POZ Community Forums

HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: counting on September 15, 2013, 12:32:04 pm

Title: Condom slipped off with csw - High risk
Post by: counting on September 15, 2013, 12:32:04 pm
Hello everyone

I live in Dominican Republic and I had a condom slip of with csw (minutes - count as unprotected sex...). This happened 1st of June.

Around 6 weeks later I was having "ars" symptoms like low grade fever (99.3), serious fatique, pharyngitis, oral ulcers, aching joints, yeast balanitis, and oral thrush which still presents (tongue, esophagus). No rash or llymphadenopathy though, allthough I was supersensitive to mosquito bites that time. Symptoms lasted around 2-3 weeks, I'm worried because of the thrush and the fact i've never experienced anything like this.

I got myself tested with "QEIA" Anti VIH 1/2 around 11.5 - 12 weeks later, results came back negative. I don't know the generation of the test, but I think it might be one of the older ones (cost ~12$). The lab should be one of the best in my country though.

I also had my blood tested and it seems that my neutrophil count is high (4.05 - 66.8%) and lymphocyte count is low (1.48 - 24.4%), which indicates an infection ?

My questions are, should I've been tested positive with lower generation tests so far ? Whats the time person should test positive after the acute retroviral illness ?

Do you guys recommend a retest, maybe EIA + p24 (p24 might be way too late now) or WB ? I'm trying to soothe myself with the fact that HIV can't be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and I also had a negative test results.

With best regards






Title: Re: Condom slipped off with csw - High risk
Post by: Jeff G on September 15, 2013, 12:43:39 pm
The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. Most who are infected will test positive by 6 weeks. For various reasons a small number will take longer and that is why we follow the CDC recommendation to test at 3 months for a conclusive negative result.

Its rare for a 6 week test to change so you should expect a negative result when you do a confirmatory test at 3 months , 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. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!
Title: Re: Condom slipped off with csw - High risk
Post by: counting on September 24, 2013, 05:52:50 pm
Thank you Jeff G for your answer. I also have a couple more questions if you could answer.
Do you count the "median 22 days" to seroconversion from the beginning of "primary infection" or from the exposure you had?
I had myself tested 5 weeks after the first symptoms. I should have tested positive by that time right ?

Title: Re: Condom slipped off with csw - High risk
Post by: Jeff G on September 24, 2013, 06:11:09 pm
The 22 days is the average time from initial infection to seroconversion . The testing window period is 6 weeks past exposure and again at 3 months to confirm the results .

You still must test at 3 months past the day of any possible exposure for a conclusive result .