Your opinion please.

[Tom9000]

Hello Doctor. As all before me I require your professional view on my situation. I have read alot of post in this forum and they are certainly close to my example but I wanted clarity on my situation. Both Doctors currently recommend HIV testing at six to eight weeks which has a difference of 14 days. Most estimates of catching HIV due to unprotected sex with a CSW in a one time thing is 1 in million to 2million which I have read before testing and some that have been tested at 25days Dr HHH says 1 in 20 million chance and for another person I read was 1 in 100 billion by four weeks after a test based on a similar situation to me. My situation is that I had a condom that broke during virginal sex with a working girl. Having a family am I extremely worried and spoke to Doc who told me to test at 6wks. I could not wait and had one on the 25th day. It was a combo that came back NOT DECTECTED. Being a nervous wreck to the point of not eating hiding a secret from my partner I gather the guts to have that test at the recommend 6wks. It was negative. A ag/ab 4th Generation. Could you please tell me in your experience is this 1)Is this the best test on the market to have? 2)Will the antigen you talk about before antibodies show up after 6wks? 3) Is this result at 6wks conclusive/definite. 4)Have you seen or heard of a test like the one I had show up positive after six weeks in a person ? 5)Is there any chance that you suggest a retest?. 6)From a statistical point after a negative six week test what is the probabilty of having HIV? and 7) Would it be okay to have sex with my partner now. Thank u.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I am not sure what post your are referring to.  I am not aware of any persons who was found to have HIV at 6 months following exposure on our Forum,.  I stand by my earlier response to you and that your 15 week test was negative proves this.  You have no reason for concern.  EWH

[Tom9000]

Hi

After reading your response I read on the forum that a person who tested negative to HIV turned postive after six months which really scared me. With this in my very nervous mind I had another test at 15weeks (105 days after the fact) which came back negative. The doctor called me with the results so I am not sure which test this
was for HIV. Is there any chance in the future that my system might produce HIV from your professional and scientific view.  I understand your conment about people on anti-HIV therapy but could there be any other reason for a person like me to have a positive result after the type of tests I.ve had?. Thank you

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  At 6 weeks the antibody detection component of the combination tests will detect at least 95% of persons who acquired HIV 6 weeks earlier.  The additional detection provided by antigen testing decreases the probability that you acquired HIV still more, particularly when you have been tested twice, at 25 days and 6 weeks.  At this time, following a single exposure to a partner who is a CSW, your risk of having HIV is effectively zero. There is no reason for you to worry further or to abstain from sex with your regular partner.  

The 4th generation tests are the best currently available.  Some people would say a PCR test is preferable but we see more false positive tests with PCR than with antibody or combo tests such as the one you were tested with.  We do not recommend the PCR test in your situation.

I would consider your current result definitive.  You do not need further testing.  

I neither have had a patient nor have heard of a person whose test has become positive later than 6 weeks following exposure unless that person was taking anti-HIV therapy in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent infection; in all such instances these have been following needle stick exposures, not sexual.

Hope this helps.  you are in the clear.  EWH