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Author Topic: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?  (Read 22728 times)

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Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« on: November 04, 2006, 11:35:08 am »
Hi everyone, I took a test at 5 weeks. It was the test where they draw blood from your vein, send it to the lab, and give you your results in five days. I think it was called the ELISA test, and I'm pretty sure it's the one that searches for antibodies. I tested negative. Does anyone know the percentage of accuracy that the test has at this point?

Offline Andy Velez

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2006, 12:09:27 pm »
You haven't indicated the nature of your risk which prompted you to get tested. Some details might help us to give a more informed response.

The ELISA is the standard HIV test.

In general I will just say that the average time to seroconversion is 22 days. All but the smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after a risky incident. A negative at 5 weeks is certainly encouraging but it should not be considered definitive.

The CDC recommends testing at 13 weeks post a risky incident to get a definitive answer.

Please clarify if I am missing something here.

Andy Velez

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2006, 12:23:00 pm »
Okay, here's what I did:

This summer I had a girlfriend for about three weeks. She has done things in the past with other guys, oral sex being the furthest, but was still a virgin. She sniffed cocaine once too, but I don't know if that adds to her risk.

What we did together was she gave me head, and I fingered her twice (on different days, for like 3 minutes each time). That's all I could think of that could have possibly given me exposure. I wouldn't be so scared if I hadn't noticed afterwards that I had small, little cuts on my fingers. They weren't oozing or anything, but still, they were visible. Also, part of my skin was peeled on the side of a fingernail of a finger that I fingered her with. This peeled skin and cuts were no less then 9 hours old... at least. The peel happened earlier that same day [but I fingered her at night], and the cuts were probably a day or two old. So, that's what prompted me to get tested.

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2006, 12:23:47 pm »
I think it's possible the virus could have gotten into the small cuts, if she was infected. Say she was infected, am I at high risk?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2006, 01:42:24 pm »
No risk for exposure from what you did. You don't get HIV from small nicks, cuts or abrasions on fingers and you don't get HIV from receiving head.

Offline sailorboi8993

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2006, 06:14:09 pm »
I understand the fact that your not sure how accurate HIV testing is. However, to answer your question, I was a Phlebotomist for 17 years and I can tell you that HIV test that are done by Vinipuncture are 100% accurate. So therefore you don't have to worry. I feel that your test of Neg is fine but to be safe I would go again after 13 weeks and get tested again, at the 13 week it is more accurate to make sure. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.  :)
Later Brad

CD4=408
VL=undectable

I may have HIV but HIV does not have me

Offline Ann

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2006, 07:29:42 pm »
Brad,

Allusernamesaretaken does NOT need further testing over this incident. He didn't have a risk to begin with and he is therefore conclusively hiv negative. 

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

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"...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 Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2006, 08:41:37 pm »
Thanks everyone. But I'm curious, RapidRod, doesn't HIV just need to get into your bloodstream to infect you? Wouldn't cuts be a method for HIV to enter the blood stream?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2006, 08:44:52 pm »
Did you finger her with profuse bleeding fingers? Of course you didn't. You are not going to get HIV from having a nick, small cuts or abrasions on your fingers. This includes hangnails, paper cuts etc. 

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2006, 08:49:17 pm »
But HIV is such a small virus, shouldn't millions of it be able to get into those small cuts?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2006, 09:02:37 pm »
It doesn't work that way. When you read of someone contacting HIV from a cut they are talking, Emergency health care personal which usually means they were lacerated by a broken bone of someone that is HIV positive, lacerations from test tube breakage or Lab personal in research that are working with HIV with very high antigens concentrations that were produced in the lab that are not found in humans. We are not talking the normal casual contacts. Most personal eventhough they have had needle punctures, eye exposures or other mucus membrane exposures do NOT contract HIV. Since 1980's there have only been 57 infections recorded out of thousands of possible exposures in the US in this manner.

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2006, 11:30:11 am »
Oh, so it also has to do with how much of the virus can get in and how big the cut is? So small cuts exposed to vaginal fluid won't do it?

But what you're saying is, even though there have been very few, it has happened (to 57 people)?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2006, 11:39:49 am »
In the healthcare field. Nurses, Doctors, EMTs, Lab techs and Firefighters. Not your usual type of exposure.

