POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: kdee4321 on October 18, 2007, 05:45:29 pm
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i had 2 unprotected incounters with 2 different men over 3 months ago. was tested at 94 days from last exposure. negative. can i rely on this result? 100 percent? i am healthy and do not use drugs so a 6 month test would never be necessary in my situation, ever? i just feel so alone, depressed and scared. its like everywhere i look i see hiv or something to do with it. i have this terrible feeling of dread. please help me.
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kd,
Your test result is conclusive; you do not have hiv. You do not need further testing over these incidents, you are conclusively hiv negative.
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 with a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.
Have a look through all three 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.
Please let this be a wake-up call. Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection.
Ann
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thanks for ur response. i will of couse use condoms- i have a boyfriend now and we use them consistently even though he says he has tested. i will not take any chance. is a feeling of dread normal? could it be a resut of my guilt? i know you are not a shrink but i would figur you see this situations alot and how ppl react. would you recommend pcr to rule out any small percentage? or 94 days rapid antibody in US is all i need?
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kd,
I absolutely do NOT recommend a PCR. They are not approved for diagnostic purposes. All you need is the test you already have taken.
You do NOT have hiv. If you find it difficult to accept this fact, please see a counselor. We don't deal in feelings here, just in facts. The fact in your case is that you are hiv negative. Period, end of story.
You are conclusively hiv negative and do not need further testing over the incidents you are worrying about.
Ann
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i am thinking about seeing a counselor. i am negative with no chance of future seroconversion correct? im sorry i just want reassurance
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kd,
You are conclusively hiv negative. If you cannot put this behind you, then you may find counseling very beneficial and I do encourage you to pursue it.
Ann
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i have a boyfriend and we have used condoms everytime. he tested 9.5 weeks(67 dyays) after a onetime incident he had during our break up. it was negative. i told him to test again @ 3 months but what are the chances his 9.5 week will change? please answer i am worried about this.
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kd,
A 9.5 week test is highly unlikely to change, but he still needs to confirm at three months and you still need to use condoms until he's got that conclusive result.
Ann
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yes i will continue to use condoms but do you think i should be concerned about his result changing? i am so worried.
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You need to relax and wait on the test results.
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it is very hard for me i am an anxious person. what are the chances it will changE?
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i am scared. :'(
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kd,
I've already told you they are not likely to change and no one else here is going to tell you any different - because there is nothing different to say.
If you need help managing your anxiety, see a counselor. We cannot help you with that here. This forum is not the appropriate place to work through your anxious feelings.
Please do not keep posting to ask the same question over and over again.
Ann
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i am sorry for my repetitive questions. i know you said not likely, i was just asking again about the chances like say percentage wise or something. i am currently seeing a therapist at my college.
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would it be more realiable to have my boyfriend test again tomorrow at almost 11 weeks? would that be more realiable than 9.5?
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Look kd, the window period expires in 12 weeks not 11. To be sure of a negative result your boyfriend has to test at 12 weeks.
If you've waited 11 weeks, you can wait 12.
MtD
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i understand a 9.5 week isnt conclusive, do you also agree with ann that it is unlikely to change? in your opinion do all the moderatars have similar views on most matters, or are some more conservative than others?
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The only HIV test you should always be relying upon is your own. Not someone else's.
And yes, I agree with Ann that your previous negative is virtually certain to be confirmed by another negative at 13 weeks.
Get busy now in your life and your waiting time will pass more quickly than you may imagine is possible.
Good luck with your re-test.
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Re: please help me i am feel sick to my stomach
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by mcmaclean01 HIV is not a big deal to have anyway.
You have got to be kidding. HIV is a very big deal.
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KDee4321,
It's obvious you are HIV negative and have high anxiety. Get the anxiety treated you don't have to worry about HIV. I recommend Lexapro and Xanex to calm you down, and honestly in this day and age HIV is not a big deal to have anyway.
