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Author Topic: HIV, Hep C or Both?  (Read 4009 times)

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Offline JamesUK1971

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HIV, Hep C or Both?
« on: January 06, 2012, 02:13:39 pm »
First of all can I say happy new year to everyone and thanks to the main administrators that reply to the new messages and questions like mine, your work is great and at times I have been amazed at the care and warmth shown to new posters who have worries and concerns. You guys are a real inspiration and many times in the face of adversity in your own personal life, again thanks.

My position and I am not going to go into hysteria on here as I know I will need to get tested and plan to do this as soon as I am 100% better, I just do not have the strength or confidence at the moment.

High risk exposure - 17/10/11
Flu like symptoms - 07/12/11  (aches, headache, no energy etc, sometimes a rash on shoulder which just disappeared after a few hours)
White coated tongue - 11/12/11

The above lasted roughly until 28/12/11 and then I started feeling better, started consuming a bit more alcohol (like you do over the xmas period!) and then BANG! on the 31/12/11 I started feeling ill again but a different sort of ill and noticed that my liver area was very swollen (I wont go into detail but trust me it is). Since then I have felt sick, tired and slight pains in my liver/ribs area. I have been taking a couple of iboprufen each day to try and get through a working day.


I understand totally that you cannot make a diagnosis over the internet and I am not expecting this, just seeking someone who can advise etc.

We have a local test centre where i am in Scotland so will go and see them when I am better.

Offline Andy Velez

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2012, 03:16:16 pm »
Hi James,

Could you be specific about what you are calling "a high risk exposure." It's helpful in evaluating a risk when we know exactly what we are talking about.

Our focus here is strictly on HIV. What makes you think Hep C is an issue for you?

Neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms will ever tell you anything accurately about your HIV status. Only an HIV test taken at the appropriate time in relation to the risk can give you that answer. 
Andy Velez

Offline Ann

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2012, 03:23:31 am »
James,

It will be twelve weeks next week so any testing you do will be conclusive.

The symptoms you're worrying about came on too late (seven weeks later) to have anything to do with hiv.

Ann

Condoms are a girl's best friend

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"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline JamesUK1971

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2012, 07:34:08 am »
Thanks for the time in the feedback, it is appreciated.

Exposure - unprotected sex abroad with a sex worker. Lasted about 2 minutes but neverless it happened.

Ann - I would appreciate what the timelines would be for the symptoms, I have read many conflicting view. Some say 2-4 weeks, some say 2-6 weeks but could be later? Why do you think 7 weeks is too late? Many Thanks.

Offline Ann

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2012, 07:45:21 am »
James,

If symptoms of seroconversion happen at all, they happen between two and four weeks. (Many people do not notice any symptoms, this is why regular testing is a MUST for sexually active people.)

The symptoms that some experience are not due to the virus itself. They are due to the process a person goes through while producing antibodies. Once a person has produced enough antibodies to test positive, they are said to have seroconverted.

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 must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change.

The average time to seroconversion is why seven weeks is too late for the symptoms to have had anything to do with hiv.

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.

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

You need to go test this next week so you can put this matter to rest one way or another - because yes, you have had a risk. Your risk as the insertive partner is on the lower end of the scale, but it is still a risk. Testing is the ONLY way to know your hiv status.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline JamesUK1971

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2012, 07:51:50 am »
Thanks for the explanation, please bear with me on this so I can just clarify.

You are saying that most people fully complete seroconversion at around 4 weeks? This 4 weeks includes the symptom timeframe so in affect I would have felt ill a lot earlier?

If my seroconversion ended on the 28/12 then this would have been around 10 weeks.

Thanks for your advice and I will get testing for everything as soon as I can, hopefully the end of this week. Due to my enlarged liver I am worried now about Hep C but I suppose one step at a time.

Hope you have a good weekend and thanks again.

Offline Ann

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2012, 08:03:59 am »
James,

You are saying that most people fully complete seroconversion at around 4 weeks? Yes.

This 4 weeks includes the symptom timeframe so in affect I would have felt ill a lot earlier? Yes.

If you were travelling in a underdeveloped country, there's a chance you could have been infected with hep B (and not necessarily through sexual means). You could also have been infected with hep A.

Sexual transmission of hep C is rare. It's normally associated with man-on-man fisting. If you don't know what fisting is, don't worry about it.

If you've shared any drug-taking paraphernalia, including straws used to snort, then hep
C is a possibility. There are far more people living, world-wide, with hep C than there are living with hiv.

You should not only test for hiv and the heps, but you also need to test for all the other, more easily transmitted STIs. Ask your GUM clinic for a full panel of tests.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline JamesUK1971

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2012, 08:10:12 am »
Thanks...

Never taken drugs, heard of fisting but sounds painful! Sounds like Hep C is not very likely then.

I will get tested and let you guys know.


Offline Ann

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  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2012, 08:17:39 am »
James,

Sounds like a good plan. Good luck.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline JamesUK1971

  • Member
  • Posts: 5
Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2012, 03:38:07 pm »
Just an update.

I got tested on Weds (15/02) with a rapid test and this was negative, obviously initially good news. The nurse said that I should return in a month just to be sure, is this correct?

17/10 to 15/02 is nearly 4 months, are the rapid tests not as accurate?

Anyway it seems like I did not have oral thrush as I was on the medication for that and that has not cleared.

Next stop testing for all STD's and pray that I haven't got HepC or HepB.

Thanks

Offline RapidRod

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2012, 04:13:44 pm »
Just an update.

I got tested on Weds (15/02) with a rapid test and this was negative, obviously initially good news. The nurse said that I should return in a month just to be sure, is this correct?

17/10 to 15/02 is nearly 4 months, are the rapid tests not as accurate?

Anyway it seems like I did not have oral thrush as I was on the medication for that and that has not cleared.

Next stop testing for all STD's and pray that I haven't got HepC or HepB.

Thanks
http://www.cdc.gov/globalaids/Resources/pmtct-care/docs/TM/Module_6TM.pdf
Page 11
#4
  In an adult, a positive HIV antibody test result means that the person is infected, a person with a negative or inconclusive result may be in the “window for 4 to 6 weeks but occasionally up to 3 months after HIV exposure. Persons at high risk who initially test negative should be retested 3 months after exposure to confirm results

Offline Andy Velez

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Re: HIV, Hep C or Both?
« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2012, 04:32:49 pm »
Anytime you test negative at 3 months or more you can take that as a conclusive result.

So no, I don't see any need for you to test further. You have conclusively tested negative for HIV.
Andy Velez

 


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