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HIV Testing and Symptoms
Hi,
I have searched high and low for some definitive answers to my HIV questions, but I haven't found any reliable sources. I would greatly appreciate it if you could address all of my questions and concerns.
Risk: (male 24) Protected sex followed by unprotected oral sex w/ a female I know in Germany. I know these are low risk activities, but my fear is I don't remember everything due to heavy drinking that preceded the encounter. However, the girl maintains these are the only two activities which took place.
1 Would there be an increased risk if she had vaginal fluids on her hands during the oral sex/masturbation?
2 Would the risk be increased if she had cuts in her mouth or poor dental hygiene?
Tests: The girl had 2 tests, 1 at 4 wks and another at 6 wks (both negative). I later learned the test at 4 wks was a combined p24 antigen & HIV antibody test (these are given at Dr offices in Germany).
3 Would these tests be considered conclusive for her? Is the combined test reliable at the 3-4 wk range?
I had two rapid tests, 1 at 6 wks in Germany and 7 wks in the US (both negative). The 7 wk test was a Uni-Gold rapid HIV test (3rd generation antigen sandwich). I was told by some people this test is conclusive and by others I need to wait until 3 or 6 months.
4 Would you consider my test results conclusive? Can you comment on the differences in opinion on timing?
Symptoms: I had diarrhea on/off for 3-4 wks (starting 2 wks post-exposure). I developed a rash on my knees that I believed to be psoriasis 3-4 wks post-exposure. The rash started small and spread around my knees but has almost vanished now (4 wks later). I have been getting small/painless transient bumps on the roof of my mouth that last for a few hrs to 1 day then subside.
5 Are the rash or mouth sores consistent w/ ARS symptoms?
6 I'm prone to bacterial (staph) and fungal (toe nails) infections. Would this indicate a weakened immune system and affect when a test is reliable?
I have searched high and low for some definitive answers to my HIV questions, but I haven't found any reliable sources. I would greatly appreciate it if you could address all of my questions and concerns.
Risk: (male 24) Protected sex followed by unprotected oral sex w/ a female I know in Germany. I know these are low risk activities, but my fear is I don't remember everything due to heavy drinking that preceded the encounter. However, the girl maintains these are the only two activities which took place.
1 Would there be an increased risk if she had vaginal fluids on her hands during the oral sex/masturbation?
2 Would the risk be increased if she had cuts in her mouth or poor dental hygiene?
Tests: The girl had 2 tests, 1 at 4 wks and another at 6 wks (both negative). I later learned the test at 4 wks was a combined p24 antigen & HIV antibody test (these are given at Dr offices in Germany).
3 Would these tests be considered conclusive for her? Is the combined test reliable at the 3-4 wk range?
I had two rapid tests, 1 at 6 wks in Germany and 7 wks in the US (both negative). The 7 wk test was a Uni-Gold rapid HIV test (3rd generation antigen sandwich). I was told by some people this test is conclusive and by others I need to wait until 3 or 6 months.
4 Would you consider my test results conclusive? Can you comment on the differences in opinion on timing?
Symptoms: I had diarrhea on/off for 3-4 wks (starting 2 wks post-exposure). I developed a rash on my knees that I believed to be psoriasis 3-4 wks post-exposure. The rash started small and spread around my knees but has almost vanished now (4 wks later). I have been getting small/painless transient bumps on the roof of my mouth that last for a few hrs to 1 day then subside.
5 Are the rash or mouth sores consistent w/ ARS symptoms?
6 I'm prone to bacterial (staph) and fungal (toe nails) infections. Would this indicate a weakened immune system and affect when a test is reliable?
Thank you again for your responses. I made a post in the STD Forum, and I am hoping that either you or Dr. Hook can address my questions. Thanks again for the support.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I already said "...there are no medical conditions...that alter the reliability of HIV test results".
In the US and other industrialized countries, new cases of syphilis are even less common than HIV and are especially rare in most heterosexual populations. Your syphilis blood test result, which undoubtedly will be negative, will be 100% reliable. However, if you really need more information about syphilis, feel free to post a new question with your syphilis concerns on the STD Forum.
This thread is over. Further comments will be deleted without reply.
In the US and other industrialized countries, new cases of syphilis are even less common than HIV and are especially rare in most heterosexual populations. Your syphilis blood test result, which undoubtedly will be negative, will be 100% reliable. However, if you really need more information about syphilis, feel free to post a new question with your syphilis concerns on the STD Forum.
This thread is over. Further comments will be deleted without reply.
Dr. I really hope you can answer my questions. I will pay again if I have to.
As you may recall I had a rash (resembling psoriasis) on my knees a few weeks back. I have had tests to rule out HIV, but I am now concerned about syphilis. I did, at one point, have a minor bump on my scrotum. It is hard for me to remember what it looked like exactly, but I treated it with a steroid/anti-fungal cream and it went away rather quickly.
I had blood drawn for the syphilis test, but is taking a long time to get the results back. I have a few questions about this situation:
1. Is it possible to contract syphilis through condom protected sex? (I know you say it is rare in North America, but I had sex in Europe)
2. Is it common to contract syphilis, without contracting HIV when having condom protected sex? Does syphilis penetrate intact skin (such as the scrotum)? Would this increase the risk of HIV transmission? Do you see many patients who contract syphilis, but not HIV?
3. Does contracting syphilis (and having it in its early stages) affect the reliability of an HIV test? I had another negative rapid antibody test at 75 days (almost 11 weeks). Would this test still be considered conclusive if syphilis were present?
4. Does the syphilis rash ever present like psoriasis and could it be confined to the knees/upper shin?
5. Would the recurrent ulcers on the roof of my mouth indicate anything about syphilis?
6. Would ultra-high levels of stress or applying topical steroids to my rashes for weeks affect the window period of an HIV test?
