Do you recommend more testing?

[teatale]

Hey,

I've been browsing through the forum and getting very valuable information. I congratulate for your great work.

I'm a male who had a potential exposure by receiving unprotected oral sex from a sex worker.

I have tested at several points for other STIs at the advice of my doctors and they have cleared me for that. However, I've been having a consistently and slightly swollen lymph node in my neck for 2 weeks until a couples of days ago when I started having a high fever and other flu-like symptoms.

The fact is I was very drunk and I don't remember a part of the night. I remember her saying sometime in the middle that she wanted vaginal sex and last thing I remember is she was still giving me oral sex, we finished and I left. I have no memories of any penetrative vaginal or anal sex. I saw no condoms laying around so I assume no vaginal intercourse took place. But if it did, it was most likely unprotected.

I have tested at 8 weeks with an HIV antigen-HIV 1+2 antibody and the result was negative.

Do you recommend restesting? When?

Also, could your provide some link about the antigen test, since some European sites say such tests are completely reliable at 4 weeks but American sites seem to think 3 months is the moment.

Also, my doctor says I need to restest at 6 months even though I've had no transplants cancer or IV drug use, why are there such different opinions?

[RapidRod]

You never had an HIV exposure and no testing is needed for HIV.

[Andy Velez]

Your doctor is wrong. A negative at 3 months is reliable unless you are a longtime intravenous drug user, have been treated currently for cancer or had an organ transplant recently.

You didn't have a risk. So for you testing is strictly for your peace of mind if you feel you need another negative at 3 months.

The real red flag in your comments is your being so drunk that you have only a foggy recollection of the events. Mixing excessive drinking with casual sex is a dangerous combination and should be avoid.

But this time out I don't see you a having had a risk. 

[teatale]

Thanks a lot for your comments. This has been very stressing, and I guess that has facilitated getting all these flu and viruses, which simultaneaously fuel the fears of having ARS.

Andy, yes, realized how much power you lose over your decisions on safe sex when you drink. I didn't think about risks I'd normally think of when sober and ended up in a potentially risky situation. This is a pretty valuable leasson which I hope I've fully learned.

I would like to get your opinion on why are there such differences in testing times. Europeans seem to think it's conclusive at 28 days with antigen+antibodies test, American 3 months and some developing countries 6 months. Do you have any links or reports that can help me understand these differences better?

Also, I'm getting ready for my 13-week test jut for total peace of mind. I phoned a testing lab and they said I can't take the HIV test if I have any sort of active viral infection because it might give a false positive. Is this in any way true? I do have this virus that gave me chills, fever and other flu-like symptoms but I'm getting over it pretty quickly.

[Andy Velez]

There are a number of reasons why different places/countries use different testing dates.

For simplicity and reliability we go with the CDC recommendation of 3 months for a conclusive result because at that point all generations of tests currently in use will yield a reliable result. In general we find that for the most part a negative result at 6 weeks will point the way to another negative at 3 months.

[teatale]

Again, thank you very much for your responses.

What do you think of my lab recommendations about not testing while having a cold or other viral infections?

[Ann]

Tea,

It doesn't really matter if you test when you have a cold or viral infection such as the flu. It might - might - cause a false positive, but it's not going to cause a false negative.

You don't have hiv anyway. Not one person has ever been infected through getting their dick sucked and you aren't going to be the first.

You do not need further testing at this time - you are conclusively hiv negative.

You can test again at the three month point if you seriously don't know if you had unprotected intercourse, but testing again would be for your peace of mind. Your eight week negative is not going to change.

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!

Ann

[teatale]

Ann, Andy, RapidRod, thanks very much for your answers. You do a great job here.

I tested 93 days (13 weeks) after this possible exposure for p24 antigen + HIV 1&2 antibody and the result was negative. Is this now completely conclusive given no IV drug use, transplant or cancer treatment?

[Ann]

tea,

You are conclusively hiv negative. You do not need further testing.

Ann