how to get anonymous Western blot?

[petrapodrida]

Hello all,

I would like to know if it is possible to get an anonymous Western Blot for HIV without already having a preliminary reactive or positive result yet. And, if so, how to go about it.

I understand that if a quick test produces a preliminary reactive result, it needs to be confirmed with a Western Blot.  I also understand the Western Blot can take up to two weeks.

I would like to avoid waiting for the two weeks should a preliminary reactive or (potentially false) positive result occur.

I would like to do this anonymously so that if the quick test returns negative I will trust that and will toss away the Western Blot.
But if the quick test returns preliminary reactive or (potentially false) positive I will look at the Western Blot.

Two years ago I had a nightmarish experience with getting tested for genital Herpes involving also the Elisa and Western Blot. I got a negative Biokit (rapid blood) test, a low positive Elisa, and an indeterminate Western Blot.
The wait for the Elisa and then the Western Blot was nightmarish.

If I had to go through with this for HIV it would be excruciating and I want to avoid that at all cost.

It has been six months since my low risk exposure.  I feel I can trust that a negative result will be correct.  But what I don't trust is the process of determining a false positive (given my prior experience).

Any help would be appreciated.

[Ann]

Petra,

What do you consider to be a "low risk" exposure? Unless you had unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, you're likely worrying for no good reason. We need to know what happened that has you worried so we can give you the best possible advice.

Herpes can be notoriously difficult to test for, unlike hiv. Do not equate testing for herpes with testing for hiv - they are two totally different things. While false positive hiv results can and do happen, they're not particularly common so don't assume you're going to get one. False positive and/or false negative herpes tests are MUCH more common. It's a real pain in the nether regions to test for herpes.

As it's been six months since your perceived exposure, just go and get a normal (rapid or blood draw, it doesn't matter) hiv antibody test. As you do not want to go through a lengthy waiting period, I recommend that you go for a rapid test.

You can find where you can test anonymously by putting your zip code into POZ.com's Health Services Directory.

You do NOT need WB testing at this time and no doctor, clinic or lab who knows what they're doing would administer one for you without a positive antibody test result first.

Again, what happened that makes you think you've been at risk? It's difficult to give you the best advice when this important information is missing from your post.

Ann

[petrapodrida]

Hi Anne,

Thank you for your reply.
Here's what happened. 

I am a female who has had two sexual partners in 25 years. The first sexual relationship was for about two months and all sex was protected (we had sex no more than ten times).  The second one is my husband.
Two years ago i was tested for stds (including hiv) and tested positive for genital herpes, negative for hiv and other stds.  I have never had blisters or sores around my vagina but i did have 4 or 5 of what i considered to be yeast infections in the course of 10 years (the first infection was a confirmed yeast infection).  I've been separated from my husband since I learned I had herpes and I haven't had sex since then until one sexual encounter six months ago.
I had a sexual encounter with a man which I consider to be high risk (very promiscuous, didn't use protection - at least in the past, had alcohol problems). He was my very first childhood sweetheart when I was 15 years old which we reconnected after almost 30 years. Back then we only french kissed and soon after I moved and we lost touch.

During our encounter he took his pants and underwear off, i had a thin set of relatively tight pants, but no underwear, and we spent a good 40 minutes (in different positions) kissing, touching and doing frottage, where he rubbed himself against my genital area, at some point the rubbing was quite intense.  I never had intention of having sex with him without asking him to get tested, but the fantasy of capturing that intense puppy love feeling I felt for him in the past, got the best of me.

I don't think he ejaculated because I don't see what i would expect to see on my pants if he had ejaculated (no thick, whitish stains). But after six months I question
that. Also after 40 minutes or so he still had an erection, at which point he asked me if i would take my pants off and i said i couldn't and we stopped soon after doing some french kissing, massaging and hugging.

Now I do see some remnants of fluid in the pants where my vagina would be touching the pants. The stain is circular, about the circumference of a lime (or a bit larger).  It may have been some of my vaginal fluids, although I didn't have an orgasm.  But this troubles me as he could have pre-ejaculated or maybe ejaculated
(I honestly don't know truly how it would look like if he had ejaculated there).

My concern is that he pre-ejaculated in the vaginal area of my pants and that, given that my pants were a bit tight and aligned completely all over my skin, even in the outer vaginal and labial area, and i had no underwear, that there may have been fluid exchange.  With all the friction I am concerned that my skin may have been irritated and cut, allowing for his pre-ejaculation fluid to enter my system.

Additionally, about an hour before I had showered and sprayed body perfume all over my body including my vaginal area.  I know that caused some irritation to my skin.

It also concerns me that genital herpes increases the risk of acquiring hiv. When I had my last infection (more than a year before the encounter) I had large inflammation of my labia, so I don't know if that was caused by the herpes virus.  I didn't see any sores or blisters.

There was no oral sex, no masturbation, no penetration. It was mainly french kissing, I touched his genitals, and a lot of rubbing.

I haven't had sex ever since the encounter and no sex between my last hiv negative test and this sexual encounter. Soon after my encounter with him I asked him to please never call me again and I haven't had
any contact with him.  Unfortunately I don't trust anything he says.
Further he lives in Tijuana and I live in Arizona.

In the last four months I have not had any flu-like symptoms, although I think that due to severe anxiety and anxiety medication i began to take soon after i had the encounter,  i did have night chills (with not much sweat), muscle spasms, some short-lived joint pain in different areas, mild numbness in my right foot and right hand, severe constipation, one quarter sized blue rash on my leg, a relatively large red rash that lasted a few hours on the right side of my ribs. All of these symptoms
occurred at different times for three months while at the height of my anxiety.

