I have a persistent cold after sex with a lady. Can it be HIV?
Possible causes of symptoms in 3 mins

Q. Can HIV cause cold after sexual intercourse?

Answered by  
Dr. Rashi Verma
and medically reviewed by   iCliniq medical review  team.

Education: MBBS

Professional Bio: Dr. Rashi Verma is a General Practitioner and a Family physician with ten years of clinical experience. She completed her MBBS from KLE University in 2013. She is currently working in Jharkhand.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.
Consult other doctors in the same speciality >>
This is a premium question & answer published on Oct 14, 2022
Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 28-year-old boy. Recently, I had sex with a lady. We are working together, and two weeks before only her visa got renewed. During the visa stamping time, they check all procedures and tests. About her, she is divorced and separated one year ago. For one year she lived alone and had no sexual relations with anybody. About her ex-husband, his background was not good. He had a relationship with other girls I heard. But right now both of them are living in healthy conditions. There are no significant medical problems.

In the past four months, we had a good relationship (sexual). My problem is this, recently I got a fever, and I took medicine. Then I was fine. But the cold is not getting cured. Frequently it is coming. Actually, here the weather is a little cold nowadays. I have no weight loss or no other problems. Just have a cold and a headache. Headache sometimes but cold regularly. Can you please advise, if is it related to my sexual life? Should I go for any test? Can the HIV virus be hidden for a very long time? Could you please tell me once it is infected how many weeks will it take to identify? Actually, I am planning to marry her.

Answered by  Dr. Rashi Verma
#

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query.

It is most likely that fever and cough are due to common cold. Please do warm saline gargles several times a day to reduce the throat inflammation. You can also take steam inhalations to get relief. If a cough is persisting you can take the antibiotic. Take tablet Azithromycin (500 mg) once a day for five days. If the symptoms persist, further tests may be needed. For the headache, you could get your eyes tested. Also, get your blood pressure checked.

You have asked for advice on HIV infection. HIV infection occurs in three stages.

Stage 1: Occurs within 2 to 6 weeks of exposure. Symptoms include a headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash, cough and cold. It lasts for a couple of weeks, then goes away.

Stage 2: There are no symptoms during this stage.

Stage 3: Full blown symtoms of HIV occur due to immunity being compromised.

It is important to use a condom as it provides the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases. If you are suspecting HIV exposure, it is important to get one tested. ELISA test is the method used for screening. Rapid HIV tests are also available. These are only used for screening and should be follwed by western blot test which is confirmatorty. Sometimes, a false positive result occurs so it is important to get a repeat testing done. HIV virus takes 2 to 12 weeks to appear in blood so that it can be detected by the test. A person should get their partner tested too if the result comes as positive. Please consult a nearby doctor if symptoms persist.


Was this answer helpful?
 | 

Same symptoms doesn’t mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!


Also Read Answers From:

ideaComprehensive Medical Second Opinion.Submit your Case


iCliniq's FREE Newsletters

Expert-backed health and wellness information, delivered to your email.

Thank you for subscribing to our Newsletters!

Also Read


PCOS and Liver Problems
The hormonal imbalances in polycystic ovary syndrome could cause liver diseases. Read the article to know the relationship between these medical conditions.  Read more»
Inferior Alveolar Nerve Lateralization Technique
The inferior alveolar nerve lateralization technique is a surgical lateralization technique to reposition the nerve. Read the article to know more about this.  Read more»
COVID-19 and Ebola: Similarities and Differences
This article gives a comparison and broader overview of the outbreak of the two deadliest diseases that showed a greater incidence over the last two decades.  Read more»

Ask your health query to a doctor online?

Ask a General Medicine Physician Now
* guaranteed answer within 4 hours.
Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.