Effect of Hepatitis C on HIV testing

[AUB01]

Doctor

I have a question about the window period for HIV testing if you are Hepatitis C positive.  Reading on the web (wikipeda) the Hepatitis C virus may (they did say there is no data to support this) supress the window period for HIV testing.  My primary care physican is not experanced at these things and feels that my test results are conclusive.  He feels that testing past 13 weeks is good unless your immun system is gone.  He is looking into it further.

I had an exposure about 24 weeks ago (oral).  It was a stupid mistake that i will pay for the rest of my life (I did test positive for Hepatitis C).  I also had another exposure 11 months ago (unprotected sex) and 7 1/2 months (oral).  All were strippers at a club (I have stopped going to that club).  My testing has been extensive (done online before going to the doctor).  I had three RNA by PCR test.  One at 8 days after the last exposure, one at 17 days after the last exposure, and one 6 weeks after the last exposure.  I also had an atibody test (blood drawn) at 9 weeks, 12 weeks, and 15 weeks.  The last test I had was at the local clinic (clinic is supported by the local hospital).  It was an oral test at 22 1/2 weeks after my last exposure.  All test were negitive.  The tech at the clinic said having hepatitis c would not change the results however I did not ask about the window period.

Do you have any input about this?  I am very scared and hope to only have to focus on the Hepatitis C (that is enough).  There is really no data out there that I can find about this and I hope this is just something I have cooked up in my peraniod head.

Thank you for your time reading this.

[johnwick]

A related discussion, HIV and hepatitis B , C was started.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

No, even acute HCV infection, or even a particularly severe infection, would have not effect on HIV diagnosis.  And for sure you didn't catch either HIV or HCV from an oral sex exposure.

[AUB01]

What if the hep c is an acute stage?  I continue to have symptoms.  Could an acute infection delay testing.  My last antibody test was negative at 24 weeks.  Would the PCR or rna test be effected?  I think I could have gotten both at the same time.

Thank you again for your input.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the forum.  Some questions can be answered accurately based only on the title of the question, without reading anything else.  That probably is the case here.  There are no illnesses, medical conditions, or medications that can alter the timing or reliability of HIV test results, with the possible exceptions of very acute, immediatley life threatening infections.  (Even these are theoretical only, with few if any actual known cases.)  Certainly HCV cannot do so.

Now I have read the rest.  Sorry to hear about your apparent HCV infection.  But guess what:  my reply is unchanged.  Remember that Wikipedia is written by anybody who wants to contribute; genuine expertise on the topic is not required nor even requested.  The subsequent statement that there are no data may have been written by someone else in response to the obviously false statement.

With the HIV tests you have had, it is impossible you have HIV.  And oral sex is no risk for HIV anyway!  You have been seriously overtested, no matter the exposure or any symptoms you may have experienced.  Please accept the scientific evidence and the reasoned reassurance you have had from your doctor, perhaps others, and now this forum.  You do not have HIV, should not have any more tests for it, and should stop searching the web or any other sources about this.

And by the way, you didn't catch your apparent HCV infection during the oral sex event.  To my knowledge, oral sex has never been known to transmit HCV.  Of course you should be seeing a qualified health professional about your HCV test result.  I hope you are doing that.

Regards--  HHH, MD