Author Topic: how conclusive is conclusive? (Read 13537 times)

dido · « **on:** November 07, 2007, 07:42:55 am »

My exposure was a single unprotected sex with a female sex worker in China. Since then I have tested at 4,10,13,16,18,22,24,28 weeks post exposure. All the tests were ELISA and the results have been negative. Guys,
1. Can I trust on my results that I am truely 100% negative?
2. Can I resume unprotected sex with my wife?
3. I know that I still have anxiety, what would your advise be for such instances?
4. Is it true that there are people who would only test positive after 6 months of exposure? If its Not, then why does some website;dedicating themselves to HIV/AIDS awareness still says so?

?
5. Is it also true that if a person tested positive, he or she will test positive forever?

please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matty the Damned · « **Reply #1 on:** November 07, 2007, 07:54:28 am »

Dido,

Your 28 week result is absolutely conclusive. You do not have HIV.

Yes, you can resume unprotected sexual relations with your wife provided that you've also been screened and have tested negative for other STD's such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis. If you haven't been screened for other STD's please contact your doctor or clinic and arrange a full STD screen (minus the HIV test) before having unprotected sex with your wife.

If you're having trouble with anxiety, you might wish to contact a therapist to discuss your concerns.

Very few people take longer than 3 months to test positive if they have been infected. People who might take longer than 3 months to test positive after infection include cancer patients on chemotherapy, transplant recipients on immunosuppressive therapy and some long term drug injectors.

Yes once a person has tested positive, they will continue to test positive for the rest of their lives. There is no cure for HIV infection.

MtD

Andy Velez · « **Reply #2 on:** November 07, 2007, 08:57:35 am »

Conclusive is very conclusive as Matty has thoroughly told you. The CDC is conservative about testing and it has for sometime said that 13 weeks is a reliable testing point. The exceptions are those who are IV drug users or someone who has a severely compromised immune system due to treatment for cancer or some like catastrophic illness. Neither of which I presume apply to you. In those exceptional situations testing to 6 months is recommended.

Anything you hear about testing beyond that time is simply uninformed and wrong.

You're a dawg like many of us and you went straying. Often that leads to a lot of guilt and anxiety, all to no good purpose. The best thing you can do for all concerned is to accept that part of your personal history, take a breath, let it go and get on with your life.

You are conclusively HIV negative. Period. End of story. Doing a full STD panel is a good idea just to make sure you didn't pick up anything else. And although you may think you will never stray again, IF it does happen, make sure you use a condom for interccourse. No exceptions. They provide very effective protection against HIV transmission and some other STDs as well.

Cheers,

dido · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2007, 07:19:54 am »

to both matty and andy,
Thank You soooo much for such kind and assuring advices. I had a STD test( HIV included) at week 22 post exposure. All was negative except HSV-1, reactive for antibodies. I even tested for Hep-C;negative. Whenever my wife talks to me about having a baby, my pulse races and I quickly brushes it off. Guys, I know cannot be doing this forever. How do I learn to let it go? I know that part of the reason is due to the fact that my doctor actually told me its never 100% in medical......

And as I have said before, some websites writes that it could take more than 6 months to 12 months to have detectable antibdies to HIV. Please guys, anybody at all........experts especially, tell me my doctor is wrong, those damn websites are wrong......

Andy Velez · « **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2007, 08:29:16 am »

Your doctor has been eating too much baloney and now he's handing it out about HIV.

You are HIV negative. Period. End of story.

If you continue to search the net and elsewhere for tidbits to feed your fears I can absolutely guarantee that you will find them because incorrect misinformation is being handed out all the time.

We've told you the real deal. There's no magic wand to wave. You just need to get on with your life. And if you find you can't do that then get some professional help to address the emotional aspects of this experience. We can't do that for you here.

dido · « **Reply #5 on:** November 08, 2007, 07:09:37 pm »

thank you andy!!!!!! i feel sooo much better after reading your reply.

dido · « **Reply #6 on:** November 09, 2007, 02:27:07 am »

Andy, the CDC still quotes that for high risk situations, they would stil recommend testing at 6 months...why is it so? How would different exposure risk affect the window period?

