Doctor, Please help me answer this.

[total2011]

Dear Doctor,
I'm writing from Cambodia.
I really need advice from expert doctor, now I found here and I hope you will help me as much as you can.
The rate of hiv infected people in Cambodia is around 0.8-0.9% if im not wrong (I am not sure but higher than in neighbor countries.

06/March/2010:
I had sex with a sex worker unknown status. I wore condom but after I ejaculated I still continued like 6 or 7 secs because my penis still erected and then the told me to stop because she knew I already ejaculated.
I walked out to toilet and removed condom, I didn't check if it broke or not (it was my big mistake). I removed immediately by tissue. Then I went out and leave the girl in the room with my friend.
Later next day, my friend told me that after I went out, the girl went to bathroom for long time and when she came out she cried a lot.

(worried #1: I later think why she cried, was it because she knew if condom broke? and she knew and regret if she transmitted to me?)

- I really don't remember if I had ARS after that because it's been more than 1 year already.

07/May/2010 (62 days, or 8.5 weeks)
I went to local hiv test center (government hiv test center), It was free test.

- 62 days, or 8.5 weeks: Negative blood rapid test.

Until June 2011 (around 15 months) I started to have sympthoms mostly same as late stage of hiv.

It started by:
- dizzyness,
- very fatigue,
- bluur vision
- fungi infection near penis, gone by medication
- no power,
- always want to sleep,
- Nausea,
- hard to breath,
- shortness of breath,
- Muscle twich
- Swollen gland under my neck both side(little pain)
...
all of them still there untill now (4 months already...)

Tested again: (free government test center)
September-2011 = 15 months : Negative blood rapid test
August-2011 = 15 months + 2 weeks : Negative blood rapid test

(worried #2: Blood test showed Low white blood count 4.5 (Normal: 4-10)... Last time blood test in early 2009 it was 6.3)

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There is virtually no chance that you multiple tests woul not detect HIV.  

There will be no more answers to your questions.  You do not have HIV.  Please focus on controlling your inappropriate level of anxiety. EWH

[Jackson1984]

Hi Total2011
You are like me I have like your symptoms I did 3 tests for HIV and all negative but then take test for The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and find it positive and early infection all my symptoms from EBV and it is still with me .Thanks and good luck

[total2011]

I'm sorry for excessive posting last time.
I promise this is my last post :)

Your answer number 1 wasn't what I mean.

I mean low white count also known cause by hiv. So in my case I'm worried that it cause by hiv.

Now my last question is:

what are the chance of false negative on my tests? due to weak immune, weak detectable antibodies, too late to test (late stage could cause false negatives, a report on determine website itself)



Thank you doctor for your help.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

These are anxiety driven questions.  I will provide further brief answers to your specific questions but will not repeat myself:

1.  A low white count is non-specific and would not effect your HIV antibody test.
2.  You do not have HIV.
3.  Believe the tests. Antibiotics and vitamin B will not change the result.
4.  Determine 1/2 is a highy reliable test. Believe the result
5.  Your symptoms are not cause by HIV.

Excessive repeat posting as you have done in the past 30 minutes will result in deletion of the entire thread without further answers.  YOU DO NOT HAVE HIV.  EWH

[total2011]

Doctor,

(pls also answer above post questions 1-4)


and I hope this is the last question:

5- Do you think any antibody tests are good?
(I mean my tests) or there are better type of tests?

6- If I go to check for my health again, should I be confident 100% if they want to test for hiv?

7- About my symptoms, do you think what they are related?


Thank you so much doctor.

[total2011]

I want to add:
Swollen gland under my neck both side (more than 4 months)
Headache
diahrea and sore throat.

[total2011]

dear doctor,

1- But I have many sympthoms and Low white blood count. I heard that low white blood count is a serious problem and mostly occure to hiv patient.

2- and one more thing, is Abott determine hiv 1/2 what generation? is it still in use in other countries?

3- I search around I saw late stage of hiv also could cause false negative.

4- Could it be my immune was too weak and couldn't detect?

Doctor, pls help I really feel like hard to survive with these sympthoms.
I really don't know where to discuss my situations, I called hotline of HIV adviser in Cambodia but they seems never update their knowledge about hiv.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum. I can see from your 15 other posts that you have been concerned that the encounter you have described might have lead to HIV for some time.  I hope that the answers I provide will be helpful in convincing you that you did not get HIV.  

First, please understand that your condom did not break.  When condoms break, they break wide open leaving absolutely no doubt that they broke.  If your condom did not look broken, it was not.

Second, it is unlikely that your partner ha HIV.

Third, even if she did,  your risk of infection if your encounter was unprotected (an yours was not) would only be 1 infection in every 1000 acts of intercourse.

Forth, and most importantly you have been tested repeatedly with reliable test for HIV and all have been negative.  If you had gotten HIV your test would have become positive within 8 weeks of exposure.  Yours did not in many tests  conducted at many times past when it would have become positive if it were going to.

Finally, the sorts of symptoms you describe are non-specific and are the sorts of things that people without HIV experience regularly.  When symptoms an test results do not agree, the test results are always right.

I hope my comments are helpful.  At this time you have no reason to worry about getting HIV from the encounter you describe and you do not need further testing.  EWH

[total2011]

I want to add:
I also have diahrea and sore throat.

All those sympthoms and low white blood make me very very very worried, and sympthom seems getting even worst day by day even I already take medications.

[total2011]

Sorry doctor for abit long.
Question:

1. Please give me some advise, worried1 and worried2..
2- Am I at risk of HIV?
3- Are there any chances of false negative? I had injection of Vitamin B for long time. Also anibiotics will affect the tests or not?
4- I saw the test they took for me it was determine hiv 1/2 (http://www.determinetest.com/about_hiv/how_to_use.aspx), is it accurate or not? I read there they said there are few reasons could cause false negative.

5- Doctor I really scare of hiv test again, the window period here is to test in 2 step (a test at 3 months and another test at 6 months)
Doctor what should I do?

6- I see local doctor about sympthoms, I took medications... they are still there....