Could you please tell me what level of risk I took?   Should I be concerned about hiv?  Should I get tested?  I have been terrified of getting tested.
I went through a horrifying experience for six months with the genital herpes results, getting two (low) positive results, a negative result with biokit, an indeterminate result with western blot, and a final positive result with western blot three months later (even though none of the bands had changed since the previous western blot test).
I can not stand the idea of getting tested and going through the same experience again, but this time related to hiv which is even more frightening.
In the last five months I have been seeing a psychiatrist and psychologist to deal with my severe anxiety and OCD due to this situation.


Thank you in advance for reading this post and I apologize for the length and level of detail in this message.

[Ann]

Petra,

You need to relax. Absolutely nothing happened during the encounter with your childhood sweetheart that put you at risk for hiv infection.

Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse where the virus never leaves the confines of the two bodies.

Once outside the body, small changes in temperature, and pH and moisture levels all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to transmit. For this reason, he could have cum all over your panties and you would not have been at risk.

Frottage, even if both of you were completely naked, is also not a risk for the same reason - frottage takes place OUTSIDE the body. Frottage is rubbing genitals together or on some part of the body without penile/anal or penile/vaginal penetration.

You only would have been at risk if you took your pants off and he had pre-cum or actually came while INSIDE your vagina or anus. By your own admission, that did not happen.

Regarding your herpes, are you aware that up to 80% of the population in the US has the herpes simplex virus? It's also the same family of viruses that causes chicken pox and I've read some speculation that one of the reasons herpes simplex (the one that can cause blisters on the lips or genitals) can be so difficult to accurately test for is because of the herpes virus that causes chicken pox, which is also extremely common for a person to have had. The chicken pox herpes virus (herpes zoster) will always remain in the body and it is what causes shingles in adults.

While the herpes family and hiv are both viruses, they are totally different viruses. As for herpes making it easier to contract hiv, that's only true when one or both of the partners has an active outbreak - and unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse occurs.

If you've ever had an active genital herpes outbreak, you would be in no doubt. It hurts like HELL and there'd be no mistaking it for a yeast infection. As for yeast infections, they are sometimes transmitted sexually, but more often they are caused by a simple over-growth of candida albicans, a yeast EVERYONE has in and on their bodies at any given time. Antibiotic use, for example, can cause this overgrowth and result in a vaginal yeast infection.

The bottom line here is that regardless of your herpes status, and regardless of your yeast infections, you have NOT had a risk for hiv infection. So put that fear to rest.

Here's what you need to know in order to avoid 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 sexually transmitted infections together.

To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

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

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST SPECIFICALLY FOR HIV OVER ANY OF THE CONCERNS YOU BRING TO US, anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

[petrapodrida]

Ann,

I cannot thank you enough for your very prompt reply.  It's 5am where I'm at and was shocked to see a reply from you so soon.  I have had many sleepless nights
but I think tonight I'll be able to go back to sleep.

And also thank you for covering every aspect of my concerns in such explicit detail.

About Herpes,  apparently, HSV1 is the virus that causes oral herpes, whereas
HSV2 is the virus that causes genital herpes.  I tested positive for HSV1 and for
HSV2 had all those different results I mentioned earlier, but with a final positive result.
While I understand 80% of the population has HSV1, apparently about 25-30%
of the population has HSV2.  I get all kinds of different information from different
doctors.  Most doctors tell me that, even though I have never seen sores or
blisters in my genitals,  that the sores could be inside the vagina, and that some
of my so-called yeast infections could have been herpes infections instead.
If that's the case, I supposed I would only have to worry about the increased
risk of contracting HIV only if there had been penetration.  Which there was not.
The man I was with asked me twice to take my pants off, and both times I said
I couldn't, and he understood, smiled and said not to worry.  In that sense,
he was a gentleman.  I only wish he had never taken his pants and underwear off,
it was too soon after our re-encounter...  but I digress...

I think what freaks me out is the fact that i have read that if there are microscopic
tears or cuts in the skin,  that semen may get in through that avenue.
With all the friction there was,  my mind goes places, and wonders if any semen
could have gotten it's way into my system.
I do understand that before getting to any microscopic cut in my vaginal area,
the semen would have been exposed to air, and would have had to travel through
the fabric of the pants (regardless of how thin the fabric was).
Am I correct?  But would that have been enough to render the virus unable to transmit?

I sincerely thank you for your answers.  I have read your answers to other posts and
you always capture each and every concern with precise and clear explanations.

You are a true asset to this world.
Kindest regards!

[Ann]

I do understand that before getting to any microscopic cut in my vaginal area,
the semen would have been exposed to air, and would have had to travel through
the fabric of the pants (regardless of how thin the fabric was).
Am I correct?  But would that have been enough to render the virus unable to transmit?

Yes, you've got it exactly right. Hiv cannot be exposed to the environment outside the body and travel through fabric etc and remain viable and able to infect. You didn't have a risk for hiv infection.

Herpes simplex one and herpes simplex two are basically the same animal and you can get HSV1 genitally and you can also get HSV2 orally. They both like mucus membranes and they're difficult to tell apart aside from on a genetic level.

I really rather doubt you'd mistake an internal herpes outbreak for a yeast infection. I bet it was a male doctor who told you that you might mistake or confuse the two. Herpes blisters may produce a small amount of a clear discharge that would be difficult to notice, but not a cottage-cheese-like or thick white or yellow-tinged discharge that a yeast infection causes. I know because I've had both at various points in my life.

I'm glad to hear you stood your ground and didn't end up having unprotected intercourse. Don't ever forget that you're also at risk for all the other, MUCH more easily transmitted STIs when having unprotected intercourse. You can have all the intercourse you want, just make sure your partner is wearing a condom and wearing/using it properly. You may want to carry your own supply of condoms with you - it's what intelligent, modern women do to protect themselves while enjoying life at the same time.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!!!

Ann