Hello doctor, I had sex with a sex worker 45 days back. During which my condom broke and then immediately I withdrew my penis and went to the washroom and cleaned my penis with water. After this incident, I am having a little cough and small red spots on my hand. Can this be HIV symptom? Please help me.
Hi. Unprotected sexual encounters are a risk factor for multiple STDs including HIV. Condom slippage is considered as condom failure, and it is regarded as unprotected act. However, the risk of acquiring HIV through the sexual route is as low as 0.02 to 0.5 %. HIV has a window period up to three months during which the test results can be a false negative. Hence, it is advisable to get a screening test done now and again at 12 weeks after the last exposure. Coming to your symptoms, they appear non-specific and unlikely to be due to HIV. The usual symptoms are fever, joint pains, and skin rashes which last hardly few days and usually start around two to three months after getting infected. The investigations to be done are ELISA, HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen), anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus) and VDRL (venereal disease research laboratory test). For more information consult a HIV AIDS specialist online -->