Worried about oraquick test

[BanditAce4444]

Thank you to everyone who answers these questions. My question is probably going to seem silly and I apologize in advance. I suffer from severe OCD and it has decided to focus on HIV again. Basically my story goes as follows. 13 years ago I slept with a man. He was the bottom and I was the top. I wore a condom. The next day he told me he was HIV positive. I waited six months and got tested with an oraquick mouth swab test which came back negative. I then started dating my partner, we have now been together for almost 12 years. My partner has divirticulitis and has ended up in the hospital because of it and has been tested numerous times for HIV over the years. I however have not. All of a sudden this week my OCD decided to start worrying about this experience I had 13 years ago. So I went to Walgreens and got the Oraquick mouth swab test and tested myself and got a negative result.

What scares me is with the paperwork that came with Oraquick says “99.9% of people correctly reported a negative test result. While 91.7% of HIV positive people tested reported a correct result. This means that 8 out of 96 people who were actually infected with HIV reported a negative test result even though they had HIV. This is called a false negative.” That seems like a high number and makes me worry about my two negative results. I called the helpline number that the test supplied and the man I spoke to said that the tests were 99.9% reliable and that the 8 out of 96 positive testers had done their tests incorrectly. He said that the oraquick swab test is as dependable as a blood test you take at the clinic. He explained that the people who got false negatives were those who didn’t follow the directions correctly, or were on prep, or took the test before the three month period....basically saying these false negatives were from human error. The paperwork mentions none of that which makes me worried. 

I guess my question is, is my negative result 99.9% accurate and can I put my mind at ease that I do not have HIV? Or is there an 8.3% chance that my negative could really be positive?!?

[Jim Allen]

Hiya.

The test is reliable, you called the helpline and they have correctly given you the needed information. You did not acquire HIV 13 years ago, 13 years ago no test was needed, you did one anyway and the result was non-reactive.

Regarding your partner, if you are sexually active you should be testing out of routine yearly for HIV & STI's. If you have any condomless intercourse with your partner, consider testing more frequently for HIV and easier to acquire STI's.

Here's what you need to know to avoid HIV infection:
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, every time, no exceptions. Consider talking to your healthcare provider about PrEP as an additional layer of HIV protection

Keep in mind that some sexual practices described as ‘safe’ in terms of HIV transmission might still pose a risk for transmission of other STI's, so please do get tested regularly and at least yearly for all STI's including but not limited to HIV and test more frequently if unprotected intercourse occurs

Also, note that it is possible to have an STI and show no signs or symptoms and, the only way of knowing is by testing.

Kind regards

Jim

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[BanditAce4444]

Hey. I just need some ease of mind. So I’m still with my partner of 12 years. This past week was my birthday and we went to Palm Springs to stay at a clothing optional gay resort. Neither my partner or I fool around with other people nor do we like anal sex or ever have it. While at the resort my partner and I got into an argument (alcohol was involved). I went out to the pool and went back to another man’s room where we just talked and drank for about thirty minutes to an hour. I did black out and my partner said I came back to our room about 30 minutes later. I have never cheated in my
Life and as I said I do not enjoy anal so I do not think anything like that happened. I know if he had drugged me and done sexual stuff with me I wouldn’t have been able to walk back to my hotel and go to sleep with my partner but my
mind is getting the best of me. This occurred exactly a week ago and all of a sudden I’m having diarrhea and have some sort of sore in my mouth. I know it’s silly and that it probably wouldn’t progress this quickly but could diahreah and a mouth sore occur within literally seven days? I suffer from OCD so I feel like my mind is getting the best of me but I’m freaking out thinking what if I was drugged and raped or something. I feel like my ass would have hurt horribly if I had seeing that I don’t have anal ever but I’m just so worried. I want to get tested but I know it’s pointless without three months going by. Could symptoms of HIV start within a week?? I’ve been drinking heavily cause it was my birthday on Wednesday so perhaps that’s the diarrhea but the mouth sore has really freaked me out. Thank you in advance for any help.

[Jim Allen]

Hiya,

The issues mentioned have nothing to do with HIV from the resort regardless of your HIV status. See your healthcare provider and treat the issues.

I went out to the pool and went back to another man’s room where we just talked and drank for about thirty minutes to an hour. I did black out and my partner said I came back to our room about 30 minutes later.

Read your post three times, I doubt you had any exposure, however, as you can't remember what happened, I would recommend getting tested to confirm your HIV & STI status.

Test at six weeks post-incident with a blood-drawn (lab) HIV antibodies test and a negative result at that time will rarely ever change. Although generally not needed if you wish you can retest at 3 months post-incident. Remember to also test for other STI's.

[BanditAce4444]

Hey everybody. It has been six weeks since my incident where I blacked out. I truly don’t think anything happened that night but my Ocd makes my mind jump to silly conclusions and go crazy. I took an Oraquick cheek swab HIV test and it came back negative. I know that these tests are not fully reliable till the 13 week mark but is this at least a good sign? Does this mean that at least so far I haven’t seroconverted to having HIV? I know it can still happen in the next 7 months but is this at least a hopeful sign? Thank you for any response.

[Jim Allen]

In short, seroconversion happens within 6 weeks, not 7 months.

Anyhow, any non-reactive result you have is a good sign, but as the test you are using can be less sensitive to early levels of antibodies you will need to repeat it at the 3-month mark to confirm.