Andy Velez · « **Reply #7 on:** November 09, 2007, 08:53:49 am »

The CDC only recommends testing up to 6 months in situations which involve either IV drug use OR situations where the person is being treated for cancer and/or has a severely compromised immune system.

Neither of which as far as I know apply to you.

This is all moot. You have tested negative beyond 6 months. Only 13 weeks would have been sufficient for you for a reliable result.

Give it up and move on with your life is what I say.

dido · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2007, 10:56:33 pm »

Guys,
I cam across the following posting at the medhelp forum. I thought it would be good to share with all:-
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/346554
Any comments from the experts?

RapidRod · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2007, 10:59:46 pm »

Do NOT start new threads for your commits. Please read the posting guidelines. They are located in the "Welcome" thread.

dido · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2007, 11:12:23 pm »

i am sorry, must to excited that i forgot. how do i transfer them to my original posting?

Matty the Damned · « **Reply #11 on:** November 12, 2007, 11:27:17 pm »

A moderator will be along to merge or delete this illegal thread presently.

If you want you can add your additional thoughts, comments or questions to your original thread in the meantime.

MtD

dido · « **Reply #12 on:** November 12, 2007, 11:40:23 pm »

Guys,
I cam across the following posting at the medhelp forum. I thought it would be good to share with all:-
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/346554
Any comments from the experts?

anniebc · « **Reply #13 on:** November 12, 2007, 11:47:55 pm »

Dido

I have merged your threads, please keep all your questions and concerns in this one from now on...thank you

Jan

dido · « **Reply #14 on:** November 13, 2007, 07:24:26 pm »

matt, or any other experts, do you guys know who this Dr Ho is? who apparently treated Magic Johnson? is it true what has been posted in the link i pasted to medhelp?

Matty the Damned · « **Reply #15 on:** November 13, 2007, 07:34:53 pm »

I have no comment to make on the information from medhelp.

The window period is 13 weeks and almost all people who are going to test positive will do so at the 6 week mark. I do not know who Dr Ho is nor do I know if he treated Magic Johnson.

None of this applies to you in any case. You are HIV negative.

MtD

dido · « **Reply #16 on:** November 18, 2007, 07:28:56 pm »

experts,
i was browsing through the "I just tested poz" forum discovered that there ARE people who tested positive only after 3 months and even after 6 months!!! refer to -http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=5263.0
i am freaking out again!!! please help to advise

Matty the Damned · « **Reply #17 on:** November 18, 2007, 08:08:29 pm »

Dido,

Please don't send me PM's asking for advice. I'm aware of your thread and if I decide to answer you, I'll do it in my own good time, not when you demand it. I've blocked you from sending me further PM's.

Frankly you have no business lurking in the forums set aside for HIV positive people only. Posting links from those forums here in your thread is called trawling and is considered very rude. Just because a positive person claims they took longer than 3 months to test positive doesn't make it true and outside of that I have no intention of discussing that person's case with you any further.

You do not have HIV.

MtD

dido · « **Reply #18 on:** November 18, 2007, 08:15:14 pm »

sorry to matt,
why did i do what i did? coz i am concerned, coz i am worried and because i do NOT want to pass on the virus to my wife.....i love her and if indeed i could still be infected from my stupid episode, i need to know the actual truth, that's all.......i am going through hell in my mind which has lead to some serious real life problems........................

Ann · « **Reply #19 on:** November 19, 2007, 09:29:29 am »

did,

Many times people engage in additional risk activities, but because of human nature being the way it is, they will discount activities done with people they assume were hiv negative, or sometimes they forget exactly what they got up to when they've been drinking/drugging. And you know what else? Sometimes people will say (in other parts of the forum) they tested negative on such-and-such a date, then tested positive say six months later. These are often people who simply have routine tests, as opposed to someone like yourself who tests obsessively over one incident. These are people who don't bother to mention their additional risks since their last negative test, because it's a given that there had been some.

None of this has the slightest thing to do with you. You had ONE risk incident, one that was unlikely to lead to you becoming infected and YOU TESTED NEGATIVE far outside the necessary window period.

YOU ARE HIV NEGATIVE. YOU DO NOT HAVE HIV!

If you've read the Welcome thread like you're supposed to, you would have read the following:

Quote

Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result or no-risk situation, will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.

Please consider yourself warned. You are hiv negative and there's nothing more we can do for you here.

