Blood Clotted - Desperate

[south_student]

Hi Everyone,

I will try to make a long story short. I am a heterosexual male living in England. Around 4 months ago I was having sex with an escort girl and the condom broke during a vaginal intercourse, I cannot precise exactly how long I was exposed but I am confident that no more than 5 minutes. After this, around 6 weeks later I developed extremely itchy skin rash on my arms and ears which persisted for around 5 weeks also nauseas, white tongue and diarrhea. I would say that the most prominent symptom I had was the skin rash, it really spread over my two arms and was very very itchy.  During this period I bought hiv home tests and tested myself 6 times (4 5 6 and 7 weeks), all came out negative. However, because I am not 100% sure about the quality of those tests I also went to a Red Cross point and got tested at the 6 week (which I think was an alere determine test) the result came out negative. I was very happy and had already left my concerns behind, but then I decided to go to a clinic in order to get tested at the 12 week. When I came back to the clinic to receive the results the nurse told me that my blood had clotted and they needed to take another sample. At this time I totally panic and started crying saying that it was a positive, they brought me a doctor that shown me the results (indeed it was written something like “failed”). They also argued with me that the syphilis test that was supposed to be done with the same blood sample also had the same problem, so there was no reason for me to worry (it was not about hiv test only). The fact is that I was so desperate that I left the place without repeating the test. Then I went back to the Red Cross office and did the same test again, which came negative (at 12 weeks and 3 days). Then last week (almost 4 months aftet the potential exposure) I bought another 3 hiv tests online and did it at home (they also came negative).

My question, what are the chances that there was just a problem of Blood clotting? They could be lying to me?

What else could cause me such a skin rash?

I found this video online on youtube about a guy that seroconverted only after 9 months? How likely is that the same can happen to me?   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjVI8iCoWoY

I am just too scared to go back to the clinic and repeat the exams.

[south_student]

.

[Jeff G]

Sorry!! Just some mistake in the dates I wrote. The first test at the Red Cross was at 8 weeks after the potential exposure. Then the test at the clinic was at 12 weeks and the second test at the Red Cross was after 12 weeks and 3 days.

The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. Most who are infected will test positive by 6 weeks. For various reasons a small number will take longer and that is why we follow the CDC recommendation to test at 3 months for a conclusive negative result.

It really doesn't serve any useful propose diagnostically to test before 6 weeks or beyond 3 months for a single incident or exposure . Its rare for a negative 6 week test to come back positive at 3 months  .

You tested conclusively HIV negative repeatedly at and beyond the window testing period so its safe to move on and put this out of your mind . 

The cdc and the moderator team here relies on the 3 month confirmation HIV test as definitive and you should to , if you are distrustful of the facility that handled all of your HIV / STD testing then you will simply have to go back and see if they can ease your mind or find a new place to test .     

[Ann]

south,

If you're living in the UK, why are you going to obscure hiv testing places and wasting your money on unapproved tests off the internet instead of going to your local hospital's GUM clinic and testing there? It's free (you won't be turned away due to your immigration status) and GUM clinic testing is reliable.

Forget about the blood clotting incident. It happens. Just go to a GUM clinic and get your conclusive result. I do NOT expect your negative result from six weeks to change.

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

[south_student]

Dear Ann and Jeff,

Thanks for your replies. I ALWAYS have sex with condoms and that was the very first time it happened to me. When the symtoms appeard (especially the rash) I was totally convinced that I had been infected but when I got tested at the Red Cross the guy making the test guaranteed me that the rapid tests they use are very reliable (in fact he said that it is supplied by the government). However, I completly panic when the nurse told that my blood had clotted, I am still not conviced that it is true (I am sorry, I know it is irrational). So, I dont feel confortable in going back to the same clinic. That is why I got tested again at 12 weeks in the same place.

My point was more about the fact that altough I got very itchy rash after exposure I still tested negative. Also, has anyone here ever heard about problems with blood clotting? I hope that the test I did at 12 weeks is a strong indication I am not infected, but I am not sure....So in this sense you are right, I am spending more and more money on tests that are not reliable.

[Andy Velez]

And on tests you don't need. You are HIV negative. Stop bothering yourself about a problem you don't have. Get on with your life. Really.

If you have any troublesome symptoms discuss them with your doctor. They have nothing to do with HIV.