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Author Topic: Post PEP Testing  (Read 29784 times)

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Offline odysseus

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Post PEP Testing
« on: June 12, 2006, 11:54:08 pm »
Hello,

I've been a dedicated reader over the past weeks, and have learned more about HIV and other STD's here than I did at my 'blue ribbon school of excellence' high school.

My situation (I'm a male): 10 weeks ago I drank way too much one night in HK, and ended up going home with sex worker who was originally from Thailand (not sure if that affects anything in anyway, but, just thought i'd add it).  I received unprotected oral, had protected vaginal, and tried to have protected insertive anal (my first time).  However, during anal, the condom broke - twice.  Both times I noticed immediately (thanks to the loud 'pop' sound), and withdrew w/in 5 seconds.  I put on a new condom both times and continued until done.  The two times from breakage to w/drawl would be my exposure.  I did not notice any blood on the last condom used.

Sobered up about 10 hours later and realized I made a mistake.  Returned to the states the next day, contacted an HIV specialist, and was prescribed PEP (combivir/viread).  Began PEP at hour 48, and completed the PEP w/ 100% adherence. 

One month post exposure I tested negative for the standard set of std's, hiv included, however I had an irritated meatus (tests were done at a lab, not w/ a doctor and physical examination).  8 weeks post exposure (4weeks post-pep) tested negative for HIV I/II. 
Today is 10 weeks.  I still have an irritated meatus (slightly inflamed for parts of the day, though no pain/burning), and will see a urologist tomorrow.  If anyone has any info regarding irritated meatus's, I'd be very appreciative if you could share it.

But, my main question is: what are the chances, with the risk described and the 8week negative ELISA I/II antibody test, of converting to positive?  When will I have a conclusive result: Would a 3 month test be conclusive, or b/c I took PEP do I have to wait 6 months for a conclusive antibody test?  6 months post-exposure or post-PEP?  Would a PCR test give me a conclusive answer if I was to take one today?  Yes - I'm hoping to put this experience behind me as quickly as possible, though plan to always keep it in mind.

The first 6 weeks were pretty awful for me, as I was completely consumed with fear/anxiety/guilt/etc.  The past four weeks have been dramatically better, until this evening, when I returned to checking out 'the websites' and reading about late seroconversions and co-infections affecting results and HIV II not being detectable and and and...(albeit, this info was usually from a not so knowledgable poster writing about something they read 'somewhere on the internet') .

I'm grateful for any info anyone can provide, and please let me know if anything needs clarification.

A sincere thank you,

O

ps: the spell check function attached can use some work.

Offline et in arcadia ego

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2006, 02:16:18 am »
Hi,

According to what I was told by a professor of pharmacology at the conclusion of my PEP, a PCR would be an excellent indicator of status for you at this point. A conclusive Elisa result can be had 13 weeks after the conclusion of PEP.


best,
mike

Offline Ann

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2006, 06:13:19 am »
Odysseus,

I can't see your negative results changing because your risk was only slight. You were protected up until the condoms broke and as you knew both times exactly when they broke, your potential exposure was only a matter of seconds. Hiv is a fragile, difficult virus to transmit, and even more so to the insertive partner. To be honest, PEP was not really warranted in your case.

The fact that you heard a popping sound when the condoms broke leads me to believe that you were probably not making sure there was no air in the condom. This is one of the leading causes of condom breakage. It is also very important that you use plenty of water-based lube when engaging in anal intercourse.

Please read through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can make sure you are using those condoms correctly in future and avoid this kind of thing happening. Correctly used condoms rarely break.

I would NOT recommend that you have a PCR test done. These tests have a high rate of false positives and for this reason, they are not approved for diagnostic purposes.

Test again, using an ELISA antibody test, at 12-13 weeks after the date of your last PEP dose. This result will be conclusive and I'm fully expecting you to receive a negative result.

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 odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2006, 10:05:55 pm »
Thanks for both your replies.