Ann

dido · « **Reply #20 on:** November 20, 2007, 04:53:51 am »

thank you Ann for that ' kick in the butt'. i think i deserve it. i will try my best to seek some counseling help.

dido · « **Reply #21 on:** March 07, 2008, 01:39:42 am »

To all experts,

I recently tested again for full STD at 10 months and got a negative for most things except HSV1. My IgG reading for HSV1 was high. Are IgG test antibodies test? Is there anything to be concerned about for being HSV1 infected?
The reason I went for a test was because again I read that in 1990, a health care worker was coinfected with both HIV and HCV and only tested positve with antibodies test at 9.5 months for hiv and 13 months for HCV? How often does these sort of cases happen? Should I further test for HIV and HCV? Just to inform I was diagnosed with Seborrhea Dermatitis recently.

Ann · « **Reply #22 on:** March 07, 2008, 04:13:03 am »

dido,

What happened to the counseling you said you were going to get?

As you have already been told, you ARE hiv negative and you do NOT need further testing. And you can forget reports about things that happened in 1990. Hiv and hcv testing have evolved a lot since then and info from 1990 is largely irrelevant. If an article about hiv or hcv is older than around 2003, don't bother reading it.

If you keep coming back here to question your conclusive negative status, you will be given a time out and possibly banned. Please consider yourself warned.

Oh, and by the way, before you ask again, herpes, (hsv1 aka cold sores) has nothing to do with hiv and will not affect hiv or hcv testing. The majority of people in the world will test positive for hsv1.

Ann

dido · « **Reply #23 on:** March 07, 2008, 04:44:40 am »

Thank you Ann for your reply.

I know. My sudden 'panic' is really due to that particular article I read and also the fact I came down with Seborrhea Dermatitis. And I am sure you know that most relliable dermatology websites always links HIV with it.
You, Andy, and MTD are truly great and inspiring people who has help millions suffering from anxiety which I am very sure we ourselves are not even aware that it CAN be so frightening.
Thank you again for the kind service you guys are providing here.
I just wanna know something, what has been the evolution of window period and how is it derived from? Was it ever 18 months?Then 12 months, then 6 and now 3?

Ann · « **Reply #24 on:** March 07, 2008, 04:51:08 am »

dido,

The only thing you should be concerned with is the CURRENT window period. You tested conclusively negative FAR OUTSIDE the current window.

Post again and you'll be given a time out. No kidding.

Ann

dido · « **Reply #25 on:** March 17, 2008, 01:01:42 am »

Guys,
I am here NOT to question my result. Just wanna clarify certain things. Is it true that NO ONE has ever tested positive after testing negative at 6 months? Just wanna put my mind to rest.................I KNOW its all mental right now. I am trying to get as much FACTs as possible from you guys as possible. My body and joints are aching right now, no fever though......

anniebc · « **Reply #26 on:** March 17, 2008, 01:49:53 am »

Quote

I am trying to get as much FACTs as possible

Then I suggest you read all the lessons and information that is available for you here on this site.

Ann has already told you about posting,you are HIV- it's time for you to move on from the forums and educate yourself through the lessons here.

Jan

dido · « **Reply #27 on:** March 18, 2008, 04:36:36 am »

Can someone just REASSURE me that my seborrhea dermatits condition is NOT related to HIV. Please.....I have had dandruff on my scalp before exposure but now I have it on my face. I promise not to trouble you guys after this

anniebc · « **Reply #28 on:** March 18, 2008, 05:00:07 am »

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin disorder, and yes it includes dandruff, I kow many people who are HIV negative and suffer from this.

You are HV negative

If you are having problems go and see your doctor and get some anti-fungal cream...this is your last warning, one more post on this subject an you will be given a time out.

Jan

Ann · « **Reply #29 on:** March 19, 2008, 06:20:51 am »

Dido,

As you saw fit to attempt to create a new account to get around your time out warning, I'm permanently banninig you. We only allow one account per person here and you should know this by now.

You've been repeatedly told that you did not become infected with hiv during your unprotected intercourse. Take your skin problems to a doctor. If you cannot accept your hiv negative status, get yourself into counseling. There is nothing more we can do for you here.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

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Author Topic: how conclusive is conclusive? (Read 13537 times)