Hi
Yes you are correct in that if your symptoms were caused by HIV your HIV test would show a positive result especially since you have done the antibody tests and the HIV PCR test as well. If HIV was affecting your body like this your HIV viral load would be very large and the HIV PCR would pick this up. All your tests have shown you that you do not have HIV. The only way to check for HIV is with a HIV test
Having a sore throat and enlarged lymph nodes are general symptoms that can be caused by many different conditions.
I am also wondering with all the things that can cause sore throats and enlarged lymph nodes why are you still worried that it is caused by HIV when all your tests say you do not have HIV?
It is common for us to have people in this situation at the clinic. It’s like they do not believe the result. What we have found is that sometimes people’s worry can be often related to strong feelings of guilt or shame. Sometimes dealing with these strong feelings can help people with their worry about HIV
Have a look at our worry and anxiety page it has some good information on what to do when feeling worried.
It is also possible that you could see another health care provider for a second opinion about your symptoms. I just don’t think another HIV test would be helpful.
Please leave a comment to let us know if this answers your question or if you need more information.
Health Nurse
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