According to the doc who prescribed my PEP, a negative ELISA 3months post-exposure is conclusive.  I have read a few times on this board that the window period begins when PEP ends, and hence the conclusive test comes not 3months post expsoure, but 3 months post-pep.  However, I have not come across any other evidence/literature supporting/citing the 3months post-pep idea.  The Body's Dr. Bob says that PEP would not delay seroconversion, so I do not understand why seroconversion and the conclusive testing date would be delayed a month.  The CDC website suggests testing at baseline, 6 weeks post-exposure, 12weeks post exposure, and then 6 months post exposure - but nothing about 4 months post exposure ( 3months post-pep). 

So, where does the 3months post-pep = conclusive idea come from?  And is 2months post pep/ 3months post-exposure not conclusive?

Thanks...

o

Offline Matty the Damned

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2006, 10:13:12 pm »
Thanks for both your replies.

According to the doc who prescribed my PEP, a negative ELISA 3months post-exposure is conclusive.  I have read a few times on this board that the window period begins when PEP ends, and hence the conclusive test comes not 3months post expsoure, but 3 months post-pep.  However, I have not come across any other evidence/literature supporting/citing the 3months post-pep idea.  The Body's Dr. Bob says that PEP would not delay seroconversion, so I do not understand why seroconversion and the conclusive testing date would be delayed a month.  The CDC website suggests testing at baseline, 6 weeks post-exposure, 12weeks post exposure, and then 6 months post exposure - but nothing about 4 months post exposure ( 3months post-pep). 

So, where does the 3months post-pep = conclusive idea come from?  And is 2months post pep/ 3months post-exposure not conclusive?

Thanks...

o

Odysseus,

I've also always understood that PEP extends the window period so that as Ann says you will have to test 12-13 weeks from the date of your last PEP dose. PEP consists of potent Anti-HIV drugs that supress the replication of the virus and thus can inhibit the production of HIV anti-bodies.

This sounds like something you should ask your doctor to clarify.

MtD

Offline odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2006, 10:47:43 pm »
Alright,

This whole extended window period b/c i took PEP is just not gonna work.  I've had an incredibly stressful past 11 weeks as is, including travelling all over the entire world for work (enjoying very little of it b/c of my HIV status uncertainity), and relocating back to the states after living abroad in asia for the past four years.  I'm getting an increasing amount of responsibility at work, and am not able to properly focus on it b/c i can't keep my HIV fear out of my mind.  Additionally, there' s definitely something wrong w/ my 'unit,' though the urologist i saw (and paid in cash (no insurance yet)) thought it was nothing and prescribed me cipro for two weeks.  BTW, my 'unit' problem is a persistantly irritated meatus that varies in irritation (inflammation / redness) throughout the day.  Any ideas?  Also, my urine stream is not as powerful as it once was, and, voiding everything at the end does not work - it's like my 'unit' muscles have lost power.

Bottom line, I'm looking for some way to bring closure (god-willing) to my situation:
    Would an antibody test at 12weeks post exposure, 8 weeks post PEP be more or less conclusive?  I've read here before that a test 6 weeks post exposure is pretty much conclusive.
    Would a PCR be as conclusive as conclusive can be?  I'm usually quite cost-conscience, but willling to shell out the cash in this case.
    Am I completely over-reacting?  I worry b/c i feel about 100% now, compared to the first 8 weeks post expsorue, which makes me think i was seroconverting the entire time.

Thank you for all your help - I truly appreciate it.

o

Offline Matty the Damned

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2006, 10:51:46 pm »
Odysseus,

Calm down babe. You're just going to have to cope with the window period. It's just the way things are. PEP extends the window period and you need to accomodate that in your testing schedule. Now, PCR testing has a high rate of false positives. It's not suitable nor approved for diagnostic use as a result. If you're stressed now, imagine what state you'll be in if you cop a false positive on a PCR test?

An eight week antibody test from the date you ended PEP would be most encouraging, but you're just going to have to wait for 12-13 weeks to be sure. Try occupying your time with things other than scouring the net for information on AIDS. You'll be surprised how quickly time passes.

Also, review the links in the Welcome Thread.

