CDC vs Specialist!

Hello.. I have had a really bad scare.  I tested Positive via Ora-quick advance hiv 1/2 back in september 06.. The follow up test a regular elisa was negaitve.  I then when to an infectious d. specialist who ran a rna test..negative down to 50 copies, and she also ran a antibody test that read Hiv 1/o/2 non-reactive/negative.  I am still worried because the clinic where I first tested positive never ran a western blot because they said the follow elisa was good enough because it was 6 months post exposure (potential exposure).  The specialist also said that I did not need a western blot unless the elisa test she ran came back negative.. But, the cdc states that all tests that come up positive should eb followed by a western blot?  I am so confused.. have I tested enough?  Also, I went back and got another rapid test 10 months out that came up negative.. Thank you so much for any help at all.. You can really save my life.. I'm still so afraid its hard for me to get out of bed.. Thank you

[regularjoey]

Relax, you're negative.  That's what you get for taking Oraquicks....

[Tommy420]

I agree with regularjoey...Elisa antibody test can be inaccurate at times, and that's why a positive Elisa test is always retested with a Western Blot, which is a more accurate and more expensive test.  The specialist you saw knew nothing about HIV tests.  Western blots are ONLY used when the Elisa comes back positive, not when it's negative.  Your continuous tests prove that your are HIV NEGATIVE! Relax and move on with your life!

[Rangermosby6]

thanks I think I am starting to win the battle against this anxiety.. it helps to hear from other folks who have either been through or dealt with some of the same issues.. thanks guys!!!

[regularjoey]

Oraquicks give A LOT of FALSE positives.  Don't take them again.

[Teak]

Oraquick does not give a lot of false positives. Two years ago they had a bad batch of tests that gave out a larger number of false positives. The tests have now been corrected.

[Rangermosby6]

With that said what should I make of the positive ora-quick.. I saw it with my own eyes.. but I also have had all these other negative tests... would you say that all the other hegaitve tests trump the ora-quick that came back positive?  Thanks for any feedback

[regularjoey]

Forget what Teak says, he just has nothing better to do than to argue here.
Forget your Oraquick result, it was a false positive, Oraquicks are notorious for the false positives.
Your other test results is what counts.
Move on, you don't have HIV.

And in the future don't take Oraquicks, they are fine tests, but not generally designed for people like you.