wasn't expecting to test positive

[PtaPos]

I've had regular HIV tests with routine cholesterol and blood sugar monitoring and the tests were always clear. Had some alternate treatment and was told that the immune system would be low. A nasty cough wouldn't go away and the medical specialist was concerned that the ESR (?) reading was high and asked for a HIV test. Positive. My doctor didn't mine her words when she told me. Repeat test. Positive. Didn't cry. Didn't blame anyone. Accepted responsibility and decided to go on being positive.

I did try to trace my steps and figure out when I cold have contracted the virus. I have always been safe. Wasn't into oral sex but sort of got into it. Didn't like pre-cum so I avoided that. I did however have unsafe sex 3 years ago with someone I'd been chatting with and with whom I developed a rapport. We fell in love before we met. He was handsome, brilliant, great family values. Same here. That's the time I think I got it. We haven't seen each other since but stay in contact. I've always been in love. He was concerned about the distance. He remembers everything and my gut has been telling me to hang in there.

When I spoke to the physician, he said it was possible and that the virus could remain un-diagnosable for up to 10 years.

Since I have tested positive we have been chatting via skype more regularly and I told him I wanted to chat by voice and not via email. He's been avoiding that saying his mic was not working... I suspect he knows. I suspect he is positive too. A year and a bit ago, he told me he had a serious illness but didn't want to tlak about it...

Who else believes that the virus can remain 'hidden' for years?
 

[mecch]

Welcome to the forum.

It is not a question of "belief".  Someone can be infected for many many years without knowing it.. 

If you don't test, you don't know.  Its common for people to find out years afterwards.

I don't know what you mean by "undiagnosable".  Once a person gets infected, he develops antibodies in a couple of weeks.  Then it could be YEARS before he gets diagnosed.  But all along, HIV was of course "diagnosable" - its just nobody tested for it.

[PtaPos]

Hi there, thanks for the response.

By 'indiagnosable" I meant that I was regularly tested for HIV and the test always came up negative. Maybe, the better choice of word would have been 'undetectable'.

Am a bit confused because I always always believed that my sexual practices were safe. The only unsafe sex was 3 years ago and I have been tested about 4 times since that unsafe experience.

[jkinatl2]

Hi there, thanks for the response.

By 'indiagnosable" I meant that I was regularly tested for HIV and the test always came up negative. Maybe, the better choice of word would have been 'undetectable'.

Am a bit confused because I always always believed that my sexual practices were safe. The only unsafe sex was 3 years ago and I have been tested about 4 times since that unsafe experience.

I am very curious. If you remain undetectable on the ELISA test does that mean you have not developed antibodies?

If so, you are really a medical anomaly and I hope your doctor is sending you to a specialist.

I have personally never heard of someone who tests negative for HIV antibodies yet persistently tests positive using other means.

[PtaPos]

hi, I'm not on any meds. CD4 count is good. Viral load is low. next scheduled check up with physician is in December.

[mecch]

Lets get this clear please. My fellow responder is confusing your issue.

You are now straightforward positive. Its not a case of "hidden infection".  Correct?

You are wondering, however, if it had previously been hidden for several years.  You are wondering if you were infected but no antibodies.  Correct?

I heard of ONE case of a guy who is HIV positive and has no antibodies because he went on HAART at seroconversion.  Never heard of hidden infections.  If you are really wondering about that statement by your doctor, ask for clarification by the doctor and if its not too pushy, ask for a scientific reference.

In the meantime, you are clearly one of the HIV+ group who can't ever really identify your risk.  That situation is CERTAINLY known any you just have to let it go, eventually.  Why do you even care about this guy from 3 years ago???

What you wrote about him is WILDLY inconsistent. "Great family values" but you had unsafe sex with him AND now you think he didn't bother to tell you that he was HIV+ at the time.   Sounds like a jerk, according to your description. And he's playing elusive now.  Really, going forward, you can't waste time on such complicated personality types....

[0608]

I'm confused, too.  From what I understand, the poster had several tests after the sexual contact with that guy and tested negative each time.  As long as the tests weren't inside the window period, that would mean that guy WASN'T the one who infected the poster.

Anyway, to the poster, I hope you stay healthy both emotionally and physically.  It's rough going, and I'm sure you're feeling a whole lot of things, but it WILL get better with time.

[PtaPos]

i am positive. had 2 tests to confirm this.

my physician said that i could have stayed undetected for many years. am seeing her again and will confirm.

if i hadn't got it from 3yrs ago, i got it from casual and what i believed to be safe sex. always used a condom. did not ingest semen. don't like precum. love kissing.

i the guy from 3yrs ago was indeed the one who infected me, he didn't know at the time. about 18 months ago, i got an email form him saying that he had a terrible illness and didn't want to elaborate.

[onemoretime]

it sounds to me what the dr is telling you is the virus can go sevseral years (up to 10 years) before causing severe medical problems, thus being diagnosed.  However.....that is without being tested for hiv.  If you have been tested 3 times since and were neg, that is a different story i think,  Does this dr know u tested neg?  are they an HIV or Infectious disease dr?    You are in a great website.  good luck