Dear Ryan, I am in a low risk group (so my doctors say). I may have been pricked with a needle outside a club, although I did not see a puncture mark or blood. I was tested after 35 days and 87 days and both tests were clear. I have been in a monogomous relationship for 5 years and know this is my only possible risk. The problem is on my legs, trunk, arms and back there seem to be little raised bumps (which my parents say look like insect bites). I really am worried, not only about myself but about the possibility of infecting my girlfriend. Ryan, please answer this, Do you think that I should be retested? Is the 87 days (12.5 weeks) post possible exposure enough for me to move on and stop worrying about this? Thankyou for taking the time to answer this.

There is no evidence that people are infected through accidental needle-sticks outside of a health care setting. It sounds like you are not even sure of the details of what happened, which makes it very difficult to even start talking about HIV transmission and risk. You've been tested enough and do not require any other testing for HIV.

Most people at some point in their life experience some sort of anxiety about HIV or other diseases. This is normal. It sounds like you are experiencing some considerable anxiety about an event that might not have occurred, and that you are focused on your risk for HIV infection. If your anxiety begins to interfere with your life, work, relationships, and general day-to-day functioning (like spending excessive amounts of time researching HIV on the internet), you should talk to someone about anxiety and anxiety disorders. This may or may not apply to you, but is worth thinking about.

Visit the National Institute of Mental Health's page on Anxiety Disorders (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/anxietymenu.cfm) to learn more about anxiety, anxiety disorders, and how to seek out further help if you think you would benefit from it.

RMK