HIGH risk with rare strains

[Ruby]

Hi,
I was in relationship in 2010, developed ARS sympts- 3 wks later sorethroat,vginal yeast inf,rash-nonitchy,red on face,back and chest lasted 5 days. my BF refused to get tested and left. I tested 3 months later- EIA negative/ICMA negative. I had 10 different antibody tests- EIA from quest and ICMA from labcorp last one 2years after exposure- negative. I also had HIV-1 DNA RT PCR 5months fromexpsoure negative. HIV-1 RNA PCR  2 yrs later negative, HIV-2 DNA PCR 2 yrs later- all from labcorp negative. I am from asia, healthy,  have hashimotos thyroid,factor 5 heterozygous,PCOS. I am in a new relaionship and ny partner develpoed fever 103 3 wks after expsoure wwiht sorethroat. I am very scared.
1) Do I have a strain that tests did not pick up as I am from Asia
2) Are labcopr tests reliable
3) What others shall I do
Please help, cant sleep, cant eat. Please please answer.

[Andy Velez]

Basically you are worrying needlessly about HIV. You have reliably tested negative for HIV. Stop complicating the situation by allowing your fears and doubts to rule when the fact is you have reliable tested negative.

You and your partner should be using condoms if you are having intercourse. Condoms are a must everytime until if and when a couple commit to a securely monogamous relationship and get tested together at a reliable testing point.

There is no need for further testing on your part. Your partner should see a doctor if his symptoms persist. This is not an HIV situation.   

[Ruby]

Andy,
Thank you for replying. I am looking at internet there are rare cases where PCr tests are falsely negative.  do they detect all strains or particular strain. I read a case, pt from sierra leone he tested negative on hiv-2 dna pcr from labcorp and same test  frm diffrent lab was positive.
Also rare case where people dont prodcue antibodies at all.
will the PCR tests detect virus after 2 yrs if someone is infected? I think I had all qualitative tests and test read as negative. I have no insurance and I tested all through online testing site. I think the labcorp will run test the same way  to everyone. Do you think I should test HIV-2 RNA PCR? Get tested at different lab?
My MAIn fears are TYPICAL RASH AS NOTED BY WEBSITES AND DOCTORS AND FEVER 103 IN MY BF. What shall I do. The rash was nonitchy on upper body exactly as described. Thank you very much for replying.

[Ann]

Ruby,

If you've been having PROTECTED intercourse with the new bf, then you won't have given him hiv even if you did have it - which you do NOT.

Of course if you two are having UNprotected intercourse, you don't know who else he's been doing it with and maybe he's got hiv from SOMEONE ELSE OTHER THAN YOU.

Just because YOU tested hiv negative (reliably) doesn't mean HE is hiv negative.

YOU are hiv negative from the incident back in 2010. YOU DO NOT HAVE HIV - or at least you didn't before this new guy came along.

If you've been having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with him, you need to start the testing process all over again. Regardless of what he may have told you about his hiv status.

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

[Ruby]

Ann,

We are in relationship and planning to get maried soon. He  tested negative before start of relationship. I am sorry i didnt understand  do you think I can still carry virus  with negative results. I am from asia i am worried abt rare strain. I also read abt HIV carriers. My main fear was the typical rash I had 2 yrsa go and fever 103 in my new partner. And I read rare case reports of people tested negative on antibody tests. Are viral load detected with qualitative tests aftr 2 yrs if someone has hiv? I had all qualitative tests. CAn I rely on labcorp? Thank you replying.

[Ann]

Ruby,

If you had hiv from the incident in 2010, you would have tested hiv positive long ago.

How do you think we know about "rare strains" if people weren't testing positive? The "rare strain" only becomes apparent when genotype and/or phenotype tests are done before treatment is initiated.

Again, you really can't go by what a person tells you about their hiv status. The way to get around this is to have full STI testing done together. Go to a doctor together and explain you want full STI testing done together, as a couple, so you know it's safe to stop using condoms with each other.

I know this from experience. The person from whom I acquired my infection from only thought he was hiv negative - going by a test he took previously. He had been infected after his last negative test result.

As I stated earlier, YOU are hiv negative - conclusively so - from the incident in 2010.

What your hiv status is after having recent unprotected intercourse will only be revealed by testing, together with the man you plan to marry.

