Can HIV cause a swollen lymph node in the neck?

Question

Hi doctor,

I had unprotected sex with a man who forced himself on me. Five days later, a node on the right side of my neck appeared with a sore throat. I went to the doctor, explained everything, took an HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) test, and it came back negative. The node is hard and gets soft sometimes, but it has been there for months. Sometimes, I feel like there is pressure on my neck and ear. Found another node recently on my neck, lower part of the left-hand side, soft and movable, and another one on the front side of my ear on the left, and I have a tooth that has been giving me problems for a while on the same side. Could this be HIV because I read that nodes on the neck are normally associated with it?

Kindly guide.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Lymphadenopathy is not related to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and is probably caused by infected teeth, as HIV infection takes approximately six months to one year to cause lymphadenopathy. Get an HIV test after 45 to 90 days with a generation four dual test or Western blot to confirm infection. A soft movable node is probably due to infection, and an abscess may be formed. So, rule out tuberculosis (TB). Finally, it is not HIV infection; for confirmation, get tested after 45 days.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.