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HIV Testing in North America
Finally in, i'll try to keep it short. My bachelor party was in cancun mexico, was in a licensed massage parlour.Each sexual act the worker changed the condom, however the last one broke with out me noticing and i had ejaculated in her. I believe it was approximately 5 minutes the last condom, asked her if she had anything, she said no and asked me as well.Came back to canada and had a test done 7 days from exposure for stds and hiv. Everything was negative and the doc said i am fine. however i learnt about the window period and went back and was told to come back in 6 months by another doc. I could not handle the anxiety of the wait after seeing symptoms in my fiance. her at 2 weeks from exposure with me I went back at 5 weeks not being able to wait no more so they gave me another test due to anxiety. Came back negative again for syphillis and hiv however my symptoms are starting in week 6 with saor throat swollen lymph node in groin, i have had no signifant fever though or headaches, just chills and a soar back maybe due to sleeping habits lately. My questions are:
1) Does Canada keep up to date with hiv testing technology and if you would know what generation Elisa test do they use?
2) As i was talking to one doctor who saw how stressed i was he kinda hinted that in todays day and age the new window period with new technology is close to 35 days, is this true?
3) does a sinus infection usually occur after the initial hiv infection symptoms because my fiance was diagnosed with this in the same week as her fever, back pains, swollen lymphnodes behind the ears and soar throat.Initially the doctor told her he can not tell if it is viral or bacterial but a few days later when she came back he diagnosed her with a sinus infection because her eye started to swell from the infection. Please let me know if this is hiv infection symptoms?
4)in my situation do you think the 5 week negative test results is conclusive since this has been my only encounter ever out of my relationship. i do have an appointment at 8 weeks and just need to know if i can end it there if it is hopefully negative, which i am doubting.
thanks for all your help
1) Does Canada keep up to date with hiv testing technology and if you would know what generation Elisa test do they use?
2) As i was talking to one doctor who saw how stressed i was he kinda hinted that in todays day and age the new window period with new technology is close to 35 days, is this true?
3) does a sinus infection usually occur after the initial hiv infection symptoms because my fiance was diagnosed with this in the same week as her fever, back pains, swollen lymphnodes behind the ears and soar throat.Initially the doctor told her he can not tell if it is viral or bacterial but a few days later when she came back he diagnosed her with a sinus infection because her eye started to swell from the infection. Please let me know if this is hiv infection symptoms?
4)in my situation do you think the 5 week negative test results is conclusive since this has been my only encounter ever out of my relationship. i do have an appointment at 8 weeks and just need to know if i can end it there if it is hopefully negative, which i am doubting.
thanks for all your help
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Relax. To my knowledge, testing methods in virtually all Canadian labs are completely up to date. Your negative test 5 weeks after exposure is virtually 100% reliable evidence you don't have HIV. Search this forum for "time to positive HIV test" for repeated, detailed discussions about this. Also look at all the threads that address "HIV transmission risk" and "vaginal sex" to learn how low your risk of catching HIV was. All in all, with a negative 5 week test, there simply is no realistic chance you have HIV.
1) Yes; see above. 2) Your "one doctor" source is exactly right. 3) No, sinus infection is not an indication of HIV. You and your fiance are sharing a common cold. 4) The result is conclusive. However, many experts would agree with 6-8 weeks as slightly more secure than 5 weeks. Follow your doctor's advice.
You are flat out wrong to "doubt" that you are HIV negative. I would bet my life savings at a roulette table than you don't have HIV.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
1) Yes; see above. 2) Your "one doctor" source is exactly right. 3) No, sinus infection is not an indication of HIV. You and your fiance are sharing a common cold. 4) The result is conclusive. However, many experts would agree with 6-8 weeks as slightly more secure than 5 weeks. Follow your doctor's advice.
You are flat out wrong to "doubt" that you are HIV negative. I would bet my life savings at a roulette table than you don't have HIV.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
No, it says that with current assays, aka elisa test, the "average' time to turn seropositive, meaning show up HIV positive if they are is 21 days or 3 weeks. The "average" means some come earlier and some come later. As you pull away from the average the numbers become few. So they state that the reaction time on the test comes as early as 9 days and and tops off at 34 days (5 weeks).