Don't forget to get tested for all the other, MUCH more easily transmitted STIs as well. They can be present with no obvious symptoms so the ONLY way to know for sure is to test.

Ann

[Ann]

Ruby,

You sent a moderator report saying the following:

Trying to subscribe for 1month need help, pls help.any contact number to talk to someone to help me subscribe. Thanks

Please read the thread entitled Pay-For-Participation Subscription Instructions.

Ann

[Ruby]

Ann/ Andy

I am worried abt hiv-2 window period as I am immigrant and my expartner was. I had hiv-2 dna pcr from labcorp bu there threshold for viral load is 2000-3000 when I spoke to lab. I am afraid my viral load might be low and did not pick up on the test and also due to low viral replication iam testing negative on serology. I am scared about this. Pls direct me. Yesterday I developed cellulitis of am, I am afraid that I am seronegative and my pcr test maybe falsenegative as i tested it after 2 yrs. I am sorry for this message but I am confusd as I read rare cases on internet and mine was very high risk with  ARS symptoms.Thank you.

[Ann]

Ruby,

Knock it off. You don't have hiv.

Ann

[Ruby]

Ann,

My concern is HIV-2. These are rare in usa and I dont know if studies were done abt window period. Is there any test in addition to antibody test as virus replicates slowly.The hiv-2 dna pcr that I did from labcorp has very high threshold and might miss if one have very few copies as type2 as it replicates very slowly.
thank you for helpin gme but i am really worrried.

[Ann]

Ruby,

Knock it off. You don't have hiv.

Ann

[Ruby]

Ann,

Please bear with me. Thank you for your patience.
I read some cases that were repeatedly negative on antibody tests and positive on Duo test. I did qualitative hiv-1 rna and qualitative hiv-2 dna after 2 years and I doubt if these did not pick up viral load. Pls Ann explain .

[Ann]

Ruby,

If you had been infected, you would have had a detectable viral load on either the qualitative hiv-1 rna or the qualitative hiv-2 dna when you did them two years after the possible infection.

YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. H.I.V.

If you read the Welcome Thread before posting like you're supposed to, you will have read the following posting guideline:

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). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. 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!

Ann

[Ann]

Ruby,

If you want to reply to your thread, you need to hit the REPLY button at the very end of your thread instead of hitting the Report to moderator link.

Ann

[Ruby]

Ann,

Please dont ignore. Help me Ann.I am not finding atleast one case of of hiv-2. I am readig many forums as I am not sure of window period and also I had hiv-2 dna pcr 2 yeasr after exposure by labcorp and their lower limit of detection is 2000. and I heard that hiv type2 replicates very slowly and  I am scared this test might have missed  as I might have low copies. Help me Ann. I respect the warnings due to exceesive posting but I wont post same question again. Thank you very much.

[RapidRod]

PCR-DNA tests are not approved diagnostic tests for HIV and as Ann has advised you and WARNED you, you do not have HIV.

[Ruby]

Rapid Rod,

Thank you for replying. I was reading CDC website today that says 166 hiv-2 cases detected but some are detected by antibody tests and others by PCR and some by hiv-2 specific immunoblot. So some are missed by antibody tests then/And I did some reserach and found out that every lab's lower limit of viral detection differs and labcorp has lower limit set at 2000 that might cause lot of false negative tests. IPlease I am not arguing I am scared to read so many details.   I will appreciate your reply, Pls dont ignore. Thank you once again.

[RapidRod]

There is nothing to argue about. You do not have HIV.

[Ruby]

RapiRod,

Can you please explain above statement regarding hiv-2 diagnosis from CDC website. I cant find  a single case of HIV-2 on website  that was diagnosed by tests or information abt WP.  Thank you.

[Ann]

Ruby,

I don't understand why you don't just go get an hiv1&2 antibody test and put this to rest once and for all. Don't be surprised by your negative result. You don't have hiv.

Ruby,

If you had been infected, you would have had a detectable viral load on either the qualitative hiv-1 rna or the qualitative hiv-2 dna when you did them two years after the possible infection.

YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. H.I.V.

If you read the Welcome Thread before posting like you're supposed to, you will have read the following posting guideline:

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). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. 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!

Ann

I'm giving you that time out you've been warned about. Do not attempt to create a new account to get around your time out because if you do, you will be permanently banned.

Ann