So Many Questions. Not enough Answers

[indexcard]

I had sex with this girl I meet online back in early January. We had brief unprotected sex, but yeah I don't think the time matters.

Every since then I had a lot of problems. Ranging from abdomen issues like: diarrhea, tightness around liver and spleen, random rumbling in strange parts of my abdomen.

Also things like the following: headaches, back of the neck pressure, dizziness, lightheaded, lost of appetite, weight lost, white tongue, frequent urination, sore on my roof of my mouth(this was the first thing I noticed actually after a week from possible exposure), tingling/numbness in my hands and feet (was real serve for a couple of days have since gone back to normal started around week 5 though).

The only things I haven't had is fever or any rashes.

I have been on 3 different antibiotics during this time to treat different problems.

My questions is this. I have been tested a lot. From weeks: 1(standard blood test), 4(standard blood test), 5(oraquick), 7(rapid test), 8(standard blood test), 9(oraquick). All have been negative. I have been doing a lot of research, but there is one thing that I haven't found a whole lot of information about.

I did have cancer 13 years ago. It's something I don't think much about since it was a very brief time in my life. I was never in any life threatening conditions. I never had chemo either, but I had radiation therapy. I at first didn't think this would be something to factor, but after reading a bit I'm beginning to think otherwise. I want to say that I'm pretty healthy person. I don't get sick really that much, and when I do I don't stay sick for long periods of time. Does anyone know if this is something that should be factor in?

Any information I can get will be helpful. Would a 12 week test still be conclusive for me? How does my 9 week negative factor in?

[Jeff G]

The radiation treatments you had are not a factor in getting an accurate HIV test result . I know this because Im a cancer survivor with HIV .

The symptoms you describe are not exclusive to HIV and you should never spend time looking for symptoms to confirm HIV status . The only way to tell if you are HIV positive is to test at 3 months past the time that you had unprotected sex .   

[indexcard]

Thanks for the reply. I've really been trying to get more information about this. I have to say that I was a absolute nervous wreck for a long period of time, so I'm definitely not going to say some of these things weren't cause by anxiety/stress/depression.

Right now I'm in good spirits. I just feel a little lightheaded and don't have much of an appetite.

I plan on getting a 12 week test. I just hope whatever the results that is the last test I need for confirmation. These past few weeks have been very strange and stressful.

I hope all is well with you Jeff.

[indexcard]

Sorry to bother again, but you do mean you had cancer before hiv right? Did you still seroconert with the normal symptoms? I ask because I feel okay and never got any flu like symptoms except sore throat.

[Jeff G]

The cancer you had isn't going to interfere with your HIV testing so you can put that worry aside . Its simply not a factor . 

[Ann]

Index,

The bottom line here is that you had unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with someone of unknown hiv status and that means you have to test at three months for a conclusive negative result.

However, with all your OVER-TESTING (gee-whiz, guy, like to waste time, money and health care resources much?), you're unlikely - extremely unlikely - to go on to test positive after any of those tests past the five-six week mark.

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 negative is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point. ONE TEST at THREE MONTHS, not a test practically every freaking week between week four and week twelve.

You cancer thirteen years ago has NOTHING to do with hiv in any way, including anything to do with the window period. (Congratulations, btw, on beating the cancer.)

The only people who might take a little longer to seroconvert and test positive are those people on chemotherapy for cancer (CURRENTLY on chemo), anti-rejection drugs following organ transplant, or those people who have been injecting street drugs, every day, for years. Even people who fall into those groups will normally test positive by three months.

Your bout with cancer was over a decade ago and has NO bearing on your current hiv testing. If you continue to feel unwell, see a doctor. Whatever is going on has nothing to do with hiv, but you could be missing something else equally or even more serious through your misguided focus on hiv.

You REALLY need to learn from this and start using condoms. You didn't end up with hiv this time, but next time you might not be so lucky.

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

[indexcard]

Thanks for the information Ann. This really does seem like a great board to get good information.

Well today I took the Oraquick home kit test. It was NEGATIVE. That would make it 12 weeks plus 1 day after possible exposure.

Though I still have doubts that maybe I'm not in the clear. I ended up getting my abdomen checked out last week and I'm still waiting for all my results, but so far only gastritis has been confirmed. I never had this before and had to look it up and didn't like what I saw. Also lately my stools have been very pale in color which would suggest that maybe something is wrong with my liver or possible gallblabber and I still have a good amount of tightness around my left side right under my ribcage. I can say I have never experience any of this before. And yes currently I am going to a gastro specialist and getting everything checked out.

If it wasn't for any of this I wouldn't even be asking and take my 12th week results as conclusive, but it's hard to do that in my current situation. Would it be best to get a standard blood test rather than oraquick or a rapid test? Or should i accept my 12th week results with Oraquick and see my abdomen problems as independent issues?

Any advice would be great.

[Jeff G]

It would be highly unlikely for your test results to change and I'm predicting a negative result ... Why are you insisting on testing earlier than what the guidelines say you should ? You do realize that doing so only leads to you having more fear , more doubts .

Test again at 13 weeks , collect your negative result and realize that HIV isn't your problem .   

[indexcard]

Hey Jeff thanks for the reply. I was under the impression that 12 weeks was 3 months? Also I took this test on the 85 day which means I only need 5 days to hit 90 which would be 13. Though I like your advice and do plan on retesting again.

Would a rapid blood test be sufficient enough or should I get a standard blood test?

[indexcard]

Alright today is 91 days (13 weeks) after possible exposure. I took a HIV rapid blood test (at a clinic). It was NEGATIVE. I'm feeling good as I know a 3 month test is quite definitive.

I am still having abdomen issues, but after this test I can say that there isn't a link?

I do not plan to get any more testing, but I probably will start making it a habit to test myself every year or 6 months. Depending how active I'm being.

[jkinatl2]

Alright today is 91 days (13 weeks) after possible exposure. I took a HIV rapid blood test (at a clinic). It was NEGATIVE. I'm feeling good as I know a 3 month test is quite definitive.

I am still having abdomen issues, but after this test I can say that there isn't a link?

I do not plan to get any more testing, but I probably will start making it a habit to test myself every year or 6 months. Depending how active I'm being.

A) Your abdominal pain is absolutely not associated with HIV, as you are reliably negative.

B) I always smile when I hear that a person intends to regularly get and STD/HIV panel done. That means that you are going to be OK, and that we did our job

[indexcard]

It feels strange that all of this is finally over. I have been through to much these past 10 weeks really. This thread does nothing to say how my life has been all this time. I feel that I am a different person and have learned a lot about myself and how fortunate I am for the people I have in my life.

Thanks for the information. I will continue to practice safe sex and like I said get tested regularly.