MtD
« Last Edit: June 15, 2006, 11:07:18 pm by matty.the.damned »

Offline et in arcadia ego

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2006, 10:53:38 pm »
An Elisa now would be an excellent indicator but not conclusive. Sorry to say that, but it's true. However, your risk was extremely slight to begin with.

Despite my prior answer, I'd side with Ann that a PCR might not be a good idea. You aren't that far from being able to have a conclusive Elisa test, and the PCR carries with it the risk of a false positive, which I reckon would be about the last thing you need right now.

 

Offline et in arcadia ego

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2006, 10:54:41 pm »
What Matty said.... 8)

You can't do anything about the window period. Sorry, but it's a fact of life.



Offline lydgate

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2006, 11:04:47 pm »
And I DID have a false (qualitative) positive PCR, back in 2000. Lab error, most likely. And I've had PEP (separate occasion, 2002) -- Combivir, 28 days, for a risk similar to yours. Don't worry, you're going to be fine. I tested EIA and WB at 13 weeks after exposure, negative, and accepted that as conclusive. The latest generations of these tests are detecting potential antibodies a little sooner than the first versions. So I, personally, would accept a 13-week post-exposure as conclusive (though I'm not a doctor I should add). Seriously, you're going to be fine. And there's that line about Odysseus/Ulysses: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Corny, but inspiring too.

lydgate
Her finely-touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

George Eliot, Middlemarch, final paragraph

Offline jkinatl2

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2006, 11:11:07 pm »
Receiving PEP for a condom failure, especially if it's noticed right after it happens, is, IMHO, not the best use of limited resources. The odds of infection in such a situation for the insertive partner are so very low that it does not seem worth the effort, cost, and risks.

Plus, it sends the message that PEP is a catch-all for HIV, and that HIV is FAR more easily transmitted to the insertive partner than is reflected in the epidemiology.

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

-Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH

Welcome Thread

Offline lydgate

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2006, 11:29:51 pm »
Sure. But then are individual cases -- I  got infected as the insertive partner. I considered PEP (you can imagine the remorse and guilt in the morning) but believed the guy when he said he was neg (he may not have been lying, he was probably seroconverting, so potentially very high VL and unaware of his infection) and thought, as the top, let me not over-react. I wish I had, obviously. So, should I have requested PEP and had been denied on the grounds of limited resources -- don't you think, I might justifiably have been resentful when I did in fact seroconvert later? True, condom failure is different from fucking without a condom. But it's hard, as usual, to know when and where to draw the line.

lydgate
Her finely-touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

George Eliot, Middlemarch, final paragraph

Offline jkinatl2

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2006, 11:45:47 pm »
It IS hard to know when to draw the line. But the epidemiology is pretty clear regarding the tremendous difference between fucking without a condom and briefly unprotected insertion due to a condom break.

I am very sorry you were infected as the insertive partner, lydgate. But to even IMPLY that your situation is similar to the OP is, IMHO, irresponsible. We are talking an instance that might .. MIGHT ... justify testing at the 13 week period. But PEP? Many doctors, and not without justification, would not prescribe PEP in such a situation.

However, I digress and apologise for doing so. PEP has happened, and like Matty says, there's no substitute for the established window period.

What I would recommend is that the OP read Ann's signature line, and figure out what he can do to minimize the chances of a condom bursting in the future. Most cases involve leaving an air bubble at the reservoir tip. And in the case of anal sex, extra lubrication is ALWAYS needed to reduce friction.


"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

-Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH

Welcome Thread

Offline Ann

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2006, 05:44:53 am »
odysseus,

I'd just like to reinforce a few points here.

There was no risk to you with either the oral or the protected vaginal intercourse.

There was only a MINIMAL risk to you as the (anal) insertive partner when the condoms broke - in your own words: "Both times I noticed immediately (thanks to the loud 'pop' sound), and withdrew w/in 5 seconds." It would be highly unusual for you to become infected for a total of ten seconds of possible exposure. And that brings me to another point...

You don't even know for sure that the sex worker was hiv positive, which is a prerequisite of hiv transmission. One partner must actually be positive.

And the last point; even if she was positive, even if you are the rare and unlucky so-and-so to become infected from such a brief insertive episode, you have been on PEP.

