommendation on next step. Second-opinion.Multi-specialty.

Save Time

Average time for answers: 6 hours.

Save Money

$35 for typical specialist consult vs. $120 for a local appointment.

Free Follow-ups

Clarify, ask further questions for free in private conversation.

100% Satisfaction

Money back guarantee for the 1st reply. MEDNET Quality Board.

Start My Consultation

CHAT NOW

About DoctorSpring.com

Doctor Spring is a novel online Doctor consultation platform where you can get your medical questions answered by leading Doctors. Just Submit your question and rest assured that you will consult a Doctor easily. Once you submit the question, the Doctor from the concerned specialty will reply within hours. You can always ask more questions or add details with follow-up question options and make it an online doctor chat. You may use this service to consult a specialty or for getting medical second opinion. All paid services come with a MEDNET quality assurance and 100% money back guarantee.

DoctorSpring in news