Please answer my questions, I am having terrible anxiety about this situation, and I would really appreciate your response.
As you may recall I had a rash (resembling psoriasis) on my knees a few weeks back. I have had tests to rule out HIV, but I am now concerned about syphilis. I did, at one point, have a minor bump on my scrotum. It is hard for me to remember what it looked like exactly, but I treated it with a steroid/anti-fungal cream and it went away rather quickly.
I had blood drawn for the syphilis test, but is taking a long time to get the results back. I have a few questions about this situation:
1. Is it possible to contract syphilis through condom protected sex? (I know you say it is rare in North America, but I had sex in Europe)
2. Is it common to contract syphilis, without contracting HIV when having condom protected sex? Does syphilis penetrate intact skin (such as the scrotum)? Would this increase the risk of HIV transmission? Do you see many patients who contract syphilis, but not HIV?
3. Does contracting syphilis (and having it in its early stages) affect the reliability of an HIV test? I had another negative rapid antibody test at 75 days (almost 11 weeks). Would this test still be considered conclusive if syphilis were present?
4. Does the syphilis rash ever present like psoriasis and could it be confined to the knees/upper shin?
5. Would the recurrent ulcers on the roof of my mouth indicate anything about syphilis?
6. Would ultra-high levels of stress or applying topical steroids to my rashes for weeks affect the window period of an HIV test?
Please answer my questions, I am having terrible anxiety about this situation, and I would really appreciate your response.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You came here for reassurance and I gave it, but you are trying hard to convince yourself (and me) that you might have HIV. You do not. Re-read my reply above and pay close attention to every word. It does not matter whether HIV can cause any particular kind of rash, what other symptoms you have, or whether your partner's HIV test results are reliable (but they are). YOUR test results PROVE you did not catch HIV.
There is no information you can provide that would change that conclusion or my advice, so that will be all for this thread.
There is no information you can provide that would change that conclusion or my advice, so that will be all for this thread.
Hi Dr. Handsfield,
Thank you for your prompt response. I will agree with you that my fears are, for the most part, irrational.
However, I can't suppress the worst-case scenarios that I play over in my head. Part of the reason is the conflicting information I have received, none of which came from physicians.
The other reason would be the physical symptoms I observed. If you could just answer a few more of my questions, I hope it will put my mind at ease. I have never worried about anything so much in my life.
Further, I am also worried that my partner and I engaged in another unprotected act that I don't remember because of the alcohol. Although, I really have no reason to suspect this because my partner insists I only received unprotected oral sex.
1) Does HIV ever present with a psoriasis-like rash (small .5cm-3cm patches of inflamed then flaky skin)? More specifically would it occur on the knees (with the majority on one knee)? I am worried because I have never had psoriasis before, and the rash vanished with hardly any treatment.
2) Would it make a difference if my partner's combined antigen/antibody test was at 25 days as opposed to 28 days? I have read that this test is only conclusive after 4 weeks.
I really appreciate your advice.
Thank you for your prompt response. I will agree with you that my fears are, for the most part, irrational.
However, I can't suppress the worst-case scenarios that I play over in my head. Part of the reason is the conflicting information I have received, none of which came from physicians.
The other reason would be the physical symptoms I observed. If you could just answer a few more of my questions, I hope it will put my mind at ease. I have never worried about anything so much in my life.
Further, I am also worried that my partner and I engaged in another unprotected act that I don't remember because of the alcohol. Although, I really have no reason to suspect this because my partner insists I only received unprotected oral sex.
1) Does HIV ever present with a psoriasis-like rash (small .5cm-3cm patches of inflamed then flaky skin)? More specifically would it occur on the knees (with the majority on one knee)? I am worried because I have never had psoriasis before, and the rash vanished with hardly any treatment.
2) Would it make a difference if my partner's combined antigen/antibody test was at 25 days as opposed to 28 days? I have read that this test is only conclusive after 4 weeks.
I really appreciate your advice.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. But I have to say you are way off the deep end in your concerns, and I am skeptical you had trouble finding "reliable sources" for these questions. These are direct, straightforward, simple questions and I have to suspect the same questions have been answered previously, e.g. by the doctors or clinics where your tests were done.
Bottom lines: This was a no-risk exposure with respect to HIV; assuming you have no other possible risks, you did not need HIV testing at all; and your negative results are 100% reliable, proving you were not infected. To the specific questions:
1) Hand-genital contract with genital secretions carries no HIV transmission risk.
2) Cuts or sores in your partner's mouth would make no significant difference in the virtually zero risk associated with oral sex.
3) Your partner's test results prove 100% she did not have HIV when the sexual activity occurred.
4) Your own tests also are conclusive.
5,6) Test results always overrule symptoms and exposure history. Your results prove your diarrhea, mouth sores, and other minor conditions are not due to HIV. And there are no medical conditions, including the ones you describe, that alter the reliability of HIV test results (with the possible exception of advanced, life threatening illnesses).
Regards-- HHH, MD
Bottom lines: This was a no-risk exposure with respect to HIV; assuming you have no other possible risks, you did not need HIV testing at all; and your negative results are 100% reliable, proving you were not infected. To the specific questions:
1) Hand-genital contract with genital secretions carries no HIV transmission risk.
2) Cuts or sores in your partner's mouth would make no significant difference in the virtually zero risk associated with oral sex.
3) Your partner's test results prove 100% she did not have HIV when the sexual activity occurred.
4) Your own tests also are conclusive.
5,6) Test results always overrule symptoms and exposure history. Your results prove your diarrhea, mouth sores, and other minor conditions are not due to HIV. And there are no medical conditions, including the ones you describe, that alter the reliability of HIV test results (with the possible exception of advanced, life threatening illnesses).
Regards-- HHH, MD
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