Add all these points together and you will see how very, very unlikely you are to test positive. Now please, for your own sake, get busy at work and put this out of your mind until the correct window period has passed, collect your negative result and get on with your life.

And please, make sure you read through the condom and lube links in my signature line. It is very rare for a correctly used (and stored) condom to break. Used correctly, they are very reliable.

Hang in there - you're going to be ok, really you are.

Ann
« Last Edit: June 16, 2006, 05:46:49 am by 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 odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2006, 10:59:53 pm »

Thanks, and points well taken.  I do understand the odds that I will test positive after my brief exposure, full course of PEP, and negative ELISA I/II test at 8 weeks are slight.  And I am not debating that and acting like a typical WW, at least I don't think I am (I mean, I didn't get some lapdance from a stripper - I had a potentially real exposure).  But I can't really be forward focused with this uncertainity, b/c the result could have a big impact for me financially and socially.

So, my almost last and final question is:
Would a negative PCR test today (11weeks post exposure, 7 weeks post PEP) be conclusive?
I know there is a chance of false positives, but is there a chance of false negatives?  If there is no chance of a false negative, and I test'negative' on a PCR test today, then that would mean I am conclusively negative, right?  Should I also take another ELISA w/ the PCR?

Oh - and actually one more point.  I called a testing center today, and they said in New York there is no confidential/anonymous hiv testing, and everyone who tests gets recorded in some database.  Insurance companies (and i imagine other 'agencies') have access to this database, and regardless of the diagnosis, insurance premiums would/could increase due to the tester being considered a high(er) risk.  Does anyone know if this is true?

And, jkinatl2, could you explain the difference in the 'epidemiology' between "fucking without a condom and briefly unprotected insertion due to a condom break."  My thread initially made me less concerend, but, then made me more concered.

All - please enjoy your weekend,

John (odysseus just isn't working anymore)

Offline DingoBoi

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #15 on: June 16, 2006, 11:10:43 pm »
Quote
John (odysseus just isn't working anymore)

If you are referring to your previous username in the prior forums, that's right.  None of the user names transferred to the new forums and everyone had to re-register (being able to pick a new username)

Sorry to go offtopic, just wanted to clarify that point for you (so you don't think your It was purposely deleted or anything)

edit: blah.. i'm a big dummy.   I realize now that you posted your first name as your signature (but i'm leaving this here to advise others who might read this thread rather than deleting it)
« Last Edit: June 16, 2006, 11:27:25 pm by DingoBoi »

Offline Ann

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2006, 06:07:39 am »
John,

PCRs are not approved for diagnostic purposes. However, a negative result at 28 days post exposure/PEP is considered the next best thing to the gold standard 12-13 week negative ELISA. Please go to the Welcome Thread and follow the Testing Lesson link.

I have to tell you I cringe anytime I see someone considering PCR testing. We've seen enough false positive results and the aftermath in this forum to know that it's not a good thing to chance - for the mental health of all concerned and yes, that includes those of us who answer questions in this forum.

The information you have been given regarding anonymous hiv testing isn't quite right. You can test anonymously. It is only if you test positive (not going to happen in your case) that your name is entered into a database. Please see the following links for further information: www.hivguidelines.org and www.health.state.ny.us The database (as far as I am aware) has been created for the purposes of funding issues and I'm fairly certain that insurance companies do not have access to that information. Hiv positive people have certain rights and privacy protections in the US.

As far as your epidemiology question goes, it's really a matter of common sense. Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus and more so to the insertive partner. It stands to reason that full-on, condomless intercourse is riskier than a brief possible exposure because of a condom break. I've been a member of these forums since 2001 and I have yet to see an insertive partner test positive after a condom break - or a receptive partner either, for that matter. Condoms really do provide fantastic protection - and you were protected up until the condom broke, which you noticed immediately and withdrew.

You are going to be just fine, really you are. Hang in there. And by the way, I posted those points for your reassurance, not because of any way that you were "acting", other than worried and perhaps a bit frightened.

