Don’t know if I have it yet!

[Prettywoman73]

Hi, I have been feeling unwell and I went to the doctor because of my IBS which I have never been diagnosed with. When I saw my doctor I burst into tears and told her about an anxiety problem I have which causes me to have bowel movements. Anyway to make this story short The symptoms I was telling her made her automatically think It was the start of menapause so she says to go have blood tests done, stool samples and also to have HIV test done. I was so upset but she says it probably isn’t HIV it sounds like IBS and menapause but I’m so worried as some of my symptoms which I have checked online points to HIV

[Griffon]

Don't panic ! There is a push in the medical profession to test middle aged women for HIV because this is a group that has been considered as not at risk , and consequently cases are going undiagnosed . This is just a routine test that's all .

As for symptoms , there are no specific symptoms of HIV infection . In fact most people do not know they are infected . The list of symptoms you will have read can equally be applied to a myriad of other conditions .

[Prettywoman73 in reply to Griffon]

Thanks for the reply but I do have genital here’s too which I know can be a sign of HIV, I’m sorry but I’m so so worried I’m actually making myself ill thinking of this

[Griffon in reply to Prettywoman73]

Saying " don't worry " to someone who is worrying I know is useless . Only you know what level of exposure you have subjected yourself to , but I can tell you that HIV is really quite hard to catch . Also , as I said before the list of symptoms given for HIV lists general thing that are symptoms of a hundred other complaints , so having these symptoms does not mean you have HIV . In my own case I had no symptoms that I know of . I had unprotected sex with hundreds of different partners for 30 years before I became infected . Now I'm on treatment my viral count is undetectable and effectively I do not have the disease . Your test is purely routine , it's simply to rule out any possibility of you being infected because the medical profession have been instructed to test more middle aged women , that's all it is !

[Gopal019]

Hi Prettywoman73, I am sure your tests must have come back by now, what was the result? I have been experiencing the same symptoms for which doctor has diagnose me with IBS which I never had earlier. I lost some weight as well, my HIV test was negative after 4 months but I still think I may have it but the tests are not picking up