This lines up with the docs advice that testing at 4-6 weeks or 28 days - 42 days is accurate.
This lines up with the docs advice that testing at 4-6 weeks or 28 days - 42 days is accurate.
regardless of the lecturing here, we are all human and ALL of us do things we are not proud of in life. Learn from this horrible feeling you have/had and never forget it. You are not alone in your worries as hard as it is to believe. Good luck to everyone.
Let me clarify--the transfusion was in 2002--
I appreciate your comment on the Barnes Blood Bank info. So, if I understand correctly, there is *approximately* a 21 day window where donated blood could be contaminated with HIV? I had a blood transfusion 4 years ago, after the birth of my son, via C-section. I would be remiss if I said I never thought about what I "could've" contracted through the transfusion. Granted, it saved my life, so I am immensely thankful. The concern came as an afterthought and has been in the back of my mind ever since. Do they recommend people be screened for blood borne viruses after transfusions? Just curious--
I felt maybe safety girl was lecturing somewhat....maybe I read it wrong. Sorry.
Regardless, I do not feel you ever lecture in any posts. Your presence here helps people like you probably could not imagine even though your advice is from a medical perspective, it still makes people feel somewhat at ease and the way you do it is very much appreciated, by me anyway.
It is much appreciated and I do apologize if I offended anyone here as I do wish everyone good luck.
Thank you for this service. Truly.
Regardless, I do not feel you ever lecture in any posts. Your presence here helps people like you probably could not imagine even though your advice is from a medical perspective, it still makes people feel somewhat at ease and the way you do it is very much appreciated, by me anyway.
It is much appreciated and I do apologize if I offended anyone here as I do wish everyone good luck.
Thank you for this service. Truly.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
dumbo wrote "regardless of the lecturing here,..."
What lecturing? I don't do it, at least not intentionally, and I don't see much moralizing or personal criticism from others. (When I see it, I often delete the comment.) It seems to me that 95% of the "lecturing" comes from questioners berating their own behaviors. KW's "theres no exscuse as why i did such a stupid thing" is an excellent example. Frankly, I wish everyone posting questions would stop commenting on their guilt and just give the facts and their questions. It certainly would make many of the questions and comments a lot shorter!
HHH, MD
What lecturing? I don't do it, at least not intentionally, and I don't see much moralizing or personal criticism from others. (When I see it, I often delete the comment.) It seems to me that 95% of the "lecturing" comes from questioners berating their own behaviors. KW's "theres no exscuse as why i did such a stupid thing" is an excellent example. Frankly, I wish everyone posting questions would stop commenting on their guilt and just give the facts and their questions. It certainly would make many of the questions and comments a lot shorter!
HHH, MD
as an adder. I had an exact same thing happen 2.5 weeks ago in Canada. I freaked and still am but not as bad today. I went in for standard STD tests 3.5 days after exposures and all negative.
Could not hack the pressure so went back at exactly 2 weeks to have hiv and hep b test. Got results today and negative. Thank God. I still do not feel in the clear as I believe it was too soon after the event to be tested?? but it did help with if I had it before the event or not. I have had alot of prostitute encounters all protected, minus some unprotected oral. I had one encounter with a woman I knew for ~10 months unprotected, never really thought about her status at the time.
Point is, the first time I went in for tests, in Canada as well, the nurse told me in 26 years of being at the local and busy STD clinic he had never seen a hetero guy like me have hiv. He also said I should have these tests(syph,gonn,chlam.) done and then move on with my life. The second nurse (different guy) I saw for gonnorrhea results said not to worry too much, but it fell on deaf ears again. They were negative.
After 2 weeks of almost near insanity, I went back to get hiv tested and Hep B and when I went for results today with the original nurse I saw and he said I am negative and for the third time (after I called him last week) to move on with my life. He said he has never seen hiv in a guy like me, meaning no drugs, no men ever, no anal giving or receiving not even to a woman, protected vaginal sex for the most part etc...and he then said he has no reason to lie to me. He almost looked at me like I was an idiot/pathetic fool for freaking the way I was /am and said to move on.
