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False-Positive, still worried
Hi,
Thanks for this site, it's been a great resource! First off, I'm a straight male with no history of drug use and relatively few sexual partners. I recently had a false positive HIV test which I'm still very concerned about. About a month ago, I was excercising in extreme heat. Later that day, I had a fever and wasn't feeling well. The next day I felt fine with no fever, I went to my GP and he thought it was heat exhaustion. My last sexual exposure was about 5 months prior with a promiscuous girl. I had previously noticed some spots on my penis that appeared to be sun spots, a few on the head and a couple on the shaft. These spots are pinhead sized or smaller are flat, and light-brown. They seemed to appear a couple of months after I had stopped having sex with this girl. The sex was mostly protected but there were a few occasions when it was not protected, I've had no sex partners since. I asked the doctor to look at these spots and he didn't think they were anything to be worried about. I asked for STD tests and the only ones he would do were for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV.
Later that week, the doctor called me and told me that my HIV test was positive. I freaked out and started questioning the results. He told me that the test was an ELISA test and was very accurate. He said that he was going to have the results "verified" and wanted me to come back for a 2nd test which I did. The next day I went to a Planned Parenthood clinic and had another ELISA test done. In the meantime, I was sure I was positive and had extreme levels of stress. 4 days later, the Planned Parenthood test came back negative. I spoke with a counslor there and told her my story. She told me that I should return in a month for another test just to be sure. The next day, my GP called me and told me that the western blot was negative on the first test and therefore I had a false positive. Also, my 2nd test was negative. Again, they recommended that I do another test in a month and then again in 6 months.
Since this has happened, I've had mild abdominal pains, diarehha, aches and fatigue. Last week I came down with sore throat, runny nose, general cold-like symptoms, but no fever. I went back to the doctor and he just thought it was a common cold. It's been a week and I'm feeling better but still have the sniffles.
While the negative tests are reassuring, I'm still worried and was wondering how common false positives are on ELISA. Also might it indicate other health problems or STDs? This whole ordeal has had a huge effect on my life. I'm hoping that my recent cold is more due to stress but I'm afraid. I'll be tested in another week but I've found little about false postive ELISA tests and need more information. What are the chances that I really do have HIV with a false-positive result at 5 months after a possible exposure? Might a false-positive ELISA indicate another disease or condition?
Thanks for this site, it's been a great resource! First off, I'm a straight male with no history of drug use and relatively few sexual partners. I recently had a false positive HIV test which I'm still very concerned about. About a month ago, I was excercising in extreme heat. Later that day, I had a fever and wasn't feeling well. The next day I felt fine with no fever, I went to my GP and he thought it was heat exhaustion. My last sexual exposure was about 5 months prior with a promiscuous girl. I had previously noticed some spots on my penis that appeared to be sun spots, a few on the head and a couple on the shaft. These spots are pinhead sized or smaller are flat, and light-brown. They seemed to appear a couple of months after I had stopped having sex with this girl. The sex was mostly protected but there were a few occasions when it was not protected, I've had no sex partners since. I asked the doctor to look at these spots and he didn't think they were anything to be worried about. I asked for STD tests and the only ones he would do were for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV.
Later that week, the doctor called me and told me that my HIV test was positive. I freaked out and started questioning the results. He told me that the test was an ELISA test and was very accurate. He said that he was going to have the results "verified" and wanted me to come back for a 2nd test which I did. The next day I went to a Planned Parenthood clinic and had another ELISA test done. In the meantime, I was sure I was positive and had extreme levels of stress. 4 days later, the Planned Parenthood test came back negative. I spoke with a counslor there and told her my story. She told me that I should return in a month for another test just to be sure. The next day, my GP called me and told me that the western blot was negative on the first test and therefore I had a false positive. Also, my 2nd test was negative. Again, they recommended that I do another test in a month and then again in 6 months.
Since this has happened, I've had mild abdominal pains, diarehha, aches and fatigue. Last week I came down with sore throat, runny nose, general cold-like symptoms, but no fever. I went back to the doctor and he just thought it was a common cold. It's been a week and I'm feeling better but still have the sniffles.
While the negative tests are reassuring, I'm still worried and was wondering how common false positives are on ELISA. Also might it indicate other health problems or STDs? This whole ordeal has had a huge effect on my life. I'm hoping that my recent cold is more due to stress but I'm afraid. I'll be tested in another week but I've found little about false postive ELISA tests and need more information. What are the chances that I really do have HIV with a false-positive result at 5 months after a possible exposure? Might a false-positive ELISA indicate another disease or condition?
A related discussion, Reporting presumptive positive HIV to Primary care givers was started.
I am sorry to hear that. Sounds like everything is resolved and you're in the clear. You are in my prayers.
Doctors are not supposed to give positive ELISA results until they have been confirmed, I even know that. My faith in our medical community's knowledge of HIV is declining. From my own experience and ones I have read on here recently.
The specificity depends on the ELISA used and which study you are looking at. Most studies I have seen 99.5%+ to 100%.
I think the FDA minimum is 98%.
The specificity depends on the ELISA used and which study you are looking at. Most studies I have seen 99.5%+ to 100%.
I think the FDA minimum is 98%.
My first test was done on 5/30. The doc called me the following Friday, 6/2 and told me I was positive. At the time, I wasn't knowledgeable about testing and didn't even know what a western blot was. Also on 6/2, I had a second blood sample drawn for another test. The doc then had the western blot done on the first test. I got a call from the doc's office on 6/8 with the results from that, so it was just shy of 1 week from the day that I was told that I was positive to the day that I was confirmed negative.
I am glad to hear of yor neg result and was just curious as to how long it took form the original test till you were confirmed negative by the western blot?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
A significant mistake was made in handling your test results. I can't tell whether it was on the part of the laboratory or your provider. The lab should not have sent any ELISA result to your doc until the confirmatory test was done; and your doc should not have told you the ELISA result without knowing the result of confirmatory testing. As you learned, such results can be pretty stressful.
I don't have exact statistics in my head about the rate of false-positive ELISA results. With current test methods, I think it's only around 0.1% (1 in 1000), but don't quote me. (Other forum users might have accurate rates.) While that seems low, it means you are just like several thousand people tested every year.
The most important thing is that you can rely totally on the repeat tests and the Western blot results. You do not have HIV, period, full stop. The repeat tests your providers are recommending are for your personal reassurance, not because they think you really have it. They're just being conservative and careful. As to your symptoms, search the forum ("HIV symptoms", "ARS symptoms") to see the many times I have pointed out that symptoms NEVER are a reliable indicator of HIV infection. The test results count and your symptoms do not.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
I don't have exact statistics in my head about the rate of false-positive ELISA results. With current test methods, I think it's only around 0.1% (1 in 1000), but don't quote me. (Other forum users might have accurate rates.) While that seems low, it means you are just like several thousand people tested every year.
The most important thing is that you can rely totally on the repeat tests and the Western blot results. You do not have HIV, period, full stop. The repeat tests your providers are recommending are for your personal reassurance, not because they think you really have it. They're just being conservative and careful. As to your symptoms, search the forum ("HIV symptoms", "ARS symptoms") to see the many times I have pointed out that symptoms NEVER are a reliable indicator of HIV infection. The test results count and your symptoms do not.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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