POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Chris208 on June 14, 2008, 07:27:37 pm
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Hello everyone,
April 20 I believe I might have gotten exposed to HIV. I had a 1 night stand with a women of unknown HIV status. We had vaginal sex twice in 1 night. After removing the condom the second time I realized I had a cut on my foreskin which made me a bit nervous, i was also a bit drunk so I'm doubting myself on whether I used the condom properly. 5 days later I developed a discomfort in my penis which my doctor tells me my prostate might be a bit swell. I was prescribed levaquin for 7 days. 17 days after exposure the discomfort continues I now go and see a urologist. He runs a urine test to test for chlamydia and gonorrhea both negative. At 4 weeks my head and neck hurt until now. At 47 days I tested negative for HIV. (almost 7 weeks). I'm going for a head MRI trying to figure out what wrong with my head and neck. So here are my questions.
1) Could I still be seroconverting?
2) Anyone out there that went through ARS - Does this Sound like ARS?
3) Should I test for the virus rather than the antibodies?
4) Has anyone seen a 7 week test turn positive afterwards?
5) Has anyone ever gotten HIV while using a condom?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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You didn't have a risk, so none of your other questions apply.
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Despite your concerns about the condom, it reads to me as if you had it on during intercourse. Which means drunken state notwithstanding and any of the other details you've tossed in, you had protected intercourse. And that's the bottom line. Plus you have tested negative at 7 weeks. The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. All but the smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after an exposure to the HIV virus.
Given that negative result, for your peace of mind you can re-test at 13 weeks for a finally conclusive result. The likelihood that you would test positive at this point is extremely remote given all of the above.
As for your symptoms, that's something to continue to sort out with your doctor. They are not in any way HIV specific. That's not surprising since I don't believe you actually had a risk.
Well, actually you did have one risk. You were drunk and having casual sex. That's a very dangerous combination and something you ought to avoid in the future. Have intercourse with anyone you like. Just do it sober and use a condom everytime without exception and you'll be well protected as far as HIV is concerned.
Cheers,
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How can you say I didn't have a risk? I was obviously exposed to some sort of bacteria since I had a discomfort in my penis. Bacteria (Fluids) must have gotten into my urethra and HIV could have piggybacked on it. Has anyone on this site ever tested positive past a 7 week test? Thank You.
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You didn't have a risk for HIV from having protected sex. END OF STORY.
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Bacteria (Fluids) must have gotten into my urethra and HIV could have piggybacked on it. Has anyone on this site ever tested positive past a 7 week test? Thank You.
Chris,
You misunderstand the biology at work here. HIV doesn't "piggy-back" onto to other pathogens like bacteria. It's transmitted in very particular ways. Those ways include unprotected anal and vaginal sex and sharing contaminated needles and syringes.
Bacterial infections can be transmitted much more casually than HIV and in any event we all carry dozens of different bacterial pathogens on our skins.
As Roddles notes, HIV is not transmitted through protected sex and you don't need to be tested or worry about this incident. Please take the time to read our Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) and follow the links to our Lessons to learn more about how HIV is and is not transmitted.
MtD
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Can you please at least answer the question regarding testing positive past 7 weeks?
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I have never seen someone test positive at 13 weeks when they tested negative at 6 or 7 weeks.
MtD
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Matty,
I'll try to keep a positive attitude. Thanks for the support.
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I'm glad I've been able to help.
You should know that my support is dependent on you following the rules as laid out in our Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0), which states in part:
With the exception of the “Am I Infected?” and “Off Topic” Forums, the AIDSmeds.com Forums are intended for people who have been diagnosed with HIV (or their loved ones/caregivers). If you are questioning or unaware of your HIV status, please refrain from posting messages or questions in the Forums intended for HIV-positive people.
Thank you,
MtD
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Has anyone here ever test positive for HIV while using a condom?
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Please keep all your additional thoughts, questions and comments in your original thread. (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=21464.0) This helps us to follow your story and give you the most accurate advice.
If you can't find you original thread click on the red link I've provided above. Alternatively you can click on the "show own posts" link in the left hand column of any forums page.
Your questions will not be answered until you return to your original thread.
You should also take the time to read our Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) and familiarise yourself with our posting guidelines.
MtD
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Chris,
I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.
If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.
Please also read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. You REALLY need to start abiding by them, or you'll be at risk of being timed out. Thank you for your cooperation.
I've yet to see a poster here test positive following intercourse with a condom. Condoms have been proven to prevent hiv infection.
Ann
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This may sound a bit nuts to some people. 6 weeks ago I may have put myself at risk for HIV. I went out drinking and cannot recall if in fact I had unprotected sex with a drug addict or prostitute. I'm a heterosexual male . 2 weeks after the incident I had a discomfort in my penis, so I decided to go to the doctor. Doctor did not see any visible discharge from my penis therefore did not order any cultures. He did in fact give me Cipro for 7 days. At the end of the 7 days my symptoms were still there so I decided to see a urologist. Once again he said it didn't sound like an STD but did the Urine culture anyways and prescribe doxycycline. Culture came back negative for all chlamydia and gonorrhea..Once I stared taking the doxy I felt somewhat better however my stomach got really upset....3 days into the treatment I started to get really bad nausea, bloated, constipated, digestive problems. Doctor told me to stop the medication however my stomach continue to be upset for another 4 days. So let's say I did in fact had unprotected sex with an HIV+ women. At six week my rapid test was negative.
So here are my questions:
1) My stomach problems, could this had been my experience with ARS since symptoms are non-specific?
2) How accurate in an Rapid finger prick test at 6 weeks? Is that as good a the one my doctor order in a lab?