Try having type 2 diabetes, it makes HIV look like a slight cold. Look at my picture, do I look like I have had a stroke, caused by Toxoplasmosis eating my brain, because my immune system was compromised by AIDS. I also have had three comas caused by a pancreatic infection which gave me diabetes along with six months of seizures when I changed my meds.
I am 6'2" 195lbs of solid muscle, 47 years old and honestly even with the HIV l am in the best shape physically and mentally within my entire life. My Viral Load is now undetectable and my CD4/T Cells (Immunity) is that of a normal person 585. So calm down babe go treat your anxiety because that's the medical problem you have, not HIV.
Kind Regards
Mark
Mark,
It's nice that you want to help out here in AMI but you should take the time to read the AMI welcome thread, in particular this section:
Only those Moderators and members who are authorized to answer questions in the Am I Infected? forum are permitted do so. Unauthorized responses may be deleted without permission of the poster. Repeatedly posting replies of this nature may result in a Time Out or permanent ban, at the discretion of the Moderator Team.
Some of the advice you've given kd is not helpful. We are not doctors or psychologists here and we certainly cannot advise people to take specific medications such as Lexapro and Xanax.
Moreover, HIV is a very big deal to a lot of people and suggesting to the uninfected that it isn't is most unwise.
You'd probably do better to restrict yourself to the poz only and off topic forums and leave the dispensing of advice to those of us who know what we're doing.
Regards,
MtD
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listen i dont wanna go on mental health drugs because i am in therapy and they say it takes time :(...but maybe ill consider it i dont know.
has anyone evr had a 9.5 wk negative turn positive in recent yrs if they had a normal immune systm and no ivdrug use?
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No KD, I've never seen someone test positive after receiving a negative result at 9.5 week.
MtD
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so a confirmation at 3 months is pretty much a guarenteed...but per the CDC to be conclusive it has to be 3 months correct? do you think i should consider mental health drugs as the other moderator suggested?
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That's it KD. You need to test at 3 months for confirmation.
As for the medication issue, well that's something you should discuss with your doctor. Neither Mark or myself are Moderators.
MtD
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ok thanks. :) nice work on the forum. i apologize for my anxiety driven questions.
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i read on another forum today that the cdc is reducing the window pd to 6 wks? does this have any truth to it?
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There could well be some truth to that, kd.
Already the US state of Massachusetts has a 6 week window period because of the type of antibody test used in there. I'm told some parts of Australia have also moved to 6 week window periods, but thus far the official guidelines here still stipulate a 12 week window period.
Nevertheless until an official announcement is made, we must adhere to the 13 week standard.
MtD
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Massachusetts already uses 6 weeks as an all clear. The CDC has always been conservative. It took them a long while to get to endorsing 13 weeks.
As far as your question about possibly beginning any drugs for emotional problems, that's something to discuss with your doctor. I come from the direction of avoiding that as much as possible. It's a matter of whether you can tolerate the feelings you're having. You have to decide that.
Cheers,
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so if i were to drive up to MA a 9.5 week neg would be more than conclusivE? i dont get it. is it that we just have to obide by the CDC legally and 6 wk is reliable? ie-9.5 wk neg is as good as gold? they use oraquick there too, same as my state.
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Yah, things aren't as sensibily arranged as they might be. Not every testing site uses the most current and sensitive tests which is why for the timebeing the CDC has continued to advocate using 13 weeks as the testing point.
If you want to get in the car and take a drive...
Like I said and maybe you have noticed it before today, the world is not as sensible in the way it functions as it might be.
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so if i took the same test that massachusetts offers in my state then can i conclude my 9.5 week neg is conclusive --being that its the exact same test and is considered conclusive at 6 weeks in MA ie- 2 hrs away from me!?
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Mass does not say that at all. They still say 3 months is conclusive for those that have had a REAL risk. Six week for those that have had NO RISK and were tested to relieve anxiety.
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i spoke to a massachusetts represenative yessterday who told me 6 wks was conclusive for me. i had a real risk!
