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Can Doctors Help me to Post this in Experts Forum
Dear Doctors,
Thank you for your time and for providing this great forum. I am a young man from Australia. Since last year (2013) I've had few unprotected anal sex (being receptive partner) with different guys of unknown status. One of them is my friend. The last incident was on 4th August 2013, after that I had four tests in total:
AFTER 26 days (on Day 27 ), EIA assay: HIV1/2 Ag/Ab testing (in clinic1)
On day 52, Abbott Architect: HIV1/2 Ag/Ab testing (in clinic 2)
After 296 days, Abbott Architect: HIV1/2 Ag/Ab testing (in clinic 2)
After 315 days, Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo Rapid finger prick Blood (in clinic 3)
ALL NEGATIVE!
I've tested Four different tests in three different places and the results are all negative. After my last exposure, I haven't had any sex and surely no drugs use. I know that after 4 weeks, all 4th generation HIV tests results are considered fully conclusive, But I am still worrying about the accuracy of my tests and doubting the procedure of the lab-based tests that might cause some lab errors to give me false negatives.
1. Is there any medical or scientific chance that my status is not negative after these tests? It has been said that there are individuals develop antibodies very late up to years, is it true?
2. How accurate is my last 4th generation rapid combo? It says 100% sensitivity (what does this mean?) on Alere company website and >99% accuracy on Australia government page. Is it good enough to be fully conclusive?
3. Are all these rapid tests (3rd, 4th generations) as accurate as these lab-based DUO tests AFTER 3 months or even 6 months? Is this applying to all people in this world?
4. When lab-error occurs now in developed countries, is it more likely to give no result rather than a false negative? why?
5. Can individuals be confident they are DEFINITELY negative and fine and put the whole thing behind them after these tests that I've done? Can I move on?
Warm regards
Thank you for your time and for providing this great forum. I am a young man from Australia. Since last year (2013) I've had few unprotected anal sex (being receptive partner) with different guys of unknown status. One of them is my friend. The last incident was on 4th August 2013, after that I had four tests in total:
AFTER 26 days (on Day 27 ), EIA assay: HIV1/2 Ag/Ab testing (in clinic1)
On day 52, Abbott Architect: HIV1/2 Ag/Ab testing (in clinic 2)
After 296 days, Abbott Architect: HIV1/2 Ag/Ab testing (in clinic 2)
After 315 days, Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo Rapid finger prick Blood (in clinic 3)
ALL NEGATIVE!
I've tested Four different tests in three different places and the results are all negative. After my last exposure, I haven't had any sex and surely no drugs use. I know that after 4 weeks, all 4th generation HIV tests results are considered fully conclusive, But I am still worrying about the accuracy of my tests and doubting the procedure of the lab-based tests that might cause some lab errors to give me false negatives.
1. Is there any medical or scientific chance that my status is not negative after these tests? It has been said that there are individuals develop antibodies very late up to years, is it true?
2. How accurate is my last 4th generation rapid combo? It says 100% sensitivity (what does this mean?) on Alere company website and >99% accuracy on Australia government page. Is it good enough to be fully conclusive?
3. Are all these rapid tests (3rd, 4th generations) as accurate as these lab-based DUO tests AFTER 3 months or even 6 months? Is this applying to all people in this world?
4. When lab-error occurs now in developed countries, is it more likely to give no result rather than a false negative? why?
5. Can individuals be confident they are DEFINITELY negative and fine and put the whole thing behind them after these tests that I've done? Can I move on?
Warm regards
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Please re-read my original response. Your questions are repetitive. Your combinatation of test results has proven that you do not have HIV. Worrying about the performance of any single test when you ahve been tested multiple times is a waste of time and energy. EWH
Dear doctor Edward, sorry to bother you again I am posting this to ask you guys for the accuracy and performance of Alere Determine HIV Rapid Combo (HIV1/2 Ag/Ab) finger prick BLOOD tests. My questions are
1. It says the sensitivity of this test is 100% which means no false negative after window period, and >99% specificity, which will cause false positive, is this right?
