Please advice & help! Very scared.

[Urgent123]

Hi all, let me get straight to the point. 2 years ago I engaged in unprotected sex with a boyfriend of unknown status 2 times.  I never thought to get tested. But 2 years later now I am in a stable relationship so I wanted to rule out the possibility. I took a rapid blood test, which came back with a faint positive line. The doctor immediately told me its a false positive, and ordered another more accurate rapid test, which came back negative. I was relieved. But a few hours later the false positive was bothering me, so I went back and asked the doctor the reason for false positive. He said in my case it was due to a faulty batch of test kits because a few people experienced false positive with those kits as well. I insisted he take another test, and this time he took a 4th gen test. It came back negative. He told me to stop worrying but I couldnt. Now this is where it gets worse, the next day I was traveling, I ended up vomiting in the flight, I had diarrhea for 1 day, which went away with a pill. I had a slight fever for 2 days that went away on its own & then I developed a flu. I also had a bump onMy armpit that I suspect was a lymph node. Am I seroconverting late or just a series of unfortunate events?


I have a few questions! Please answer.
Is it possible to seroconvert after 2 years? Any possibility at all?

The lump I had was above the armpit, it was red and hard and only hurt when I pressed it. Is it a lymph node? It was about half the size of a pea. It wasn't moveable or anything, and I didn't notice swelling anywhere else. It has a head, if that makes any sense.The swelling went down in a day and now 2 days later, it's barely there. It feels like a pimple now. Is it a heat boil or a lymph node?
Should I take the RNA PCR test?
Let's say the faint positive line was caused due a recent seroconversion, would it cause a faint line on all tests? Or can one test detected what the other more sophisticated tests couldn't?

Basically, can I trust the negative test?? What are the possibilities of false negative!
I'm going back in a month for the 4th gen ag/ab test to be sure but my anxiety is killing me!!


My current boyfriend is 100% negative.
I travelled to a hot country, I also always fall sick when I go there so usually I wouldn't panic. But given the circumstances.
I've never had chemo or any autoimmune disease.

[Andy Velez]

For a number of reasons false positives are not that unusual. What would be unusual would be a false negative, particularly when taken so long after a risk.

With a negative from a 4th generation test you can trust that you are reliably and conclusively HIV negative.

There is nothing HIV specific about your symptoms. If they continue you should discuss them with your doctor to find out the real cause. It's not HIV. And stop squeezing your lumps. By squeezing them you can create a more serious problem. Let the doctor do the examining if it's needed.

If you and your new bf are considering dispensing with using condoms, before you do that you should both get tested together to make certain BOTH of you are HIV negative. Until you have done that you should be using condoms everytime for vaginal or anal intercourse.

Breathe easy. HIV is not your problem.

[Urgent123]

Thank you for your reply.

Just want to check, is there any chance that even after 2 years the tests have not picked up my antibodies?

or anything else that could possibly cause false negatives?

I don't have any symptoms anymore. Except my anxiety!

Also, do you suggest I do a 4th gen test again in a month just to be sure?

[Jeff G]

I agree with your doctor and Andy that you should move on from this incident and that you do not have HIV . You do not have HIV .

[Urgent123]

Just one last question, is there even a slight possibility of the negative being a false negative, from the infection 2 years ago? I'm asking because I'd rather be safe than to be sorry, and I do not want to give my boyfriend I love dearly anything. Would you guys suggest a rna PCR or a wb? Or maybe a 4th gen test in another month or so?

[Joe K]

You do not need to test, as you have conclusively tested negative.  You DO NOT have HIV.

Joe