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2006, 11:41:32 am »
So all those 57 were of that type?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2006, 11:51:53 am »
Yes all 57 and they were all occupational exposures. 57 infected since 1984 out of hundreds of thousands of needle sticks, cuts and mucus membrane exposures. So you can quit worrying about the little nicks and cuts on your fingers.

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #15 on: November 05, 2006, 12:11:01 pm »
Okay... I'm getting a test to get this off my mind on Tuesday... do you think there is any reason to get a test besides for that purpose?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #16 on: November 05, 2006, 12:16:44 pm »
No and besides, it is a waste of time, money and resources.

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #17 on: November 05, 2006, 06:31:20 pm »
Well, it's free at the clinic, so all it really is is a waste of money and resources lol. But I am getting it for reassuring purposes. You're all convinced that it'll be negative?

The only reason I was really worried was I had swollen lymph nodes a couple of weeks after, that haven't left yet, and even though I know it's not a good indicator, isn't this a common ARS symptom?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #18 on: November 05, 2006, 06:37:16 pm »
No it is not a common indicator. How many times do we have to say, HIV has NO specific symptoms?

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #19 on: November 05, 2006, 07:32:30 pm »
Okay, well, I know HIV doesn't have specific symptoms, but aren't there some symptoms of ARS that are more common than others, such as Fever, swollen lymph nodes, and oral thrush? That's what I read on other websites.

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #20 on: November 05, 2006, 09:04:21 pm »
Anyone got a response for that?

Offline Ann

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #21 on: November 06, 2006, 05:12:29 am »
All,

The bottom line here is that you didn't have a risk of hiv infection. Neither getting a blowjob nor fingering someone are risks for hiv infection.

And just so you know for future reference, yes, some symptoms may be somewhat common in ARS, but it is also just as common for a person to NOT have ANY symptoms. Symptoms or the lack of symptoms are meaningless when it comes to hiv infection.

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

Use condoms for intercourse and avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple.

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 Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #22 on: November 06, 2006, 08:34:40 pm »
Thanks, Ann, and everyone, your answers really helped. I appreciate it. Okay, so I won't go symptom hunting anymore. I figure that will probably drive me crazy anyway. For the most part, is the way to transmit HIV sexually pretty much through vaginal and anal sex? Anyway, I might get a test tomorrow, just to help my mind to ease itself. Wish me luck!

Offline Ann

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #23 on: November 06, 2006, 10:01:10 pm »
Quote
For the most part, is the way to transmit HIV sexually pretty much through vaginal and anal sex?

All,

Yes.

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 Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #24 on: November 07, 2006, 08:54:33 pm »
Thanks... also, one more question...sorry!

A pediatrician can be trusted to administer the HIV test, right? Because that's who gave me my test... yes I am under 17; 14 to be exact... I hope no one seems to have a problem with that.

Offline Ann

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #25 on: November 07, 2006, 09:04:01 pm »
All,

Yes, a pediatrician can preform an hiv test. They aren't difficult.

But the bottom line here, the one you are ignoring, is the fact that you did NOT have a risk for hiv infection. Not one person has ever become infected through fingering and you won't be the first. Not one person has ever become infected through getting a blowjob and you won't be the first.

You didn't have a risk.

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 Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #26 on: November 07, 2006, 09:06:25 pm »
Thanks, Ann, it's just so hard to keep in my head, you know? It's so hard to get it through my head. Now i just keep getting paranoid that I did other stuff that could've possible infected me, which I'm pretty sure I didn't... at this point I think I'm just driving myself crazy. It's true that HIV lives for only a fraction of  a second once it hits air, right?

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #27 on: November 08, 2006, 06:54:55 pm »
Anyone... please?

Offline active5

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #28 on: November 08, 2006, 07:17:36 pm »
I think they have said that fingering some hair pie, as stated in the "lessons" section does not even pose as a risk for hiv.

Offline Allusernamesaretaken

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #29 on: November 08, 2006, 08:15:13 pm »
I'm aware of that, but is it really wrong to try to get as much information as you can to make sure you're safe in the future, active5?

Offline RapidRod

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Re: How accurate is a test at 5 weeks?
« Reply #30 on: November 08, 2006, 08:23:27 pm »
Then read the lessons. It will give you all the information you need.

 


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