2. Could this test being invalid but NOT showing as 'invalid'( like, no control line) so that result in a false negative? i.e shows only control bar?
3. The time for Alere Determine 4th Generation rapid combo is 20 mins? How late will make the result unreliable? (Is 20-30mins safe? )
Thank you for all your time
Cheers
Warm regards
1. It says the sensitivity of this test is 100% which means no false negative after window period, and >99% specificity, which will cause false positive, is this right?
2. Could this test being invalid but NOT showing as 'invalid'( like, no control line) so that result in a false negative? i.e shows only control bar?
3. The time for Alere Determine 4th Generation rapid combo is 20 mins? How late will make the result unreliable? (Is 20-30mins safe? )
Thank you for all your time
Cheers
Warm regards
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm pleased I could help. EWH
Thank you so much Doctor Edward, I will try my best to put this behind me and move on with my life. Take care and God bless you
Kind regards
Kind regards
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum. I'll try to help. My sense is that you are far, far more concerned about your status that you need to be. Your multiple tests are unequivocally negative and further testing related to he encounters you describe is not warranted form a medical perspective. Your challenge is to come to believe the results you have. I hope my comments will help you to do so. In answer to your specfic questions:
1. Is there any medical or scientific chance that my status is not negative after these tests? It has been said that there are individuals develop antibodies very late up to years, is it true?
No, there is no scientifc reason not to believe your tests. I suspect you got your mis-information about persons taking years to develop antibodies from the internet. If so, I suggest you stay off the internet.
2. How accurate is my last 4th generation rapid combo? It says 100% sensitivity (what does this mean?) on Alere company website and >99% accuracy on Australia government page. Is it good enough to be fully conclusive?
There are no tests of any sort for any process that are 100% accurate but each of the tests you were tested to are close to that- well over 99.9%. When you combine the 4 results there is simply no realistic way that you could have HIV from the encounter you ahve described.
3. Are all these rapid tests (3rd, 4th generations) as accurate as these lab-based DUO tests AFTER 3 months or even 6 months? Is this applying to all people in this world?
Yes, after three or six months all of these tests are equally accurate.
4. When lab-error occurs now in developed countries, is it more likely to give no result rather than a false negative? why?
Either is a possibility but you should not worry about it. There is no realistic reason to think that the test would be done wrong 4 times in different labs. Please do not worry about it.
5. Can individuals be confident they are DEFINITELY negative and fine and put the whole thing behind them after these tests that I've done? Can I move on?
Yes, I would urge you to move on. I also strongly encourage you to use condom and practice safe sex for furture encounters.
Take care. EWH
1. Is there any medical or scientific chance that my status is not negative after these tests? It has been said that there are individuals develop antibodies very late up to years, is it true?
No, there is no scientifc reason not to believe your tests. I suspect you got your mis-information about persons taking years to develop antibodies from the internet. If so, I suggest you stay off the internet.
2. How accurate is my last 4th generation rapid combo? It says 100% sensitivity (what does this mean?) on Alere company website and >99% accuracy on Australia government page. Is it good enough to be fully conclusive?
There are no tests of any sort for any process that are 100% accurate but each of the tests you were tested to are close to that- well over 99.9%. When you combine the 4 results there is simply no realistic way that you could have HIV from the encounter you ahve described.
3. Are all these rapid tests (3rd, 4th generations) as accurate as these lab-based DUO tests AFTER 3 months or even 6 months? Is this applying to all people in this world?
Yes, after three or six months all of these tests are equally accurate.
4. When lab-error occurs now in developed countries, is it more likely to give no result rather than a false negative? why?
Either is a possibility but you should not worry about it. There is no realistic reason to think that the test would be done wrong 4 times in different labs. Please do not worry about it.
5. Can individuals be confident they are DEFINITELY negative and fine and put the whole thing behind them after these tests that I've done? Can I move on?
Yes, I would urge you to move on. I also strongly encourage you to use condom and practice safe sex for furture encounters.
Take care. EWH
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