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 RapidRod

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2006, 06:42:43 am »
There is now way anyone can get personal information on you without your knowledge with out you signing a release form, due to HIPPA.

Offline odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2006, 07:41:25 pm »
So...I'll go take an ELISA tomorrow(12weeks post-exposure, 8 weeks post PEP- which i know is not conclusive conclusive, but probably kind of close, yeah?) and pray for the best.  Praying is an extra step I think though - I've already been to every temple/superstitious place in HK and Japan and given tons of money wishing for luck. 

Just another quick question to help me rest a bit easier this evening:
I have recently developed a crazy rash on my legs.  I was/am 95% sure it's poison ivy, due to the fact that i was playing in the woods for about an hour, but just wanted to try to distinguish my rash between the 'ars rash.'
Also, I am taking CIPRO now for prostatits, which i don't think i have b/c after a week of the meds, no effect  :-(, but could also theoretically be causing the rash I think.

Does the ARS rash itch?  Mine is extremely itchy...extremely.
Could ARS come 12 weeks post exposure, 8 weeks post PEP?
Could ARS only show one symptom, the rash?  I ask b/c fever wise i'm fine, gi track is fine, no night sweats (just waking up to itch rash), -not sure about lymph nodes b/c i have no idea where they are.  I'm exhausted all the time but that's just b/c i just started commuting (1.5+hrs each way) which involves waking up at like 6am.

Any word on the rash/cipro/anything else would be great.

john



Offline Ann

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2006, 08:03:41 pm »
odysseus,

ARS rash does NOT itch. Furthermore, it normally appears on the trunk of the body (chest and/or back), not the legs.

Your eight week test result will be an excellent indication of your status, although as you know, not conclusive.

Hang in there. The chance of you ending up positive after your low risk plus PEP is pretty much nil.

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 odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #20 on: June 21, 2006, 10:26:24 pm »
Just a quick update (b/c i thought it would be rude not to leave one).

Went to the clinic today for testing, but it would have taken too much time, and i had to go to work.  so, will take friday morning off and give it another go.

till then


Offline odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2006, 02:28:10 am »
So - tested this morning 12weeks post exposure/8weeks post PEP and the oraquick test came back negative.  i think that's a good sign.
are those oraquick tests really accurate?  i mean, how do you know if you get enough of sample on the swab?  i would feel a bi tmore confident if it was a blood test for antibodies...
good way to start the summer.
though i now have a poison ivy rash taking over my body.
thanks for all the advice/encouragement so far...

have a great weekend

ps: to any posters taking PEP, feel free to PM me any questions you wish to ask about my experience - im' no expert, but i can tell you what my 4 weeks were like.

Offline er1c2003

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #22 on: June 24, 2006, 02:36:22 am »
sorry, i tried to do a private messgae....

Offline Ann

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #23 on: June 24, 2006, 06:24:57 am »
Odysseus,

Your results are indeed a very good indication of your true status. And yes, the oraquick tests are excellent tests and very accurate. They wouldn't be approved for use if there was the slightest chance they were missing out on positive results.

As I've already told you, the chance of you ending up positive after your low risk plus PEP is pretty much nil. 

Now enjoy your summer and put this out of your mind for the next four weeks. And ouch, good luck with the poison ivy. I remember having a very bad few weeks one summer as a kid with poison ivy. It totally screwed up my Girl Scout summer camp experience that year. Bleh! :P Get yourself some calamine lotion and try not to scratch. Scratching makes it worse and opens you up to bacterial infection. You don't want that! 

Take care and yes, you can relax now. Your result is absolutely unlikely to change.

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 Andy Velez

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2006, 11:54:29 am »
After going through all of the backs and forths here I just want to add my observation that I certainly expect you will continue to test negative.

The last test does need to be done at 13 weeks past the completion of the PEP cycle for a reliable result. At this point after all you've gone through over this, I know you want any doubts removed about the issue.

That poison ivy can be awful stuff so you need to be careful about having it properly protected.

Good luck with your test result.

