Tested positive recently and a question about exposure

[thisisit]

I am 36 year old male. In USA now from South Asia originally.
I have been sexually active since August 2015. I never had sex before that in my life (not even oral sex.) Also, the sex that I had from August 2015 and Sep 2016 was always protected.

I never has any blood transfusions.
I never had any surgery.
I gave unprotected oral sex but never swallowed.

I got tested for HIV (both 4th Gen Ab/Ag Combo) and rapid test on July  7th 2016.
I got tested again for HIV (both 4th Gen Ab/Ag Combo) and rapid test on August 23th 2016.

All above tests were negative.

I met my current partner in end of May 2016. I have been with him since then. He got tested in July 7th 2016 and was also -ve.

I had unprotected sex for the first time in my life with him starting September 2016. Both top and bottom.

Around that time, I started to have warts/bumps on my penis, couple of them near my nipples and white bumps on my mouth. I went to a dermatologist on December 15th 2016. He said that it is molluscum and a sign of HIV in adult men and requested a test. I gave the blood for test.

On the same day, after getting out of the clinic, I went to get a rapid test from another clinic. It was negative.

On December 22nd 2016 my dermatologist called me and told me that my PCR RNA test is positive for 'acute HIV-1 infection' but antibodies are still negative. I was clearly shocked.

My initial reaction was that maybe my partner (from May 2016) has given this to me and his July 2016 test was in the window period. Also, because if understand correctly,
'acute infection' means within last 3 months for most people.

I told this to my partner and he was shocked too but though that may be yeah, his got it before he met me. None of us has cheated on each other from May 2016 to now. I trust him and I of course know about myself and I was with anyone after May 2016.

Anyway, I went to the specialist on Dec 27th and they said that yes it is acute too by looking at the dermatologist's test and requested lot of other blood tests. They didn't start treatment and asked me to come on Jan 10th, 2017.

I haven't my CDH or VL counts yet. The first result should be out today or next week. My other bloods tests (CBC, liver, urine, other STDs etc.) which came out today are all normal.

My partner got 2 rapid tests done form different providers on Dec 29th 2017 and both are negative.

My question here is that, how can I get this infection within last 3 months if I am acute? I never slept with anyone other than my partner. And even if he did, he is
testing -ve till yesterday too.

Another confusion:
My research showed me that molluscum is a sign of late stage HIV. So if I am acute, how can I get. Note that the dermatologist didn't test for molluscum. It was visual. The specialist thought, again by visual inspection, that it could be molluscum but weren't sure.

I am not in denial. I know it is a hard journey and I will work on it. I also know that lot of people think that how could this happen to them or they practiced safe sex and can't wrap their heads around it. But what bugs me is that it doesn't seem to logically possible for me to get it within last 3 months. It is not that I was having safe oral and other sex and by unlucky odds, I contracted. If my understanding of acute infection is correct, I have to be exposed to it within 3 months of Dec 15, 2016 which is like September 2016.  If according to the tests done so far, it was like 6 months or before, I could get that.

Any ideas? What am I missing?

[gcr.mty.mx]

Hey.

Take it a step at a time. Wait until you get your cd4 and VL.
All that matters is that you confirm and know you are positive. Don't waste your time on when or who infection came from, it won't change anything.
Both of you need to follow up with you doctors instructions and move on with life!

Good luck and keep us posted!

G

[Jim Allen]

Hi

Sorry to hear you having a tough time and this is surly a stressful event.

Well to start with in august you could have been tested in the window, so add 3 months before that. If the symptoms were caused by HIV your antibody test would have been positive already.

You are here now, how you got here does not matter, to be HIV positive you must have had an event that gave you exposure its that simple.

There is no mystery how HIV is transmitted, that is if you do indeed go on to confirm as HIV positive, remains to be confirmed. Anyhow it does not matter how it happened and your partner as a note will need to work with his doctor and do follow-up testing as well.

Now bloods were taken you said so conformation testing will be done, until that result is confirmed I will ask you to post in this 1 thread only.

Take care.

Jim

Edit
Ill add that Molluscum is a common skin disease/infection both among people with or without HIV and by no means a sign of infection as you suggested, it is unrelated to HIV.

[thisisit]

Thanks for your responses. I will post an update when I have it.

[Jim Allen]

Yeah.

The symptoms you mentioned are not HIV specific, no matter what your HIV status. Now if you had, had symptoms actually caused by HIV than the antibody test would be positive already and its not. Its that simple.

The risks are clear, unprotected intercourse is a risk as you reported with your partner and giving oral is a theoretical risk that should not be a source of concern, Now the past tests could have also been in the window period quick count means the test could have been a false negative if infected before the end of April start of May so before you met your new partner.

Whatever the result there is no judgment here, we simply don't care however if negative let it be a lesson to use condoms both correctly and consistently no matter what!

Now if you are in a true monogamous relationship and trust that person and want to take that risk than at least wait for testing until the full 3 months post any other contact before testing for both HIV & STI's, use condoms until such time.

Anyhow I wish both you and your partner all the best on your follow-up testing.
Use condoms in the meantime.

Jim

[thisisit]

After when Viral Load (was completely negative) and T-Lymphocyte Helper/Suppressor Profile (all counts normal) tests were fine, the doctors said that the original RNA was false positive. Advised me and my partner to get tests in a couple of months to be 100% sure.

[Ptrk3]

I'm glad to hear the good news!

[thisisit]

So I went to my dermatologist for follow up after a month on Jan 17, 2017. He is still of the opinion (in spite the viral load test and immuno suppressor profile done by the HIV specialist on 12/22/2016) that I have HIV because he thinks the molluscum has not improved after the 1 month long treatment. He has order tests again for HIV and T-Cells count. Results should be back in a today or in a day or two.

After getting out of his clinic, me and my partner went for a rapid test at another clinic and that was negative for both of us.

Very confusing, not just because it doesn't make sense to us given last possible exposure (and subsequent testing) but it is all so stressful in terms of what to believe or not. Have one decision and move on.

Anyway. Let us see.

[Jim Allen]

Molluscum has nothing to do with HIV.  Molluscum is a common skin disease/infection both among people with or without HIV and by no means a sign of infection as you suggested, it is unrelated to HIV.

No doctor in his right mind would claim it was , move on and please do not post about this again, we can not assist you here.

Now if you are in a true monogamous relationship and trust that person and want to take that risk than at least wait for testing until the full 3 months post any other contact before testing for both HIV & STI's, (Antibody test not RNA test as up-to 8% are incorrect) use condoms until such time.

Jim

[thisisit]

I am sorry. I didn't mean to upset or cause confusion on the forums. Just thought that I would share my thoughts/concern in my thread.

I would refrain from further posting until something definitive.

[Jim Allen]

The only thing that matters is your risk reduction and test antibody results past any possible exposure.

If what you posted was true the results would be negative and as expected they are so far. Use condoms and as said if you are in a true monogamous relationship and trust that person and want to take that risk than at least wait for testing until the full 3 months post any other contact before testing for both HIV & STI's,

Test using an antibody test not RNA tests as between 2% up-to 8% of RNA tests are incorrect.

Finally the antibodies tests produced and used on the markets are either a gen 3 of better and a gen 3 from the 90's are conclusive at 3 months. Test for peace of mind by all means however if what you claim is the truth and the whole truth the results will remain negative.

Jim