Bad Information from Planned Parenthood and Student Health Center on HIV...?

Dear Dr. Handsfield,

I wanted to write you because I am in need of clarification - I feel like there is so much bad information out there.  

I am a rape victim (of 8 months ago), and am related to 2 people who are HIV+, so, it has always been on my mind.  

In early March, 8 weeks after having protected sex with a heterosexual male (I have no reason to believe that condom breakage occurred, however the situation scared me because the sex caused me to bleed - let's just say it wasn't the most enjoyable experience, and I was not that aroused), I was tested at my university's student health center with a rapid HIV antibody test - as expected, the result was negative.  However, I was told by the Nurse Practitioner (and subsequently by the staff at Planned Parenthood) that HIV could "lie dormant" and not appear for up to a year, and that my 8 week test had little use, or accuracy, and that I could still contract HIV from my rapist.  

As today will mark 12ish weeks (81 days) since the January encounter I plan on having another rapid HIV test performed because it is as close to the three month marker that I can get before losing my mind.  

I therefore have a few questions for you, which I hope will clear up some things for the community at large:
1. Rapid HIV Antibody Test accuracy at 8 weeks?
2. Rapid HIV Antibody Test accuracy at 12 weeks/3 months?
3. Why are University Student Health Centers and organizations like Planned Parenthood giving information like this?

Hopefully these questions can help many people. Thank you for your time and for your help.

[Dr Sean Cummings]

Hello,

Firstly, Dr Handsfield does not contribute to this particular Forum - he does in others but not this one. So I'm afraid you have me answering instead.

Secondly:-

"However, I was told by the Nurse Practitioner (and subsequently by the staff at Planned Parenthood) that HIV could "lie dormant" and not appear for up to a year, and that my 8 week test had little use, or accuracy, and that I could still contract HIV from my rapist"

The statements which you have repeated above and which I'm sure you have recorded accurately are completely misinformed and damaging. You are HIV negative from the rape. Your eight week test is much greater than 99% accurate.

To your specific points:-

1. Rapid HIV Antibody Test accuracy at 8 weeks?

Much greater than 99% - and near 100%. This statement is based on study evidence and also on anecdotal evidence from a clinic which performs thousands of all manner of HIV testing each year.

2. Rapid HIV Antibody Test accuracy at 12 weeks/3 months?

Greater than 99.9999% accurate at 12 weeks / three months etc


3. Why are University Student Health Centers and organizations like Planned Parenthood giving information like this?

Well, I don't really know - stupidity, ignorance, poor training, poor staff quality etc etc all spring to mind. I am so sorry you have been disturbed in this way. I find this so depressing.

I hope you can succesfully put this daft, inaccurate information aside and know that you are HIV negative.

very best regards, Sean

[fleurdelisfan]

Dear Sean,

I cannot thank you enough for your response, being in the situation I am in, I've been, quite honestly, paralyzed by fear for the past 12 weeks.

I received your message while I was in the waiting room at Planned Parenthood to get my 81 day test results back, and it came back negative!  Reading it gave me an unbelievable sense of relief that I had forgotten I could feel - I'm happy for the first time in months.  I know now that I can move on with my life and start to clear the dark shadows of doubt and depression that have clouded my every day life.

Upon receiving your message I decided to try a little experiment at Planned Parenthood.  The staff member gave me the Oraquick test and I said, "I've come in because this marks the 11.5/12 week mark since my last sexual encounter and I've been told that this time frame could give me quite accurate results", to which she looked despairingly upon me and said: "Well...you should really get tested at 6 months to be sure."

All I have to say is this - it me upsets that organizations like this allow their staff to be so misinformed, and it doesn't surprise me that many of the people I know avoid getting tested, citing "what's the point" as their reasoning!

I sincerely hope that through the efforts of people such as yourself that this culture of misinformation that surrounds HIV testing can begin to change for the benefit, and well-being of us all.  

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.