What were your (first) symptoms of HIV?

[Dutch-bottom]

What were your first symptoms, that made you doubt if you could have HIV, and made you decide to get tested? (for example red itchy spots on your skin)?

[bearbandit]

Are you asking because you have such a rash? The rash associated with HIV seroconversion is quite unlike any other rash which is how I can date my seroconversion to 1980. If what you have is seroconversion rash an HIV test would show up positive by now. I'd bring my regular STI check forward and have an HIV test to make sure. If it turns up positive, at least you know and can hit the little fucker hard and fast. If it turns up negative, you've got breathing space to re-work your strategies for not getting HIV, assuming you don't want to get pozzed.

[fskn]

Excellent advice from bearbandit!

If yours is more than a general question and you do decide to get tested, ask for a qualitative PCR viral load test (the best option, as it tests for the presence of HIV -- immediate -- rather than the presence of antibodies to HIV -- delayed by weeks or months after infection). Failing that, request a "4th-generation" antibody test, the most sensitive of the antibody tests. My bet is that these diagnostics are much easier to get in socially-committed continental European countries like yours (what of the UK, bearbandit?) than in our fragmented U.S. healthcare "system".

[bearbandit]

Thank you fskin... I'm afraid I'm behind on the tests available because my volunteer job is clearing up the post-positive-test mess, but if you miss the 72 hour window for PEP (which should be available at all A&E departments*) I believe there is a test that will pick up the little fucker in five to seven days, almost always before any symptoms are showing. I'm perfectly willing to be corrected on this!

* Some A&E departments are now refusing to prescribe PEP in situations where an unknown HIV status top has fucked a poz bottom who has an undetectable viral load on the grounds that since the bottom was undetectable, the exposure risk was no greater than if a condom was used.

I've just posted an article to www.beyondpositive.org questioning the ongoing advice of always using condoms and advocating Treatment as Protection and PrEP instead. The editor of beyondpositive was taking part in a live chat hosted by www.guardian.co.uk a couple of hours ago and he more or less agreed with this position without prompting from me (I'm afraid we clash on a personality level: he wants to be an HIV superstar whereas I just want to get the job done). Given his words today I can't see my article being rejected.

[NiceHard1]

Dutch-

Nowadays, there are often no symptoms that act as a telltale sign of HIV/AIDS to prompt one to get tested. The "fuckflu" as commonly called can be a sign that seroconversion happened, but particularly in the flu season, it could be just the flu.

If you are thinking of KS legions, which were once an initial indicator of HIV/AIDS really only appear after years of infection untested and untreated - but they tend to not be itchy.

If you really do have red itchy spots that you think may be sexually transmitted, it could be something as simple as Scabies.

Syphilis can have a rash, but usually not itchy....

Gonorrhea can have an itch...so can poison ivy.

Check it out with a doctor or public health clinic. Its good to find out, and get treated

[Dutch-bottom]

Thnx nicehard1. 6 months ago I tested on HIV and STD. I was totaly clean. But 2 months ago I had sex without condom. 1 month later I got these red itchy spots on my back, shoulders and breast. Allthough i have eczema, I am a bit worried. Maybe for noting. But i will have a new test in couple of weeks. These red spots are a lot and they appeared within just a few days. But I did not got any flu.