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277836 tn?1359666174

why is it so hard to except

a conclusive test. I mean some people here will go on and on way after the conclusive test word of advice stop looking for something thats not there
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Avatar universal
Shadow, believe it or not. There are some people that think if they have a disease like HIV that they will fit into life somehow and no matter how many negative tests they get they won't believe it. The only thing that prevents them from living out their fantasy is not having the prescription for the medication
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277836 tn?1359666174
i believe that because as of lately there are people here who just keep searching
and the sad thing is they seem to push themselfs away from friends and family
i can only hope that cdc will oneday push the window period back to 6 weeks because the time frame will take a toll on people and its sad
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186166 tn?1385259382
i dont think anything the cdc says will make a difference to these ppl.  i mean, take a look around...how many cannot believe their 3 months...and HAVE to test at 6 months...then 9 months.  they are truly sick...and until they get treatment for their OCD...nothing will change.  it's sad though that we are the ones who have to deal with their obsessiveness instead of them seeking treatment from a professsional.
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277836 tn?1359666174
yes i agree but at the same time we chose to be here for them
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186166 tn?1385259382
absolutely...just stating the facts :)
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386032 tn?1220401438
I have wonder and posted the question about myself and others on this board, No teak i dont think its a matter of wanting to fit in or belong believe me I had a wonderful life before i started obsessing about this. when you suffer from ocd(which i am in therapy for) and you have real physical symptoms and you are gay , hiv comes to mind very quickly, especially since the internet is filled with conflicting info, even local dr that specialize in it.I also think that if people on the board do not want to deal with the ocd worried well, just dont respond . its that easy. no offense meant but to me its a very real dilemma. hope no one goes through it, it does destroy lives.
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Avatar universal
Not all WW have OCD. Those that have OCD need face to face, one on one therapy. They cannot be provided that by an online forum.  
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386032 tn?1220401438
i agree and am doing so as i mentioned but coming to the forum does give my some reassurance that i am wrong in my thinking. i posted something from the body which i thought went beyond ocd,
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386032 tn?1220401438
i doubt that very much, since i have no trouble in that dept. i think more people on this board have ocd than would admit
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277836 tn?1359666174
most do but when it goes on and on its like the ocean when your standing there you cant see the other side
most here dont know how to end the fear of hiv once it starts it just takes over their mind and body all things happen
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Avatar universal
At what point does being a WW become OCD?
Is a WW someone who worries until the 3 month and the lets it go?
Does someone who is OCD keep testing over and over?

I'm a bit on the OCD side. I've had 3 tests - one a bit on the early side (but with p24) , another outside the window and another after that just in case I was 'late'. But, I always think 4 is the magic number just in case that other 'just in case' one was a false neg!

It sounds ludicrous writing it, but the 'symptoms' continue...
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386032 tn?1220401438
For the people who chose to answer questions to the worried well, i would only ask for patients and understanding. we are trying(at least most of us are) alienshadow you are right fear takes over and mind and body go into a tailspin, on a lighter note read what i posted about "thought this would fit" it will make you smile.
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277836 tn?1359666174
we do consider that but when it get obsessive you have to wonder why they drive themselfs to this
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Avatar universal
The main reason people have a hard time believing their neg test results at 3 mos is because there is still that 1-3% of people that take longer than 3 mos to test pos.  The CDC does clearly state that 6 mos is the end point.  They have all the statistical info at their fingertips and that is what they state.

Yes, their manual for instructors says test again at 3 months.  But it doesn't say it is 100% conclusive at 3 mos.  It simple scares someone to think..."what if"

The other dilemna is that most people continue to worry after their 3 mo neg result because of all the symptoms they had or continue to have.  Some say symptoms are irrelevant.  Well, maybe this is true but when wierd things happen to your body and you never experienced them before it is very concerning.  Especially when you know there "may" have been an exposure.

I think some people even wonder is there a possibility that they could have HIV and the test didn't pick it up...maybe another blood sample would have a different, result, etc.  I really try not to think like this but once the brain gets worried the person starts to question everything.
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Avatar universal
Post that over on the Drs. Forum and see how long that lasts over there.
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Avatar universal
on the hiv doc's forum?  what does that mean.  are they going to say that a test couldn't miss the antibodies or 3 mos is truly 100%...again, docs uses statistical probabilities and that gets annoying.

well, there is a 1 in 2,000 chance you can get hiv from sex and you tested neg at 4 wks, so you have a 1 in 1,000,000 chance of being pos.  ok, right??? that is crazy...and this is the kind of stuff I have seen Dr. HHH say.  There is no risk for him to say this stuff, he is liable.

when you go speak to a "live" human doc, they would say test out to 6 mos to be conclusive.  now, believe me, i want to think 3 mos is conclusive but i just worry still because their is too much at stake
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277836 tn?1359666174
look most symptoms have always been there we just choose to ignore them but once something happens we notice it all i find myself laughung when i think of it now hell i went crazy but you know what when you train the mind to go into a mass panic you deserve the outcome it puts you through
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Avatar universal
If you go to a doctor and they tell you to test to 6 months. You are going to a doctor that doesn't know anything about HIV or Testing.
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277836 tn?1359666174
and if it helps you all i stopped testing at 84 days with a uni gold test that took 10 min for results i have never thought to test again
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277836 tn?1359666174
and if it helps you all i stopped testing at 84 days with a uni gold test that took 10 min for results i have never thought to test again
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Avatar universal
Since this is an open forum and I could add myself to the non-accepting-the-result kind of guy, I will share my opinion on this matter.

My main concern, and the reason why this HIV issue keeps on haunting my mind (even after a VERY low risk exposure: protected oral and protected vaginal intercourse with a csw of unknown hiv status and a NEGATIVE Abbott Determine HIV 1/2 Antibody Test @ 7.5 weeks) is the fear of the astronomical existance of the possibility of still being infected and pass the infection to my current partner.

That is the only cause for me having such a hard time accepting that I don't have HIV. Dr. Hook, who by the way is more conservative than Dr. Handsfield, said my testing was conclusive and that I didn't have HIV. Still I just feel like I need the 12 weeks test to be absolutely sure.

I just couldn't bear living with the guilt of infecting my partner (who by the way I happen to care a lot for). The poor decision making was mine and no one else should pay the consequences but me.

But this is just me. This is the reason why I have such a hard time letting go of the issue and will wait until my 12 weeks result (13 days ahead).

Manny

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Avatar universal
That's a mental issue not a factual issue.
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Avatar universal
Hey there Teak! Hope your fine.

As always you go to the point. I never said it wasn't a mental issue. Your opinion is that it is and I respect it, but the thread question is WHY IS IT SO HARD TO ACCEPT?

For me that is the reason why it is hard to accept it until I am completely sure. Get it? I am very relieved after my testing results @ 7.5 weeks but will go with the 12 weeks to be fully certain.

Manny

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Avatar universal
I do understand that it is very rare for people to test pos after 3 mos.  I'm trying to get my life back to normal...I really am.  I think I will get tested again around 4-5 mos and maybe at 6 mos just so I can close this chapter in my life.  The protocol for work exposure is 6 mos...I'm just trying to follow protocol too.

By the way, anyone with a truly educated opinion on this topic.  Is there any documentation of someone testing positive after 3 months in the last few years.  if the answer is yes, what were the circumstances?  coinfection? in drug user?  what?
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