I am to young for Shingles

[blade]

Hey guys I dont want to waste anyones time but I recently broke out with shingles.  I am 24 and healthy as far as I know.  I was doing some reading on the internet and almost everything I read had something to do with HIV.  I did have unprotected sex in August but was tested in Sept and Nov both results were negative.  I know there is a 3 to 6 month window period and most young adults who come down with shingles are HIV+.  Any advice on if I should be worried or know of anyone who's shingles revealed they had HIV?  Also, dont know if its all related but lately I feel like my health has been declining slowly.  Any bit of info helps thanks.

R,
Blade

[Andy Velez]

Hey guys I dont want to waste anyones time but I recently broke out with shingles.  I am 24 and healthy as far as I know.  I was doing some reading on the internet and almost everything I read had something to do with HIV.  I did have unprotected sex in August but was tested in Sept and Nov both results were negative.  I know there is a 3 to 6 month window period and most young adults who come down with shingles are HIV+.  Any advice on if I should be worried or know of anyone who's shingles revealed they had HIV?  Also, dont know if its all related but lately I feel like my health has been declining slowly.  Any bit of info helps thanks.

R,
Blade

What you "know" is pretty much mostly wrong.

Shingles is a very common occurence among those who are not HIV+ but who have had chicken pox at any point in their lives.

There is no 3-6 months period except in rare cases such as someone who has been an IV drug user for an extended period of time or someone who has a severely compromised immune system due to treatment for cancer, an organ transplant or other like illness.

As long as you have tested negative at 13 weeks then you are HIV negative. Shingles often happens during a stressful period. I don't know if that applies in your case or not. You need to discuss your situation with your doctor.

Nothing you are reporting thus far suggests to me that yours is an HIV situation.

[Ann]

Blade,

It's simply untrue that "most adults who come down with shingles are hiv positive". The ONLY requirement for one to get shingles is first having chickenpox at some point in your life. Hiv has nothing to do with it and I've known plenty of hiv negative people who have had shingles.

The window period for hiv testing is THREE months, not six. As long as you've tested at three month past your unprotected incident, then you are reliably hiv negative. You do not have 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 sexually transmitted infections together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. 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.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED FURTHER TESTING OVER THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT, 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, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple.

Ann

[blade]

Thank you guys very much for the quick responses.  I wont be like the other individuals who ask the same question a thousand times.  I will check out your link Anne and for some reason I just love your ID picture, I dont know there's something about it.  I should know better than to have unprotected sex seeing as how I'm a peer advocate for HIV/AIDS on my college campus, but we're all human and humans make mistakes. Thanks guys and I appreciate the roles you have chosen to take in life so that others may learn.  O sorry one more thing when they trained us on HIV/AIDS they told us there is a 3 to 6 month window, they never said anything about why it could take 6 months for a test positive result, do you know why that is? Do you think I should also tell the students the same information you told me about the 3 to 6 month window or just leave it as that?

[RapidRod]

The window period was changed in 2004. You are using outdated information.

[Ann]

Blade,

Unfortunately, there are many people in the world who aren't up to date on their hiv knowledge, and sometimes these people train volunteers like yourself.

The window period has been at three months for years now. It was six months very, VERY early on in the pandemic. The tests, as well as our knowledge of the bio-mechanics of transmission and infection, have improved greatly in the past ten years.

The only people who might  take a bit longer than three months to seroconvert and test positive are those on chemotherapy for cancer, anti-rejection drugs following organ transplant or have been injecting street drugs, every day, for YEARS. It's major stuff we're talking, not having a cold or similar.

The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six WEEKS, with the average time to seroconversion being 22 days. Where there has been an actual risk, a six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is unlikely to change.

I suggest you read the Transmission and Testing Lessons linked to in our Welcome Thread

Ann

[blade]

ok thank you, I like to be informed when I talk to students, I never want to give wrong information.  I do as much reading as I can but it seems like I can never keep up.  Any advice?

[Ann]

Blade,

Make sure you read stuff that's UP TO DATE. I can't stress that enough. If you're smart, you'll stick to a reputable website like this one - too many have out-dated and/or just plain WRONG information. This place is run by hiv positive people and we make sure the info is spot-on accurate and up-to-date.

And please, in future, do your best to make sure condoms are being used and used correctly. I know mistakes happen, but don't end up positive like me. It's no picnic.

Ann

[blade]

Thanks again Ann, I will check that out.  I checked out the condom sites great stuff.

R,
Blade

[blade]

Then I will be sure to bookmark this page.  Your right its not worth it and I will make sure I do everything I can to make sure I am protected.  Thank you Ann

[Ann]

Blade,

The aidsmap.com website (linked to in the condom/lube info links) is also reputable. It's based in the UK, but the information is accurate. Aidsmeds (this place) is the best for easy-to-understand, printable lessons. Aidsmap tends to be a bit more technical.

Ann

[blade]

Well I'll give it a shot and see if I can interpet it correctly of course if I have any questions I'll just contact you guys!  Thanks Ann