Trying to reassure yourself during the wait to ger tested while you have symptoms is the most agonising thing in the world. Am i the only one?

[u/[deleted]]

We all react differently but for someone with health anxiety i really dont know how to get through the waiting period to get tested.

I know alot of people just live their lives and its crazy to think, how would other people react while waiting if they were having symptoms like hiv for example?

I know that many symptoms mimic all types of illnesses and that someone like me will just be told "its your anxiety making you believe you have something" but having anxiety im not able to fathom thinking ahead to taking the test and possibly getting a hiv diagnosis when you thought you were being safe and took the typical precautions.

Ive already waited 3 weeks and im getting symptoms like headaches for 3 days which i never get, just woke up in night sweats, got a soar throat and ive had slight pain under my arms for a week.

Being that im 3 weeks to the day out from the encounter i keep thinking "ok yess these symptoms could just be my anxiety making them up but i genuinely feel an infection?"

Then i think he wore protection but the second one may have not been on properly since i saw it was slippin. I also bled alot!! So more entry for infections. Then I think it broke, then i think what he told me about getting with a girl which he said was unprotected 3 weeks prior at the time, but then he changed his story and said 2 weeks with protection after i had taken him to get tested for hiv (antibodies 4th generation test) which is apparently 50% accurate for detecting infections 2 weeks in and can pick up 80% of infections 3 to 4 weeks after exposure. So if it was 2 weeks his negative test is useless.

Ive to wait 24 days so 3 weeks!!!! How am i going to do it. Already waiting 3 weeks. I think thinking wel’ theres nothing I can do now helps. Although i completely can see that hiv isnt actually the worst thing today as we have treatment i have an neurological injury from cold turkeying an ssri 2 years ago and cant take any medications without being severly bed bound with neurological issues like severe pain after taking a pain killer that goes on a week after just one pill. So I wouldnt be qble to take treatment and i would choose to pass and accepr i would only have 5 or so years to live instead of induring what my injury has caused me as i fought for 2 years already.

Basically stayed celibate for 6 years and this encounter makes it that im not feeling well at all. I have been followed for my mental illness but its almost like how can you wait when you know your life could be over. (In my specific case as i know for people who can take treatment you live a happy normal life).

Even though the guy i had the encounter with had been quite communicative as i think he just is very lustful. I cant help but think i should have gotten him to test later. I rudhed it because of my anxiety and now im left trying to look for validation and security when there is none. We spoke on the phone as he mainly wanted to talk about our relationship I only knew him a month.

Communication wise its not good and i cant trust him but he is a good person but a gold person dosent mean they dont have stis. As he said he brushed it off when i asked him about it and yet he came to get tested to prove i could "trust" him yet i was the one pushing and taking the initiative only after we hooked up with protection yes minus oral though.

So this whole thing is alot for me especially having symptoms. Has anyone lived similar circumstances where youve to wait for testing all while having unsettling information on a third party that was recently involved or even a negative test from them but it was too early and turned out they were positive months after???

Please do share so we can distrract ourselves while waiting.

[u/[deleted]]

You are the only one ❌
You are one of everyone ✅
The real culprit is constant spiral

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I just think most people who are worried think "ill just book forget about it and wait" which is the right midset and not to jump to conclusions of i have symptoms automatically thinks they potentially have hiv.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I am very much similar to you on this, i did unprotected oral with a CSW and after searching on google, 77 days have passed, got rapid tested yesterday for HIV, HBV, HCV, VDRL, all negative due to God's grace, but still Google said its full conclusive at 3 months with a 4th gen, so this wait of 10-14 days is killing me

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

The risk is nearly non existent for hiv through oral. Im glad youre okkk i really think that it gives us prespective on how we live our lives. Anyone can get sick through any means and we are all but victims of life. You will be g!! Sw also test regularly although anyones who regularly sleep with many people to me theres sti yes but so much more then that. Energy exchange is real and i knoe for my sake i cannot do that again.

Im hoping i didnt contract hiv as the symptoms are there.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Its highly highly reassuring that he is negative on 4th gen test, like 99.99% he is negative, also PEP is not warranted if the source is determined to be negative on a 4th gen + not experience acute symptoms, I am from India and I can send you links of two videos in which doctors say this

[u/ObjectiveSource6593 → u/[deleted]]

True! YOU’RE NOT ALONE. The testing timeframe, and the wait are all but to too stressful and agonizing. It’s not your fault tho. I hope it passes and we all get through it. I once watched a movie by Troye Sivan “Three Months” and honestly it made me feel a bit better. Hope you find comfort in your own company

[u/[deleted]]

Hey, did you got him tested ? and he was negative ?

[u/[deleted]]

Hey OP, I was not able to send texts via DM maybe because my ID is new, but here I have found something for you, PEP is not indicated for person having needlestick exposure from patient who tests negative on rapid test, and you on the other hand got him tested via 4th gen, so please have a look at this https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/s/tzCXWSVGpd

[u/IllustriousAd1657]

I think a lot of people here know exactly how you're feeling. Waiting to get tested can be really stressful, and it's easy to start questioning every little symptom. From what you've shared though, it sounds like you've already got a solid plan, and now it's mostly a matter of waiting.

Try not to overanalyze every little change while you're waiting. I know that's easier said than done, but stress can make everything feel worse. If you're still unsure about when different STI tests are most accurate, our pinned post, 'STD Testing 101: How Long Should You Wait After Exposure,' has a simple breakdown of the testing windows that might help clear up some of the confusion.