Author Topic: 7 week Uni-Gold negative (Read 10961 times)

busta1282 · « **on:** July 01, 2012, 03:43:45 pm »

Hello Everyone,

I first want to start off by thanking all of you for what you do. I have been on your site for the last 7 weeks reading various posts and have found that you all seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject matter. If possible I would especially like to hear from Ann although any of the moderators are very educated on the matter and excellent resources as well.
I am a female that had unprotected vaginal sex with the same male on 2 occasions (April 27th, and May 7th). Not a day has gone by that I have not regretted what I have done and I still have no idea what was going through my head when I did it.
Anyway, I took a Uni-Gold rapid test at 50 days post exposure of the May 7th date (7 weeks +1 day) and it came back negative. I was also tested for all other STIs and all of them came back negative.
I am curious as to whether or not this result can give me ANY peace of mind at all or if it is completely unreliable. I know that a conclusive result cannot be given until 12 weeks post expsure but I have found so much information regarding this subject (some saying 6 months is conclusive) that I thought I would go right to the experts instead of filling my head with information that may or may not be accurate. One other thing I have seen that I would like to clarify is whether or not 12 weeks is conclusive or 13 weeks. I have seen both and I was wondering if there was much of a difference between the two.

Thank you for your time.

Andy Velez · « **Reply #1 on:** July 01, 2012, 06:45:28 pm »

A negative result at 50 days is very unlikely to be other than negative again when you re-test for a conclusive result at 3 months.

So I expect you to come through this ok. But you need to learn from this experience. You can have intercourse with anyone you want to just as long as you do it the safer way. That means the guy has always got to be wearing a condom for vaginal or anal intercourse. No exceptions.

Good luck with your re-test. I expect it to be negative.

busta1282 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 01, 2012, 07:22:53 pm »

Hello Andy,

Thank you so very much for your quick reply. I have certainly learned from this experience. I never want to go through this anxiety again, it is not worth it!

Thanks again.

Ann · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2012, 07:11:06 am »

Busta,

As Andy says, you are highly unlikely to go on to test positive after that seven week negative.

Twelve or thirteen weeks, it doesn't matter. The CDC is really the only place that says thirteen - the rest of the world says twelve. You say toMAta, I say toMAHto. Same difference.

The window period has been three months for years now. If you've been reading sites that say six months, then you've been reading some woefully out-dated sites.

I do not expect your negative results to change and neither should you.

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.

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

busta1282 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2012, 04:53:46 pm »

Hello Ann,

Thank you very much for your response. I will wait out the next 5 weeks and check back in with all of you then. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me and for all that you do for people living with HIV and those that have questions about it.

Take care

busta1282 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 04, 2012, 01:40:37 pm »

Hello Ann and Andy,

I hope you are both well. I have what might be a silly question but it has been worrying me and I wanted to ask you about it. On Sunday (almost 8 weeks after possible exposure) I got a bunch of little pimples along my right forearm and a few on my left forearm. I don't know why but it has worried me as a possible rash. I also developed a sore throat. I'm hoping none of it related to a possible seroconversion illness.

Thank you so much for your time and attention.

Ann · « **Reply #6 on:** July 04, 2012, 01:58:11 pm »

Busta,

You're not going to suddenly start seroconverting after that seven week negative.

If you feel unwell, see a doctor. It has nothing to do with hiv.

Ann

busta1282 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 08, 2012, 02:50:56 am »

Hello Ann,

Thank you so much for your response, I really appreciate it. I have one last question for you and then I promise that I will drop this until I get my 12 week conclusive result. I am asthmatic and take advair once daily to help me control my symptoms. I know you said that my 7 week negative result is very unlikely to change, but could the advair interfere with my body's ability to produce antibodies? I haven't been able to find too much information regarding medications and seroconversion other than PEP, drugs for organ transplants, and cancer medications.

Thank you again for your time and patience, I really do appreciate it greatly.

