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+ Elisa, - WB
Hi everyone.
I have a complicated story, which I'm going to try to keep short.
I was in a relationship a little more than 2 years ago with a man that I had many unprotected encounters with.
I tested for HIV close to 5-6 times, all negative.
Recently, I took another test and it came back reactive. They sent the blood sample for a confirmation WB test, and that came back yesterday as negative (no bands).
I haven't had any other exposures, only this guy. And like I said, it was over 2 years ago.
Should I retest or put this behind me?
My doctor suggested I come back in another 3 months to get tested one more time.
Is there any way the WB could have missed the infection?
I have a complicated story, which I'm going to try to keep short.
I was in a relationship a little more than 2 years ago with a man that I had many unprotected encounters with.
I tested for HIV close to 5-6 times, all negative.
Recently, I took another test and it came back reactive. They sent the blood sample for a confirmation WB test, and that came back yesterday as negative (no bands).
I haven't had any other exposures, only this guy. And like I said, it was over 2 years ago.
Should I retest or put this behind me?
My doctor suggested I come back in another 3 months to get tested one more time.
Is there any way the WB could have missed the infection?
Nursegirl, or anyone else..if this happened to you or a loved one, would you seriously advice them not to test again? or would you have them go in for another test? .
I would advise them NOT to test as that only fuels the anxiety. I would recommend therapy. You don't have HIV. You have scientific proof of that.
I would advise them NOT to test as that only fuels the anxiety. I would recommend therapy. You don't have HIV. You have scientific proof of that.
I suggest you seek a therapist to help you deal with this anxiety. Or post in the HIV anxiety forum. We can't help you believe the truth.
And test again for what? You have negative tests, conclusive negative tests. Your WB shows that the positive test was a false positive. WB's are done to spot false positives, WB's don't have false negatives or false positives.
And test again for what? You have negative tests, conclusive negative tests. Your WB shows that the positive test was a false positive. WB's are done to spot false positives, WB's don't have false negatives or false positives.
So, it has been a little more than a week since i got my results. I can't stop thinking about them and the posibility of the WB being wrong.
Nursegirl, or anyone else..if this happened to you or a loved one, would you seriously advice them not to test again? or would you have them go in for another test?
Nursegirl, or anyone else..if this happened to you or a loved one, would you seriously advice them not to test again? or would you have them go in for another test?
Lizzie Lou & Nursegirl,
He was my first unprotected encounter and for whatever reason, maybe it's my guilty conscience, but I keep thinking about all of the what ifs. Whenever I hear about HIV or STDs, I remember my exposure and then go to get tested for HIV. I think I testing became routine for me and all of the conflicting information about rapid testing and/or conclusiveness of a test didn't help me.
Now, my doctor has suggested a re-test, knowing when the exposure was and all the times i have tested. She quote on quote has "never seen this happen to any patient".
She was so concerned, she sent out a HIV 2 WB to be done (it also came back negative).
I am a totally stress ball right.
He was my first unprotected encounter and for whatever reason, maybe it's my guilty conscience, but I keep thinking about all of the what ifs. Whenever I hear about HIV or STDs, I remember my exposure and then go to get tested for HIV. I think I testing became routine for me and all of the conflicting information about rapid testing and/or conclusiveness of a test didn't help me.
Now, my doctor has suggested a re-test, knowing when the exposure was and all the times i have tested. She quote on quote has "never seen this happen to any patient".
She was so concerned, she sent out a HIV 2 WB to be done (it also came back negative).
I am a totally stress ball right.
Why are you still testing two years later when you stated you already tested 5-6 times? You are testing way too much, and this is exactly why we caution against overtesting, because if you tempt fate enough, you eventually end up with a false +.
Your WB test proves the + was a false +. You don't need ANY more testing. If you're still anxious about this 2 years later, you need to seek professional help.
Your WB test proves the + was a false +. You don't need ANY more testing. If you're still anxious about this 2 years later, you need to seek professional help.
Lizzie Lou, I appreciate your reply. Looking through this website, I see that you've contributed a lot, so I definitely value your opinion.
Should I go and retest like the doctor has suggested?
Thank you
Should I go and retest like the doctor has suggested?
Thank you
put it behind you. you had a false positive result, which was confirmed by the negative western blot.
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