POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: tm2k on August 04, 2006, 07:56:13 pm
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About 2 weeks ago I was picking up trash around my car and picked up a fast food bag and when I did I got stuck by you guessed it, a syringe. I squeezed the blood out and went right to the urgent care where I got all kinds of tests for yucky things. All were negitive including HIV.
I was then informed about this 3 month waiting period for HIV. :(
After 2 weeks of loosing my mind I want to look into the quicker tests. Cost is not an issue because it is worth it to me to not feel like I am loosing my mind.
What do you reccomand I take and in what order. I am just trying to get some piece of mind and move on.
Any help would be great.
Thx D
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I recommend that you wait out the 13 weeks. You said you found it in a food sack? More than likely it was used for insulin injection. There are no other test that you can take earlier that would be conclusive. I don't know of anyone infected outside the health care field.
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Tm2k,
Needlesticks are more of a threat when they are freshly contaminated. Once they sit out for a length of time, any infectious fluids lose their viability for infection.
And I agree with Rod, it's most likely a diabetic's insulin syringe.
Morgan
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You can consider taking the OraSure test.
Recommended window period is 4-6 weeks and the test is very accurate.
It will give you a rough indication of where you stand and you can verify after 13 weeks.
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Where can one get an Orasure test. I looked online and saw a lot of information about them but nowhere to buy one. :-[
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Orasure tests are currently only offered at health clinics and HIv testing centers in the US. To the best of my knowledge, only the Home Access blood-based kit is available to the consumer.
That having been said, it is highly unlikely that you were infected through this incident - unlikely to the point of making scientific history, as there have never been any instances of HIV transmitted through a discarded needle outside of a health care setting.
http://aapredbook.aappublications.org/cgi/content/extract/2003/1/2.11 (http://aapredbook.aappublications.org/cgi/content/extract/2003/1/2.11)
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tm2k, if you're located in Southern California, I can help you out with a good reputable location which implements the OraSure test.
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I have never had a reason to read up on HIV until now. Now that I have, I have a few questions.
I was reading some stats somewhere on the odds of getting HIV from various known HIV sources.
Sharing Needles 67 in 10000
Receptive Anal 50 in 10000
Receptive Vaginal 10 in 10000
Insertive Anal 6.5 in 10000
Insertive Vaginal 5 in 10000
The question I have is... If there was no semen/fluid transfer at all between anal or vaginal sex would the receptive numbers drop down to the insertive numbers because each person would have the same friction?
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Worrying about what the odds are does nothing for you. TEST.... period!!
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My question was more of a curosity then anything.
I certanly am going to test just to make sure.
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I am at around 6 weeks from my needle stick. I am waiting as long as I can until I test.
I lately have had a swolen gland under one side of my jaw. I am not one to get swollen glands so I am a little freaked out. I have a tooth that is bothering me in the same side of the jaw where the gland is so I am hoping they are related.
Does gland swelling from HIV swell just one gland like the one in my jaw or do the glands all over on both sides of the body swell?
I am trying to keep my head straight until a little more time has gone bye to test, but this latest gland swelling has got me a little worried.
I am just looking for a little reassurance thats its no big deal.
D
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If you haven't already read the "Welcome" thread. No you wouldn't only have one swollen lymph node. Symptoms or the lack of symptoms are any way to diagnosis HIV infection.
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So I could not hold out any longer and got tested today. I will get the resulst in a few days. I was supprised to find out how little the doctor knew about infection timelines. I told him that I knew I was at the halfway point and that the results at 12 weeks would be difinitive. He told me that the virus can become active as long as a year later.
He recomended a 6 month test and a 1 year to be sure. It sounds like the information he had was out dated.
Rod thanks for the info on the lymph node. Its just reassuring to hear it from someone else. :)
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I got my results today after 6 weeks and all were negitive. From what I am reading on this forum thats pretty conclusive. I will do the 12 week just to make sure.
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Yup, it's an "all but" result. Have your 12 week test and collect the negative.
MtD