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This is an anxiety-driven "non-discussion" we're having here.
How about just getting productively busy in your life, testing again at 13 weeks and collecting what I certainly expect will be a negative result. Given your level of worry about this issue I don't recommend that you go for any short cuts because sure as shootin' you're still going to be wondering what if.
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its funny you should mention short cuts because i made an appt for my boyfriend and me and this would be at day 81. otherwise i would have to wait til day 98 which i dont think i could stand! i would assume day 81 would be considered conclusive being so close to 12 weeks and having previous negatives as well. is day 81 good enuf?
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tested at day 78... negative...reliable result? what are the chances it will change?
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anyone know the reliability of this test
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The test is reliable and I've never seen a 78 day negative result turn positive after the 90 day mark.
Never.
MtD
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thank you your the best
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I know babe. I'm like totally clever. ;)
Regards,
MtD
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is a test after 78 days necessary? testing is just driving me nuts. the test is 3rd generation oraquick if that matters.
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KD,
According to your posts, YOU tested conclusively hiv negative ages ago. YOU do not have hiv.
The test results show that your boyfriend also does not have hiv. Technically 78 days is not twelve weeks, but it's near as damn-it and his result is not going to change in the few remaining days.
Keep working with your therapist. This forum is not the appropriate place for you to work through your extreme anxiety.
If you've ever bothered to read the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) like you're supposed to, you will have read the following:
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). 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. If you post these same questions one more time, you WILL be given a time out.
Ann
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okay im sorry but i hope you understand that i keep hearing different things. a lot of websites say 3 months, one of the testing center i went to said 12 weeks and another said 6 months. im just confused and on top of that as you know anxious. i tested again when my boyfriend tested this was 119 days for me. i can accept this as completly conclusive and a 6month test wouldnt change a thing? just this one clarification and i wont post further.
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As long as you indulge yourself by surfing the net for more to confuse and scare yourself with you're going to find bits that will do just that.
Yes, you are conclusively HIV negative. Period. End of story.
As Ann has already told you, you're on the verge of getting a Time Out here for coming back again and again with the same just one more question, etc. Cut it out.
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so in conclusion, since my boyfriend and i have both tested negative we can now discontinue the use of condoms without worry?
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As long as you both are in a monogamist relationship.
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thanks rod i am so glad to hear this news :D...and yes of course we care monogomous
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ann i really respect your advice and wanted to know if you agreed w/ rod that it is ok for my boyfriend and i to have unprotected relations being that we are bth negative
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KD,
It's a no-brainer, isn't it?
As you don't seem to be paying attention to much said to you and because you need a push to get on with your life, I'm giving you that time out you've been warned about. Do not create a new account to get around your time out or you will be permanently banned, no questions asked.
If you cannot let these hiv issues go, then please seek out an appointment with a therapist. There's nothing more we can do for you here.
Ann
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Just wanted to give everyone and update, since my unprotected exposures i have been going through a lot of mental stress. well needless to say i tested numerous times out to over 20 weeks. i also forced my boyfriend to test numerous times out to 101 days after his potential exposures. i guess its all the contradictary info out there that gets people crazy. i did decide to start seeing a psychologist who has been helpful through this whole thing. my searching the web needlessly has continued, i still cant shake this uneasy feeling at times but i am working on it!! i was going to test again at the 24 week mark but have decided against it due to the belief it would just be one more thing to feed my fear, and who knows if it would end there! i dont think there would be anyreason to think the test might change, even though my own fears may tell me otherwise. my boyfriend and i are struggling and we actually have not been having any sex due to my paranoia. he will not test anymore either which i understand after nealry 7 or 8 tests out to 14.5 weeks, although i did ask him to test again. maybe i am being irrational in trying to suck him into myfears. well just wanted to give an update.
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quick question... is there any truth in this statement "a small number who are infected never develop HIV antibodies" ?
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Where did you get that information?
