Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 19, 2024, 06:17:59 am

Login with username, password and session length


Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772785
  • Total Topics: 66296
  • Online Today: 290
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 1
Guests: 233
Total: 234

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Welcome to Do I Have HIV?

Welcome to the "Do I Have HIV?" POZ forum.

This special section of the POZ forum is for individuals who have concerns about whether or not they are HIV positive. Individuals are permitted to post up to three questions or responses in this forum.

Ongoing participation in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum (posting more than three questions or responses) requires a paid subscription, with secure payments made via PayPal.

A seven-day subscription is $9.99, a 30-day subscription is $14.99 and a 90-day subscription is $24.99.

Anyone who needs to post more than three messages in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum -- including past, present and future POZ Forums members -- will need to subscribe, with secure payments made via PayPal.

There is no charge to read threads in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum, nor will there be a charge for participating in any of the other POZ forums. In addition, the POZ Basics "HIV Transmission and Risks" and "HIV Testing" basics, will remain accessible to all.

NOTE: HIV testing questions will still need to be posted in the "Do I Have HIV?" forum; attempts to post HIV symptoms or testing questions in any other forums will be considered violations of our rules of membership and subject to time-outs and permanent bans.

To learn how to upgrade your Forums account to participate beyond three posts in the "Do I Have HIV?" Forum, please click here.

Thank you for your understanding and future support of the best online support service for people living with, affected by and at risk for HIV.

Author Topic: Testing  (Read 4834 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline mranxiety

  • Member
  • Posts: 4
Testing
« on: August 18, 2006, 07:01:51 am »
Anne / Board:

This is my first post since the new format.   I did not mean to start a new thread... but I could not locate my originals.   You have all been very helpful over the past 2+ years.

Quick question regarding HIV testing / conversion.     I realize testing 3 months after potential exposure is good...6 months after is better.   

Have there been any cases of HIV transmission where sero conversion was greater than 1 year?   Does the virus hide?   I realize symptoms may not show up for years... but I was talking to a nurse who said I could have the virus but it just doesn't show up?   I'm still not sure what she meant and of course I'm a bit nervous.

Thanks.



Offline RapidRod

  • Member
  • Posts: 15,288
Re: Testing
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2006, 07:12:30 am »
Three months is all that is required. You'll never get me to believe the 1 yr. No, hiv doesn't hide. It's incorrect to think symptoms won't show up for years. If they are going to show up, it will be 2-4 weeks after infection. Some people don't have symptoms at all. If you are acquiring about something that happened to you two years ago you can forget it.

Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Testing
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2006, 07:21:18 am »
mr,

When the nurse said you could have the virus but not have it show up, I'm sure she meant that you wouldn't know unless you test. A test WILL tell you whether or not you're positive and a test at 12-13 weeks is conclusive. You do not need testing at six or twelve months because the virus does not hide. It's not the virus the tests look for anyway, it's the ANTIBODIES to the virus.

Please read through the Welcome Thread and follow the Lessons links.

If you have tested at or after 12-13 weeks, you are conclusively negative and it's time for you to move on.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline mranxiety

  • Member
  • Posts: 4
Re: Testing
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2006, 07:37:02 am »
Anne/RR: Thanks. 

One last question.. if I were on mega antibiotics would that effect the tests?


Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Testing
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2006, 07:50:57 am »
mr,

NO. Antibiotics will NOT affect your test in any way, shape or form.

As long as you have not been injecting street drugs every day for years, and as long as you are not on cancer chemotherapy or anti organ rejection drugs following organ transplant, you will be just like everyone else and seroconvert during the first six weeks of your infection.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline mranxiety

  • Member
  • Posts: 4
Re: Testing / Exchange of Body Fluids Question
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2007, 08:05:36 pm »
Ann / RR / Andy / Jon / Others:

It's been a while since I've been on the board.   Hope all is well.

As far as things w/ me, I am still sick and have no explaination for the way I feel and my symptoms (urethritis, feet pain, dry eyes, sinus infection, hip / pelvic pain).  I continue to go from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what I contracted 4+ yrs ago after a "bad (but what I thought was protected) decision" .

I again have a question regarding exchange of body fluids concerning the transmition of HIV.   If a man were to perform oral on a female - could he contract the virus?   I've been told its philosophical risk but not practical.  Is this correct?  Could the virsus lie outside the cirulatory system and reside in mucus system?   Also - what's the longest amount of time required for the virus to show up in blood tests.  I'm thinking about going back for another RAPID TEST as the Mrs. is now having night sweats.   Local doctor said it's either early menopause (too young) or an underlying infection (explains my condition).   Went to ID doctor whose first thought was TB.  TB tests were negative.   Will go back in two weeks for more tests (who knows which tests).    Not sure if an HIV tests is necessary - both of us.   No other relationships for either of us.

Thoughts?

Thanks again!

mranxiety


Offline RapidRod

  • Member
  • Posts: 15,288
Re: Testing
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2007, 08:09:50 pm »
HIV doesn't hide in the body. You are reliably negative. Work with your doctor because HIV is not the cause of your problems. You might want to consult with a mental health professional to see why you can't get over your HIV fears.

Offline Andy Velez

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 34,126
Re: Testing
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2007, 09:55:24 pm »
Whatever is going on has nothing to do with HIV because you have reliably tested negative. Period. End of story.

This is something to sort out with your doctor and if you don't get a satisfactory diagnosis  and treatment then get a second or even a third opinion until you do.

You can't give a virus to your wife which you yourself don't have. And you don't have HIV. If that earlier experience was during your marriage maybe there is some lingering guilt about having strayed. If that is so, it still doesn't change the fact, get it FACT, that you are HIV negative.

Good luck with finding the real cause of your symptoms. And seeing a therapist or other mental health professional could be helpful in dealing with the emotional aspects of this situation.

Cheers,

Andy Velez

Offline mranxiety

  • Member
  • Posts: 4
Re: Testing
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2007, 03:19:41 am »
thanks again.  we'll see. ???

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.