Q: I am an 18 year old boy. My problem is something unique - my fever pops up every 15 days or 1 month or 2 months, goes upto 102F (many times it is around 100F, sometimes accompanied with cough & cold, no other symptoms). All my tests regarding typhoid, malaria, dengue, TB, jaundice are done & are all negative. I want to ask what type of fever can this be (can this be of AIDS?). I have never had sex with anybody, nor exchanged syringes, etc. I sometimes masturbate, and only once or twice I have come in contact with sexual secretions of a person (but only my hand, but I don't know the aids status of the person). I cant dare to ask about this from my parents. So please guide me. Can it be aids or something else, or nothing serious?

A:From the details you have given it is very unlikely that you have an AIDS-related illness. You did not tell us whether you have any other problem such as weight loss or anaemia associated with your episodic fever. It seems that recurrent fever is the only problem. It may be due to a subacute infection such as Brucella or TB. Sometimes, it is very difficult to find the exact cause but your doctors have to and will persist with their investigations. You should keep a temperature chart and record your temperature every 4 hours on the days when it is up. It may help the doctors in their effort to find the cause of your fever.