POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: harveynoble on July 27, 2006, 06:08:36 am
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Would someone with chronic HIV infection who is having all sorts of health problems have an abnormal CD4 count. When does the CD4 drop below the normal range?
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Harvey,
I get the feeling you are asking this because you are trying to guess someone's hiv status. I'm not going to play that game with you. The ONLY way to know someone's hiv status - including your own - is through the appropriate test at the appropriate time.
If there has been an incident in your life you are worried about in terms of hiv infection, then let's discuss that. We don't play guessing games here, we only give risk assessments and testing advice.
Ann
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Unprotected vaginal sex 16 months ago. Have tested at 14 months. Negative, but still have lots of problems. Dr took blood to measure CD4 which was OK. I was just wondering if I did have HIV could you tell by the CD4 count dropping or something.
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Harvey,
The ONLY way to know your hiv status is through testing. You have tested and you are absolutely hiv negative. The window period for hiv testing is 12-13 weeks so a test taken at that time or anytime afterwards is conclusive.
Whatever problems you are having, you have ruled hiv out of the picture. Please work with your doctor to get to the bottom of what is bothering you.
While you're here, I'd like to ask you to read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) and follow the links for further hiv information. Here's a few other things you should know as well:
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 STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.
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.
You are hiv negative, without doubt. Use condoms for intercourse an you will continue to avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!
Ann
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I just want to emphatically second Ann's comments and especially that the ONLY way to reliably know your HIV status is by taking an approved HIV test.
You may very well be worrying for naught, but in any case since you have had unprotected intercourse you need to get tested.
HIV is not an easy virus to transmit and especially so from female to male. So the odds are in your favor against transmission in a single incident.
But HIV is not something to guess about and everything other than an HIV test is just that ....guesswork without a reliable answer.
Stop torturing yourself, do it even if you're scared and get tested.
And from here on in make sure that whenever you have intercourse you are always wearing a condom. No exceptions.
Good luck with your test.
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Are you suggesting I test again. I tested at 14 months using the mirates 15 min test. It was definitely negative, my Dr confirmed it as he did the test for me.
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Harvey,
No. You are conclusively negative. Andy, while residing at the pinnacle of hiv risk assessment, just missed the fact that you've already tested negative outside the window period. He's a busy man, and even the best aren't perfect (and he's one of the best).
Morgan
Spelling correction.
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Yes, my apologies for that oversight. That's what I get for racing around here first thing in the morning and not taking time to read more carefully.
You have conclusively tested negative for HIV. You ARE HIV negative. If you continue to have symptoms that are troubling you that is something to discuss with your doctor and those symptoms do not negate the validity of your negative HIV test result.
Again my apologies for having missed that important point about your test result. No further testing is necessary with regard to HIV.
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Thanks for the reply. But would a CD4 count be ab-normal if I had chronic HIV infection untreated. It is just that my CD4 count was normal but on the very low end of the range. My doc didn't really explain it too well.
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If you had a chronic hiv infection you wouldn't have tested negative and your CD4 count wouldn't have been so high without medication.
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Harvey,
Your test results were conclusive. You are hiv negative.
Morgan
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Can I just ask 1 more question. Why is the window period extended for people who have had a needle stick injury. I have read(on www) that sometimes the window period is longer. Why is this?
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The extended period of time applies to health care workers, EMT's and Police that have been stuck with a needle Known to be contaminated with HIV positive blood. This covers the time they are on PEP. It's an over kill for the purpose of Insurances.
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Ok so the reason is not because it takes longer for the virus to infect, it is because the PEP drugs can mask an accurate result......Correct. Thankyou Rapidrod.
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Is it true that HIV can be present in oral secretions? Would it also be true to say that any small amount of blood present would be rendered useless because of saliva killing the virus. Does saliva kill it or just change it? So basically even if there is tooth brushing blood then this is not going to be enough to infect someone?
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Harvey,
Yes, hiv can be found in saliva, although not every hiv positive person will have detectable amounts.
There are over a dozen different enzymes and proteins present in saliva that inhibit hiv. What is meant by this is that these components of saliva damage, in several different ways, the outer shell of the virus.
The virus needs to have this outer shell intact in order to be able to infect. It has "plugs" that must bump into specific cells of the human body before it can insert itself into those cells - this is how it infects. There are only a few, very specific cells that have the correct receptors that can accept hiv's plugs. These cells are found in very specific places, such as in the lining of the urethra, foreskin, vagina and rectum.
Any hiv found in saliva will have been rendered incapable of infecting the specific cells it needs to infect in order to be transmitted to a new host. We have known this since the late 1980s. Saliva is NOT infectious. Period.
And you, by the way, are conclusively negative.
Ann
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I all, I'm just a bit worried. I went for a lab test today as I'm not going to trust the home test. I did 3 home tests all negative. Is there ANY chance the result will change. The home test is supposed to be 99.5%. I can't stand this any more.........Harvs.
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Harvey is there a reason why this deserved a new thread? Perhaps you should read the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) and review the posting rules for this forum.
MtD
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Sorry Matty,
Dr just phoned. HIV1 and 2 Ag+Ab combo. NEGATIVE. That's the last HIV test I ever do. Goodbye aidsmeds community and I sincerely thankyou for your help and assurance.
Harvs.
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Harvey,
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.
Thank you for your cooperation.
There is absolutely no reason to think your latest test result will be anything other than ANOTHER negative. You are already conclusively NEGATIVE.
Ann