Thanks in advanced guys!!!
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Chris,
Once again I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread. It doesn't matter how long it has been since you last posted in your thread or if the subject matter is different.
If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.
Please also read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.
1. No, your digestive problems were most likely related to the antibiotic. They can do that to people and yes, the upset can persist for a few days after stopping the med.
2. 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 only 22 days. Where there has been a real risk, a six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change.
And yes, the rapid tests are good tests.
I think you're likely to be worrying over nothing. If you were so drunk that you don't remember what you did, you were most likely too drunk to successfully have anal or vaginal intercourse. I know what you guys are like with too much alcohol in you.
You should be having a full sexual health check up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year anyway and twice a year if you're very sexually active. Don't forget to test for the other more easily transmitted STI - you're more likely to get one of those than hiv.
Ann
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Ann,
Thanks for your quick response. Should I be concerned about Hepatitis? Is Hepatitis sexually transmitted?
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Hepatitis can be transmitted sexually. This is an HIV-specific stie. If you have concerns about hepatitis, discuss them with your doctor.
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So I have a question for you guys. I had a rapid 3rd Gen Test at 9 weeks. Does that mean I'm in the clear?
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If you indeed had unprotected sex with a partner of unknown status, then a test at 13 weeks is considered definitive. However, a negative result at six weeks is highly unlikely to change.
As you do not recall if you had sex or not, and are assuming that you did, I would say there is cautious optimism in your test result. i would be surprised if that negative result at six week were to change.
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Jk,
I don't think you read my last question. I took a 3rd gen rapid test at 9 weeks. Just wondering if I'm in the clear yet?
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A negative at 13 weeks is a definitive all clear. Since there was some doubt about whether or not you had unprotected intercourse, I suggest you re-test at 13 weeks. All but the very smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after a risky incident.
That means that with a negative at 9 weeks you are very, very likely to continue testing negative. So you have a little while more to wait, but I expect you are going to come out of this ok.
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Jk,
I don't think you read my last question. I took a 3rd gen rapid test at 9 weeks. Just wondering if I'm in the clear yet?
I would not have replied had I not read your last question. As I mentioned that a negative test at six weeks was unlikely to change, I anticipated that you would infer that a nine weeks was at least as, if not more, reassuring. I also said that a test at 13 weeks was considered definitive.
This is, of course, assuming that an event occurred at all - which for the purposes of your anxiety, we are.
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Hi Everyone,
I posted here a few weeks ago regarding a possible HIV exposure after a drinking black out (I can't recall if I had sex or not or if I was raped). I know it sounds silly, but it's the honest true that I don't recall the last hour of my night. So after a few on antibiotics and still lingering symptoms, my doctor decided to order a PCR test. (I guess it's a test to actually find the HIV virus). Plus CD4 and CD8 counts. He mentioned that he needs to rule out acute HIV infection, since I was suffering from all this strange symptoms and not getting better with the antibiotics. I mentioned to him that I had taken a 7.5 weeks rapid test (52 days to be exact) and he said that it can take 3 to 6 months for HIV to show up on and anti-body test. My 7.5 week test was negative by the way. On top of all this my company decided to closed today, so I lost my job. My health insurance will only be valid to the end of the month. I have some many thoughts running through my head at the moment, because if I turned out HIV positive I will not be able to afford treatment or get help with my mental health. If he didn't suspect ARS why would he order all these test? I thought a 7.5 week rapid test was a good indication, but according to him it's not. I've been trying to stay optimistic, but after losing my job today and hearing my doctor ordering all these test, it make me wonder if in fact I'm HIV positive.....Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced people...
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A negative at 13 weeks is a definitive all clear. Since there was some doubt about whether or not you had unprotected intercourse, I suggest you re-test at 13 weeks. All but the very smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after a risky incident.
That means that with a negative at 9 weeks you are very, very likely to continue testing negative. So you have a little while more to wait, but I expect you are going to come out of this ok.
I've merged your threads here. In the future please follow our rule and keep any entries in this same thread.
We can't diagnose symptoms here. That's something you will have to clarify with a doctor. The one who told you testing is necessary to 6 months gave you long outdated information. The CDC is quite conservative about that issue and has accepted 3 months for a long time as a reliable testing point. The exceptions are situations which involve longtime intravenous drug use, organ transplant or treatment for an illness such as cancer.
Given you previous negative result I expect you to continue to test negative.
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I have some questions....I know symptoms are not reliable when it comes to HIV, however I can't ignore them...In general how much afterwards would a rapid test turn positive on the onset of symptoms???? I often read on here where many people get tested while sero-convering and test negative. My symptoms started at 4.5 weeks after possible exposure...My tonsils are still swollen with white stuff on them and my glands are swollen as well.....At this point I'm waiting on results of a PCR test due to my symptoms not getting better....Thanks in advance!!!!
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Chris,
If your symptoms had anything to do with hiv, your 7.5 week test would have been positive.
Your doctor is WRONG. 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 only 22 days. A six week (or more) negative is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point.
The only people who MIGHT take a little longer than three months to test positive are those on chemotherapy for cancer, on anti-rejection drugs following organ transplant, or have been injecting street drugs, every day, for YEARS.
Seeing as how your doctor doesn't understand the testing window period, I hope he at least knows that DNA PCR testing is not approved for diagnostic purposes as they have a high rate of FALSE positives. ONLY RNA PCR is approved for diagnostics. Let's hope he used an RNA and you don't get a false positive result.
If you continue to feel unwell, continue to work with your doctor to find out what's going on. It's highly unlikely to have anything to do with hiv.
Ann