Cheers,
Andy Velez

Offline odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2006, 12:09:44 pm »
Hey -

Again, thanks for the replies.
I found a great way to take care of poison ivy: go to the doctor and they prescribe you drugs that really work: predinosone and medrol (4mg tapered).  I just saw that these drugs inhibit your immune system.  Will this affect/extend my HIV window period?

Also, i've mentioned i'm taking cipro for a possible prostate infection (though 12 days into the meds i've seen no effect/improvement - i have irritated meatus/voiding problems/low power urine stream/kind of painful erections maybe).  The doc said taking these meds would not affect anything w/ my potential prostate infection....True?

Thanks again -

Offline jkinatl2

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #26 on: June 25, 2006, 12:14:51 pm »
<< Will this affect/extend my HIV window period>

A) No.

B) certainly not YOURS. Seriously.

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

-Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH

Welcome Thread

Offline odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #27 on: July 05, 2006, 07:18:26 pm »
Hi -

I don't mean to take up too much of everyone's time, and i know that my chances of remaining hiv negative are sky high, but, I've got this crazy rash on my hands.  Nothing to do w/ the poison ivy before.  It's mainly raised, skin colored (white) bumps along the sides of my fingers, back side of my fingers, and also palmside of my fingers.  Among the bumps are a few that are raised and white with red surrounding them, and some red bumps.  The ones on the palmside of my fingers are most severe.  They occassionaly itch, but nearly always hurt - especially when carrying my briefcase.  It's more my right hand than left.

I'm worried this could be a symtpom of ARS.  I know symptoms are not used around here, it's just that i've never had anything like this before in my life, and well, i'm scared/worried and stare at my hands all day instead of focusing on work (this is bad).  I don't think I have a fever, swollen lymph glands, or any of the other 'common symptoms' of ARS.  The rash is only on my hands.  Sound like ARS?  Pretty late, but not impossible, huh? 

I'll go to the dr. at work tomorrow, but have to refrain from telling him about my night in HK, b/c well, he's the company dr who we see for free, and im' not sure what kind of confidentiality policy they have.

Also, next week I plan on taking a PCR.  I know it's not recommended, but I don't think i'll be able to rest assured even if I have a negative elisa 12 weeks post-pep.  This is after reading the CDC website which not only recommends testing out to 6 months post exposure if you take PEP, but also mentions they think testing out to a year would be wise/cautionary.  So, I'll hopefully have a -pcr next week, and then the negative elisa 2 weeks later, and then hopefully consider myself conclusively negative.  Sound like a good plan? 

Happy July...

Offline Ann

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #28 on: July 05, 2006, 07:33:26 pm »
Odysseus,

Whatever that rash on your hands is, it has nothing to do with hiv. Hiv just doesn't cause rashes like that. Secondary syphilis can cause a rash on the palms of the hands... and so can many other things. I had one once that was a reaction to athlete's foot cream. (and my doctor tested me for syphilis - and it was negative)

Personally, I think having a PCR test done is pure folly. If you get a false positive (which is why they are NOT approved for diagnostic purposes) you will be in one hell of a state. Why risk doing that to yourself? You only had a small hiv risk to begin with, coupled with PEP. Just chill out and wait for your final confirmatory ELISA. It's more of a formality at this point than anything.

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 odysseus

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #29 on: July 30, 2006, 09:23:39 pm »
So....
My 13weeks post-pep oraquick test came back negative.
This is 1,000,000,000% conclusive?  I don't have to worry about rare strains/subtypes, do I?  CDC recommends testing again at 6 months if taking PEP - necessary?

Still have bizarre rash on my hands, but who knows - i haven't slept in 4 months.

Thanks everybody-




 

Offline Morgan

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #30 on: July 30, 2006, 10:41:14 pm »
Odysseus,

Your 13 week post PEP negative is conclusive. 

Morgan
Morgan Landers

Offline Ann

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Re: Post PEP Testing
« Reply #31 on: July 31, 2006, 04:34:55 am »
Odysseus,

Your test result is conclusive. I didn't expect anything other than a negative to begin with, given the combination of your low risk, coupled with PEP.

Have you seen your doctor about that rash on your hands? You need to be tested for syphilis. Seriously.

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

 


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