OraQuick question.

[german23]

I had unprotected anal sex with an other male, me as the receptive (bottom) for aprox 6 times between sept 29th 2012 until nov 03rd 2012. He claimed to be negative and I am sure I was negative.
The last two times we had sex was on oct 6th and then nov 3rd. At aprox nov 10th i started to feel tired, like a I was getting sick , then at nov 14th 3 I had 3 swollen glands in my neck ( which I still have) and I felt more tired, a stuffy nose,running nose ,my throat was a little bit red, but it didnt hurt much! Everyone at school was sick aswell. ( im not from an other country,so this was my first winter and im guessing firsttime been exposed to the virus here in the USA) it took me a while to get back on track , like 2 weeks to feel fully recovered.
I became paranoid about HIV so I took the following tests:
1) rapid oraquick usingblood after 39 days of my last exposure
2) rapid ORAL swab oraquick at 40days, 7 1/2 weeks, 9 weeks,10 1/2 weeks and last 93 days after my last exposure.
The guy I had sex with also tested with the oraquick oral swab at 93 days after my last exposure

Here are my questions:

1)Dr. HHH mentioned that the oral swabtakes longer to show a positive result after doing an study: Can you explain what are the result of that study and when is an accurate timing for an oral swab test to show a conclusive result . in the community forum a guy tested with an oral swab 10 tima after 5 months and all were neg, then He tested using blood and it came back reactive.
Also a guy in the Living with HIV forum tested negative using the oral swab and before he tested positive with Ag/ab test ( the oral swab test was made after aprox 7 weeks)
2) are the oral swabs conclusive after what time.?

3) can I put this in past, or my results arent conclusive yet?

Please explaing more about the oral swab and its real window period. Thank you!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  The data that Dr. Handsfield mentioned regarding more recent concerns about the oral fluid rapid tests are based on as yet unpublished studies of the sort that each of us sometimes have access to due to our roles as reviewers, editors and colleagues.  We are not at liberty to provide detail beyond this but alsowant to serve MedHelp clients with the most recent information that we have access to.

That said, the evolving data are that among rapid tests, oral fluid tests SOMETIMES take a bit longer to become positive than blood tests.   The question in consideration is when will virtually ALL tests be positive.  Please understand that most tests are negative and the small proportion that do become positive do so at variable times.  Most (over 90%) of persons have positive tests at about 6 weeks but a small number take a bit longer.   Typically virtually all blood tests are positive within 6-8 weeks with oral fluid tests taking, on average, slightly longer than for blood tests to become positive. Nonetheless at 8 weeks Oral tests are reliable for nearly everyone and at 12 weeks/3 months ALL such tests uniformly give reliable results.  Thus between the facts that your exposure was very, very low risk (chance of infection less than 1 in 10,000) AND you multiple negative tests including a definitive test at more than 90 days after your last exposure, you can be confident that you did not acquire HIV. There is no need for further testing.  

I hope this clarifies your concerns- you are in the clear. EWH

[german23]

Thank you doctor, nothing to add!
Good Night.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Lymph nodes are non-specifc findings and isolated lymph node swelling is not a sign of HIV. Further, if your lymph node swelling were due to HIV your test would be positive.

No more answers.  Further anxiety driven questions will be deleted without comment.  EWH

[german23]

And what about the swollen lymph node in my neck? They have being there for almost 4 months already !

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Please, enough of these anxiety driven questions.  what part of " you can be confident that you did not acquire HIV. There is no need for further testing." is not clear.

Tthat your partner tested negative at 93 does nothing to change your already negative result. His mother, father and sibling's results would not change it either.    

Believe your results- you did not get HIV.  No further testing is needed.

I'll have nothing more to say.  EWH

[german23]

Besides the fact that the guy also tested neg at 93 puts me in the clear,right?
Is there any subtype of virus that can not be detected by an oraquick?

Sorry to bother you doctor, thank you very much! You have helped me a lot.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

It's you tet results that make your risk for infection very low, starting with your earlier testing and progressinve to your definitive resutls at 93 days.  EWH

[german23]

Just asked because you said in your original post that my risk was very very low, so I got confused

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Unprotected anal sex with HIV infected partners is higher risk than genital sex and far higher risk than oral sex.  IF your partner was infected, the risk fo infection in receiveing anal sex from an infected partner is about 1 infection per 100 exposures while if you are the insertive partner the risk is about 1 in 200.  The test results however show that you did not get infected form the exposures you describe above, no matter what the "risk".   EWH

[german23]

Thank you doctor, but I had unprotected anal sex with a guy ( im a guy aswell) , is that considered a ver,very,very low risk?

[german23]

I forgot to mention that the oral swab at 42 days (it is 42 sorry) and the 93 days were made at a clinic, the rest were the in-home oraquick