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www.[blocked URL].net/aids/data/vttests.htm
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Just to let you know that your are fixing to get yourself banned from the forum. Denialist crap isn't permitted here.
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hey all i asked is if there was truth in the info, your the one who asked where i was getting it from i had no intention of posting the sites
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Did you read any of the disinformation that they provided? If you had, you would have known there wasn't any scientific bases for any of it.
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kdee
I have deleted the links you posted..we do not, under any circumstances, allow denialist material to be put on this forum...it pays to read before posting.
You have been told numerous times you have tested negative so it's time for you to move on, if you are not going to listen to what the experts have told you then there is nothing more we can do for you.
Jan
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im sorry i didnt know the websites i found were illigitamate. please accept my apoligies,
i was feeling better after my 20 wk test and my boyfriends 101 day test then lately i started experience some soreness under my arms and in my upper arms. i palpated to see if there was any lumps and swollen nodes but there isnt, just soreness that comes and goes. also i recently have had some circles under my eyes. would any of this warrant futher testing? any of it indicative of infection?
also my boyfriend got a cold sore. would this indicate further testing? he was tested at 101 days...thanks
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You and your bf have reliably tested negative.
You are HIV negative.
If you have troublesome symptoms that's something to discuss with your doctor.
We've held your hand enough here. If you come back with more of this what if and hand wringing you're going to get a 30 day time out. This is not an HIV situation.
See a therapist if you can't get over this and on with your life.
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so i thought i was conclusvely negative but yesterday i felt a small bump behind my ear, i thought it was a pimple but now i think it may be a swollen node... would this be a reason to get retested?
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I think Andy said it all with this comment:
We've held your hand enough here. If you come back with more of this what if and hand wringing you're going to get a 30 day time out. This is not an HIV situation.
MtD
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so i guess that means no further testing needed? i tested about 10 times from july to december after my exposures. all were negative and the last one was 5 months post last exposure. does this put me 100percent in the clear regardless of any "symptoms" that may pop up now and in the future? is a healthy person seroconverting after this much time possible?
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Move on. You are HIV negative.
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kd,
We're obviously not getting through to you. You do NOT HAVE HIV. I'm giving you a second time out and this one will last for 56 days. Get yourself into counseling - we cannot help you here.
Do not attempt to create a new account to get around your Time Out because if you do, you will be permanently banned.
Ann
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ok heres my story
i took a pcr dna test with elisa antibody test after with labcorp after 27 days of unprotected sex=negative
i took another pcr dna test with elisa antibodt test with quest diagn after 45 days {6 weeks}=negative
at 6.3 weeks i took a elisa test and it came back negative
is this good enough
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Mkco,
Please don't post in other people's threads. If you have questions you want to ask us, start your own thread.
MtD
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Hi i have been needing to ask this question but ive been on time out. here it goes. i found out that one of the guys i had an exposure with is a big time drug user!... and his girlfriend has recently been sick with the flu which i know really doesnt mean anything but...i am not sure if he was using during the time of my exposure. this concerned me being that this new info could extend the window period so i decided to test again. (also ive had a number of non specific symptoms congestion,ect not gonna go into all that)...well i tested 28 weeks from this particular exposue i am concerned about and 27 weeks from last exposure at all. my boyfriend is now my fiance (he has tested reliably neg) and we both do want to have unprotected sex. i want to but i dont want to give him hiv, i just want to know if in light of this new info unprotected sex is okay and my test results are conclusive? Thanks all.
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Another persons drug use as nothing to do with your testing and you've tested way beyond the window period. Seek professional mental help to deal with your issues.
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kd,
It is irrelevant whether or not this guy is hiv positive - because even if he is, you did NOT become infected during your encounter with him.
You have tested FAR outside the window period. You do NOT have hiv!
As we obviously cannot get that fact through to you, I'm permanently banning you from this site, which is the step we take after two time outs have failed to wake someone up. Please continue to work with your therapist - and if you don't seem to be getting any better with this one, maybe it's time to find another one better suited to your needs.
Ann