Ann · « **Reply #8 on:** July 08, 2012, 03:44:46 am »

Busta,

You can't find any information other than for the three categories you've already found because there is no information to tell. Other meds won't affect seroconversion or testing.

Ann

busta1282 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 08, 2012, 01:21:56 pm »

Okay, thank you Ann.

busta1282 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 09, 2012, 02:24:56 pm »

Hello Ann and Andy,

Okay, maybe I am unnecessarily freaking out but I looked into the meds that are in my advair (inhaled medication). One of them is fluticasone, a corticosteroid that acts as an antinflammatory. I read that this drug is an immunosuppressant medication. Now I'm wondering if my test at 59 days (I took another because I got very scared) isn't reliable at all? Any input and help on the matter with your expertise would be very much appreciated. Thank you so very much I'm sorry if I'm being a pest.

Thanks again.

busta1282 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 09, 2012, 02:30:24 pm »

Sorry, I didn't mention the 59 day Uni-gold was negative.

Ann · « **Reply #12 on:** July 09, 2012, 03:02:12 pm »

Busta,

Knock if off. You've already been told that it's only heavy duty cancer drugs or anti-rejection drugs (that almost completely disable your immune system so you don't reject transplanted organs) that might - might - affect hiv antibody testing.

If you keep on with these whatiffs every couple days, you'll find yourself being given a time out until it's the appropriate time for you to test for your conclusive result.

PLEASE CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!!!

Ann

busta1282 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2012, 06:00:00 pm »

Hello All Moderators,

I just wanted to share with all of you a piece of advice that I received from my primary care physician today. I went in for just a standard annual physical and we got to talking about what I had been "up to" the last year. I told her about my unprotected encounter back at the beginning of May. She gave me a lecture on STIs (as she should have) and I told her I had already tested for everything and had received negative results for all. I let her know that all I was awaiting was my conclusive HIV test which I could obtain when I get to 12 weeks. She interrupted me and told me that while she was pleased to hear that I was being responsible, that I can not be sure about HIV until I have tested at 6 months and then again at 12 months.

Thanks to everything I have learned about HIV and testing from this forum I just dismissed her "recommendation". I wanted to post this to give a little bit of insight into how it isn't only the Internet that can give false, outdated guidelines but physicians as well.

I have a week and a half before I reach my 12 weeks and I will check in then. I hope you all are doings well.

jkinatl2 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2012, 06:17:35 pm »

Quote from: busta1282 on July 18, 2012, 06:00:00 pm

Hello All Moderators,

I just wanted to share with all of you a piece of advice that I received from my primary care physician today. I went in for just a standard annual physical and we got to talking about what I had been "up to" the last year. I told her about my unprotected encounter back at the beginning of May. She gave me a lecture on STIs (as she should have) and I told her I had already tested for everything and had received negative results for all. I let her know that all I was awaiting was my conclusive HIV test which I could obtain when I get to 12 weeks. She interrupted me and told me that while she was pleased to hear that I was being responsible, that I can not be sure about HIV until I have tested at 6 months and then again at 12 months.

Thanks to everything I have learned about HIV and testing from this forum I just dismissed her "recommendation". I wanted to post this to give a little bit of insight into how it isn't only the Internet that can give false, outdated guidelines but physicians as well.

I have a week and a half before I reach my 12 weeks and I will check in then. I hope you all are doings well.

It is infuriatingly frustrating to hear that physicians/nurses/clinical workers give out outdated - or simply false - information.

And if my doctor dared to "lecture" me about STDs, I'd find another doctor. Stigma does not belong anywhere, especially not a professional office. Also, shaming isn't teaching.

busta1282 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 06, 2012, 03:48:08 pm »

Hello Everyone,

I am back to check in as I said I would. I went in last week to get a blood draw for my conclusive test result (12 weeks + 3 days). I received my results this morning and they were negative. Thank you for putting in time to answer my questions.

Andy Velez · « **Reply #16 on:** August 06, 2012, 05:50:07 pm »

That's always a happy result. Good deal. On with your life now!

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Author Topic: 7 week Uni-Gold negative (Read 10961 times)