Could I have the fuck flu

[Guest]

I was at a pride festival just over 5 weeks ago and went to bath house later in the night. I do not use protection and/or PrEP, ( i topped all the guys I had sex with) although all week I have been extremely tired (fatigue) as well as a bit of a cough. Granted the fatigue could just be from staying up all night and sleeping during the day but does this sound like the fuck flu. 

Also will HIV show up on a covid test as well as will test to see if i got covid. I got covid straight after Pride for the first time 

I want to be poz in the future but just not right now. 

I will call my clinic on monday to arrange an appointment 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, TwistedPrince94 said:

I was at a pride festival just over 5 weeks ago and went to bath house later in the night. I do not use protection and/or PrEP, ( i topped all the guys I had sex with) although all week I have been extremely tired (fatigue) as well as a bit of a cough. Granted the fatigue could just be from staying up all night and sleeping during the day but does this sound like the fuck flu. 

Also will HIV show up on a covid test as well as will test to see if i got covid. I got covid straight after Pride for the first time 

I want to be poz in the future but just not right now. 

I will call my clinic on monday to arrange an appointment 

Hi twistedPrince: hope you did enjoy the bath house , but sorry: not fuck flu - takes longer for you to develop, typically 1 month - and no covid test doesnt show hiv - so maybe no reason calling clinic:-)

[ErosWired]

No, a test for COVID will not reveal an HIV infection.

Fatigue and a mild cough could suggest any number of ailments, but if I understand you correctly, you say that you contracted COVID right after you attended a Pride festival five weeks ago. That suggests you assume you’ve fully recovered, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that you may be experiencing lingering symptoms, are going to be one of the people who unfortunately has to cope with the effects of Long Covid, or you could even have been reinfected with a COVID variant.

Since you’re sexually active and play unprotected, you absolutely should get yourself tested for HIV (now and regularly), but I wouldn’t jump to a conclusion of seroconversion on the basis of these symptoms in these circumstances.

[Close2MyBro]

It's possible you're starting to experience seroconversion. They used to think it took 30 days or more but recent research has shown it could be as quick as 21-25 days. Most people I know describe it as a flu, but with all the symptoms coming on in the wrong order. Most were hit with sudden fatigue, and then the other symptoms came on after, and it lasted around 10-14 days. I'd suggest you get tested to at lease rule it in or rule it out. You're most susceptible to spreading it during the initial seroconversion period, partly because you may not know you have it and also because your viral load count will be very high until your body is able to launch an adequate attack to start bringing the viral count down.

 

[BootmanLA]

To these comments I will add: you say you don't want to become poz NOW - maybe in the future, but not now. 

Get on PrEP, if your test is negative. HIV infections are declining in general, and have been since PrEP became widely available, but it's still a crap shoot if you're having unprotected sex. If, and when, you someday decide you're ready to become poz, you've seriously considered all the crap that comes with it, and you're sure of your feelings, you can go off PrEP at that point and take your chances.

[ErosWired]

1 hour ago, Close2MyBro said:

You're most susceptible to spreading it during the initial seroconversion period, partly because you may not know you have it and also because your viral load count will be very high until your body is able to launch an adequate attack to start bringing the viral count down.

This. ^  Aside from not going out and fucking guys when you're sick being the sensible thing to do, if you suspect there's a possibility that you have a high viral load, you have an ethical responsibility to ensure you don't expose another person—notwithstanding the bugchasing fantasy nonsense you hear on this site—until you've gotten tested to determine if it's true.

Here's a breakdown of the symptoms normally associated with a progression to seroconversion, from Aidsmap:

[think before following links] https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/what-are-symptoms-seroconversion

Also, here is a page on the symptoms of Post-COVID Syndrome, AKA Long Covid, from the Mayo Clinic:

[think before following links] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351

You might take a look down these and see if either of them better fits your profile so you can have a more informed conversation when you see your doctor.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, ErosWired said:

This. ^  Aside from not going out and fucking guys when you're sick being the sensible thing to do, if you suspect there's a possibility that you have a high viral load, you have an ethical responsibility to ensure you don't expose another person—notwithstanding the bugchasing fantasy nonsense you hear on this site—until you've gotten tested to determine if it's true.

Here's a breakdown of the symptoms normally associated with a progression to seroconversion, from Aidsmap:

[think before following links] [think before following links] https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/what-are-symptoms-seroconversion

Also, here is a page on the symptoms of Post-COVID Syndrome, AKA Long Covid, from the Mayo Clinic:

[think before following links] [think before following links] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351

You might take a look down these and see if either of them better fits your profile so you can have a more informed conversation when you see your doctor.

Thank you for this x 

[billy88666]

Don't know if you've contacted your local clinic to get tested. If you are worried about contacting them, you can buy a  rapid test at Superdrug. It is a bit pricey at £36.00 but they are very accurate these days. There's also the Rainbow Project. They have branches in Belfast and Derry and their details are available online.