could it still be false

[azprince]

Hi,
I am not a denialist , but my case is puzzle, I NEVER practiced unprotected sex at all! always with a condom, yet my tests came positive...when I surf all HIV related websites they all say that there is no way that I contracted HIV through kissing or rimming, which are the only way that was not protected, yet keep in mind that I am an exclusive top, I did have flue symptoms 2 months ago and a week before that I tested negative, yet this month I tested positive....whenever I run the cenario of what my sexual activities involved I never at once received anal sex or even practiced unprotected anal sex>
I didnt receive my blood work yet, and I have been searching the internet, some suggested that since in the period of text I took MMR and Hepatitis vaccine then this could have caused the false results, but I am still confused since I learned that WB is almost 100% accurate...can you please guide me through this issue,  are there any documented cases of such false results??
Is the blood work the final word on this?

[Andy Velez]

AZ, your concern and confusion are certainly understandable. The western blot is both sensitive and specific. It's not impossible it could give off a false positive but that would be very, very unusual.

I'm assuming you haven't had any intravenous drug use which involved sharing of needles. There are uncommon situations in which an impaired immune system can skewer a test result. Frankly, if you have always used condoms and there hasn't been any breakage, it is very puzzling to me as well as what could be causing a positive result.

I suggest you discuss this situation in detail with your doctor as to how to proceed for clarification/confirmation. At this point I don't think your positive result ought to be accepted as conclusive. 

Keep us posted.

[azprince]

Thank you Andy,
No I never use any Drugs, I only smoke, I have told the Social worker about my concerns and he is assuming that while I was rimming someone I could have contracted it...I am a bit confused to why is it that people consider the WB the word of God! when I first got my preliminary results from Elisa I went to the clinic that I usually get tested at to do a confirmatory test, the social worker who knows me well was almost sure that the test was false positive, yet when he did the WB he said its confirmed.
My question is :
what is your opinion in regard to the vaccines that I received a month before the test, could they cause false results
are there any documented cases of false  results on both tests?  would the blood work rule out any false results or would you recommend repeating the two tests again later? 

[Andy Velez]

I don't want to speculate on the vaccines except to say that having them affect your results would be very unusual. I have never known of a single confirmed case of transmission via rimming.

Yes, I absolutely do recommend re-testing. Standard bloodwork as such is never the way to know about HIV status.

[azprince]

Sorry Andy to keep bugging you, but could you please clarify to me why the blood work wont be conclusive? isnt it supposed to measure the HIV viral load in the blood?
I am demanding another test but they are telling me that ELISA followed by WB are conclusive, I know what I did and what I didnot, but they are just so sure about the results, will they ever retest me again at a certain stage, or they will base future decisions on the blood work results.

I appreciate you taking time to answer me, since I am severely depressed since I  got the results

[Andy Velez]

Where are you having this done? Are you satisfied with the doctor whom you are working with?

I don't want to speculate about anything here. What you have reported about your history and your test results just don't make sense to me.

[azprince]

in NY, the first test was done in a Public Clinic and the WB was done in another STD clinic in a hospital here...I am not convinced as well, but I dont know what else to do...you are telling me that the blood work will not show if I am infected, but wouldnt it show the viral load?

[RapidRod]

If you are talking about a CBC then no it will not give you a viral load. As Andy has already advised you, you should retest if what you say about protected sex is true.

[azprince]

When would u recommend the re-test, immediately or should i wait for another two months, why didnt they advise me to re-test at the hospital, why do they take the results so for granted!
Trust me if I did something unprotected I would have been admitting it,
Have you heard of other cases where people got both tests false results? I think this is why they are so sure about the results...
Please just explain to me what will the blood work they ordered reveal, which things it measures?
Thanks for answering me, I am so confused

[Bah]

 Azprince!!!...   A you are shure get HIV from kiss end rim. Am skary now.A  get fingering my anus end kiss with HIV+ gay 2 mouth a gov.A have same symtoms too. Oh.

[Andy Velez]

Bah, only those authorized by this site can respond to others in this section. You are not authorized to do so. Please don't do it again.

The facts of this situation don't add up so don't start jumping in and spreading hysteria about this situation.

[azprince]

Bah, please dont jump into conclusions, my situation is different , I was tested and told + this is why I have to be concerned, I was not worried before that;  knowing that I practice safe sex.
If my tests prove right , then yes I will fight to let people know that kissing and rimming is not 100% safe

[azprince]

I will discuss with my doctor the option to get re-tested..... I hope it was a mistake although I have been searching and couldnt find any solid  record of a case that had both results as false positive, still I know I didnt practice unsafe sex, lets see the re-test reults

[Andy Velez]

I know it's difficult to live with such uncertainty, but you have to do that. And desperately searching the net is going to help you. Take some good deep and slow breaths right now and do that whenever you find yourself tensing up again. It really helps. 

This will get sorted out.

Cheers.