Dear doctor. 3.5 months (15 weeks) after a possible exposure, I took an Elisa test and it came back negative. At the same time, I had a CBC done, WBC is 11.1 (High), RBC 4.6 (normal low) HGB 14.8 (normal low) HCT 42.5 (normal low) lympho 2800 (25%, normal). Since 2 weeks after the exposure, I experienced fatigue, joint and muscle aches, dry mouth, sore tongue but no fever. I developed swollen glands at the neck only 3 weeks ago from now. Could I said that, if I am infected, the day I took the Elisa, I didn't not have HIV antibody yet (test negative), my WBC and % lympho should be low not high as 11.1? Could I hope that my 6 months test would be negative too? Very worried. Thanks Doctor.

Hello

A negative Elisa tests almost 4 months after exposure is usually pretty reliable. It sounds like you had a viral or bacterial infection, which made your white blood count increase in order to fight off the infection. Fatigue, muscle aches and swollen glands are things our body feels while the immune system is busy producing cytokines to ward off the infection. This is a normal and vital response. Don’t worry. You might find it helpful to visit The Body's Safe Sex and Prevention Forum. There's lot's of good information there about exposure and prevention.