5 weeks,4 days 3rd generation test conclusive?

[solesurvivor]

hey there,
well here's the story,I'm an hiv positive..I just got diagnosed few weeks back,while I think I've been infected for almost a year ago from a girl at the bar...
so right now I'm worrying about my girlfriend,she's showing symptoms of ars lately,some fever,diarrhea,some acne on her body,and such...so then my mind goes to her cause we just had sex 5 weeks,4 days ago and I think the condom broke,well I'm not sure...and then today she just got tested with rapid test(3rd generation maybe) and the result came back negative...the nurse who tested her tell me that 5 weeks 4 days are way too soon to says it's conclusive,she's even said that using intact condom is not even protective at all since the hiv particle may pass trough the condom..and even worse she's lecturing me for not even try to have sex no more...well maybe she's right,but wait what?are she kidding me...?!
people here is so conservative and ignorant,they think hiv is a curse and very taboo to speak off...so my advice guys,don't go to indonesia if you're poz,you'll just get shunned like me...anywho,does she need a retest after 5 weeks,4 days rapid test in the next 3 month?cause I look around the internet and people say that it's 99,9 percent accurate to get tested even after 5 weeks...what do you guys think?it's not even went trough elisa or west blot by the way,just rapid test..

[RapidRod]

Wrong forum. You need to post this in the correct forum,.

[Ann]

SS, I moved your thread from the Am I Infected forum to the Just Tested forum. The Am I forum is only for those who do not know their hiv status. This is the more appropriate forum for your thread.

The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days. A six week negative must be confirmed at the three month point, but is highly unlikely to change.



I don't expect your girlfriend's result to change when she confirms at three months.

The nurse is wrong. Hiv cannot pass through latex or polyurethane condoms. There have been three long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.

Also, you say that you're not sure if the condom broke or not. A broken condom is VERY obvious and you more likely than not would have noticed.

Unfortunately, there are many hiv negative people in the world who think those of us who are positive should no longer have sex lives. This is just judgement and prejudice - don't listen to them.

Provided you use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, you will avoid transmitting your virus to others. It really is that simple!!!

Make sure you read through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use them correctly and with confidence. A correctly used condom rarely breaks.

Ann

[solesurvivor]

well sorry ann and rod,I though because my girl is not yet understand her status it might be suitable for put it there..
anyway,that's quite a relieve to hear that...but maybe just to be sure,because she just used the rapid blood test,not even pass elisa,will this fact make a different?or is it just the same?

and is there even a slightest chance of technical problem,like,lets say,the workers on the lab is sloppy while doing their job and not doing the test well?

[solesurvivor]

o yeah,and one other thing..I read on wikipedia and some sites that south east asia(where I live) is a host for hiv subtype A/E with characteristic that enables it to transfer more efficiently in heterosexual contact and 115 days of window period...well,maybe I got one of those,will that information makes the 6 weeks average 22 days seroconversion is irrelevant and she should be tested after 115?or the information I read was rubish?

but from my own experience of seroconversion, my symptoms were appear after a week or so and it ends on the 4th week(i had a great flu,diarrhea,rash and such)..did the seroconversion ends after the symptoms ends?

[Ann]

While it is thought that the Southeast Asian subtype is more easily transmitted through heterosexual intercourse, that applies to hiv being transmitted from the woman to the man, not the other way around.

It also only applies to unprotected intercourse. You used a condom and as I mentioned before, if your condom broke, it would have been very obvious. It's not something you'd have to guess about.

I am not aware of any study that has shown the window period for the Southeast Asian subtype being any longer than other subtypes. A three month test is conclusive regardless of the subtype.

The symptoms that sometimes (not everyone experiences symptoms) accompany seroconversion are not caused by the virus itself. The flu-like illness is caused by the process the body goes through while producing antibodies. During this process, the body creates a chemical called interferon, and interferon is notorious for causing fevers, aches, headaches - like how you feel when you have the flu. If the illness is actually being caused by the body producing hiv antibodies, the person will generally test positive within a few days of being ill.

To be clear, the illness has nothing to do with whatever subtype of hiv the body has been infected with, it is caused by the process of creating antibodies.

The word seroconvert refers to the blood (sero, from the root word serum) converting from hiv negative to hiv positive. In other words, enough antibodies are produced to trigger a reactive (aka positive) hiv antibody result.

The rapid tests are just as reliable as the standard blood tests. If anything, they are more prone to false positive results due to lab or human error. The only time they give false negative results is when the test is done too early in the window period, such as a week or less after the potential exposure.

I fully expect that your girlfriend will continue to test negative. Just make sure you use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse every time. Have you looked at the websites linked to in my signature line? If you haven't, get reading. The first one is particularly informative and is available in several languages.

Ann