I am Scared
I had unprotected sex with a lady on the 29th of October, 3 weeks later, I'm feeling a bit unwell(no fever, headache or other common symptoms), a dry mouth , dry nose, itchy eyes and neck pain.I applied a muscle pain relief balm to ease the neck pain, I ended up with a swollen lymph node in my neck.The swollen lymph is still there, it's almost two weeks since I felt it in my neck and I have never had a swollen lymph node. I am really scared, can't even go for a test, a positive result would shatter my whole life. It's been really tough thinking about the possibility of having the disease. I intend to go for a test next year jan, I don't want to end the year on a bad note... I tell my mom everything going on in my life, can't tell her about this..I am so scared.
I am glad you reached out because I can tell by your writing how scared you are. It can be so alarming to have symptoms and not know what is going on in your body, and especially going through it without feeling you can tell anyone. While we cannot give specific medical advice, we can give you some information and be here for you as you go through your test. Are you aware that there is a window period (between exposure and getting tested)? A rapid test can be taken 90 days after potential exposure.
In the meantime, have you talked to a doctor about your symptoms to see if there is anything else going on with your health that you might not be aware of?
It sounds like there is a lot you need to find out and waiting can be very difficult. I can say that here we have a large community of people living with HIV, and they have written a lot about how living with HIV is not like the messages we hear about it.. Please keep us posted on how you're doing, and let us know what you need.
- Liz (Team Member)
Alafia (Peace) I wanted to check in with you to see if you went to get tested. I understand being scared but I suggest you take someone with you as support. Please let us know how you are doing. We want to offer you support. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member) 
Hello, I am glad to hear that it is an after thought most days. Let us know if you need any support with the results. Thank you for reading our content, and being a member. - Ze (Team Member) Alafia (Peace) We are so glad you find this site useful and it brings you confidence. It's okay not to think about HIV. I really only think about it when it's time to take my meds. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
Hey, did you test?
Alafia (Peace) I wanted to follow up to see how things are going. Have you taken an HIV test yet? If not, is there a close friend you can ask to go with you? Many people feel as if they test positive their life will be shattered. Most find the strength to press forward with the new reality. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