Will I move on? Not quite. I will be tested again at 5 weeks if the doctor here feels that will suffice.
I wish you and everyone here good luck.
Could not hack the pressure so went back at exactly 2 weeks to have hiv and hep b test. Got results today and negative. Thank God. I still do not feel in the clear as I believe it was too soon after the event to be tested?? but it did help with if I had it before the event or not. I have had alot of prostitute encounters all protected, minus some unprotected oral. I had one encounter with a woman I knew for ~10 months unprotected, never really thought about her status at the time.
Point is, the first time I went in for tests, in Canada as well, the nurse told me in 26 years of being at the local and busy STD clinic he had never seen a hetero guy like me have hiv. He also said I should have these tests(syph,gonn,chlam.) done and then move on with my life. The second nurse (different guy) I saw for gonnorrhea results said not to worry too much, but it fell on deaf ears again. They were negative.
After 2 weeks of almost near insanity, I went back to get hiv tested and Hep B and when I went for results today with the original nurse I saw and he said I am negative and for the third time (after I called him last week) to move on with my life. He said he has never seen hiv in a guy like me, meaning no drugs, no men ever, no anal giving or receiving not even to a woman, protected vaginal sex for the most part etc...and he then said he has no reason to lie to me. He almost looked at me like I was an idiot/pathetic fool for freaking the way I was /am and said to move on.
Will I move on? Not quite. I will be tested again at 5 weeks if the doctor here feels that will suffice.
I wish you and everyone here good luck.
I too have been worried, I too had protected sex (with a man, I'm a woman), and even though the condom didn't break, I have been worried about the sore neck I've and the aching (not swollen) glands.
Besides that being one difference (no condom breakage) the other difference was that I wasn't engaged to anyone, as a matter of fact I don't have a commitment to anyone.
It's amazing how you're so worried now, but, had the condom not broken, would you have been just as worried? Have you told your fiance about the incident?
I was in committed relationship, or so I thought, at age 20. Well, he decided to have a 'bachelor's party' of his own and now, 15 years later, I have to tell my partners that I have herpes. I have to deal with all the embarrassment and rejection of men once I tell them, because of his 'fun time.' Maybe you should think about that the next time you cheat on your significant other, what she might have to go through because of your fun times....
Besides that being one difference (no condom breakage) the other difference was that I wasn't engaged to anyone, as a matter of fact I don't have a commitment to anyone.
It's amazing how you're so worried now, but, had the condom not broken, would you have been just as worried? Have you told your fiance about the incident?
I was in committed relationship, or so I thought, at age 20. Well, he decided to have a 'bachelor's party' of his own and now, 15 years later, I have to tell my partners that I have herpes. I have to deal with all the embarrassment and rejection of men once I tell them, because of his 'fun time.' Maybe you should think about that the next time you cheat on your significant other, what she might have to go through because of your fun times....
Thanks for your prompt reply doc
"Current Tests
HIV antibody ELISA (Barnes Blood Bank)
This is the "first line" screening assay for antibodies in an adult that may be infected with HIV. With today's assays, antibodies are generally detectable about 21 days after an HIV infection in humans (range of 9 to 34 days). This assay is now performed every day in the Barnes Blood Bank and specimens that are repeatedly positive are sent to the Retrovirus Lab for supplemental testing (Western Blot, see below)."
HIV antibody ELISA (Barnes Blood Bank)
This is the "first line" screening assay for antibodies in an adult that may be infected with HIV. With today's assays, antibodies are generally detectable about 21 days after an HIV infection in humans (range of 9 to 34 days). This assay is now performed every day in the Barnes Blood Bank and specimens that are repeatedly positive are sent to the Retrovirus Lab for supplemental testing (Western Blot, see below)."
The CDC I believe calls the "Average" window time 22 days
http://peds.wustl.edu/labmed/retrovirus/
http://www.aegis.com/askdoc/ASKD040318.html
http://peds.wustl.edu/labmed/retrovirus/
http://www.aegis.com/askdoc/ASKD040318.html
i leaerned my lesson and theres no exscuse as why i did such a stupid thing
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