Need help putting my fears aside please!

[wm1981]

Hi, im a male, 26 years old and last july i met a girl, fell for her and up until early december we had unprotected sex many times. after we broke up ( december ) i went about my business and then one day just started to randomly worry about HIV. so i went and took the ELISA antibodies test ( this being about 4.5 months after the fact ) and it came up negative. i was relieved for awhile but started to read about people who are immunocompromised needing to do it at 6 months again.

I am afraid i am one of these people but need help finding out. im not really a sickly person. the last 2 major illnesses i've had in the past several years was one late last year and one this past march.  the one in march is what im worried about because i never had it diagnosed, it seemed to be flu like or as my doctor said " a mild case of pnemonia " it left a dry lingering cough ( still had it when i got the test ) and only recently found out i have reactive airways disease. a c ondition in which my bronichial tubes twitch and cause me to cough.  when i was actually sick though it was hacking, gagging coughs, with a light fever and congestion.

My question is. could the illness in march have compromised my immune system enough to make my test after 4 and a half months a false negative?

please help.. i can't stop worrying about this.

[Ann]

wm,

You are conclusively hiv negative.

The only people who might seroconvert at a time slightly longer than three months are people who are on chemotherapy for cancer, on anti-rejection drugs following organ transplant, or someone who has been injecting street drugs, daily, for years. You do not fall into any of these catagories.

You are hiv negative. Along with reading the
Welcome Thread and following the Transmission Lesson link, here's what else you need to know to avoid hiv:

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. Sex with a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

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

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.

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

Ann

[wm1981]

Thank you, Ann im trying so hard to put this behind me but its difficult. after i got my test results i entered into a new monogomouse relationship ( protected this time ) and im pretty sure this is the girl of my dreams so i keep fearing " oh no what if i still got it somehow, my new life will be ruined. "

Is anxiety like this normal after a negative test result? i called the CDC earlier and they wouldnt help me. they just told me the only known information about a false negative would be testing too early.  she completely ignored my question about the immune system.

I thought that the flu could compromise my immune system?  or just not bad enough to make the ELISA test a false negative?

[Ann]

wm,

We see people who fret after a negative result all the time. You'll have to seach inside yourself to decide what is really driving your fear - guilt perhaps. Counseling may help if you find you cannot let go of this. We cannot help you with your anxieties here, you should see someone face-to-face if the feelings persist.

Flu will not compromise your immune system to the point where you cease to produce antibodies. Not even the people in the catagories above are guarenteed of seroconverting late. It's rare.

You are conclusively hiv negative. Keep using condoms until you are in a monogamous relationship and have had a complete panel of STI testing together and you'll stay hiv negative.

Ann

[wm1981]

Thanks, before i go see a shrink though can you tell me does the flu not compromising my immune system count with mild pnumonia too? like i said my doc said he wasn't sure what was wrong with me since i didnt go in right away.

i also wanted to add a couple of things  that i think might make my risk alot lower than i made it out to be. and hopefully you can comment on what you think...

1. when we first started dating she did tell me it was ok because she had a HIV / STD test that may ( our first time was in july )

2. we had unprotected sex like.. alot, even a few times during her period. ( does that make risks higher? ) usually about 3-6 times per week.  i keep trying to tell myself that if i was gonna get HIV from her it would have happened eventually. the 4 and half months i mentioned above was our last time together before we broke up.

anyways just thought i'd add that in.  if you can comment on it i would appreciate it. i am starting to feel a bit better already Ann your words helped alot.  Last night i was a total basketcase.

i just want to put this behind me and be happy again.  i never used to be so worried about my health.

[Andy Velez]

All of the details you have added on to your report are irrelevant. You tested negative at more than three months past the last time you have reported having had unprotected intercourse.

That means you are reliably and conclusively HIV negative. Period. End of story. Really.

[wm1981]

Hi guys its me again, its been a month and im starting to put this behind me but i just have 1 more question that combined with my counseling starting tuesday should be able to bury this once and for all.

i mentioned in an earlier post that i have reactive airways disease which is kinda like asthma.
that wouldnt have messed up my test results either would it? i wasn't taking any meds for it at the time as i didnt know what it was at the time.

sorry to bother you guys with this, i tried the CDC and they were very unhelpful and rude.

thanks 1 more time.

[Andy Velez]

Neither your condition nor the meds you may be taking for it would have skewered your HIV test result. You still received a reliable test result. Period.

[wm1981]

Thanks again andy. i wasn't sure if it had anything to do with my immune system or not. thats what made me question my testing again.