HIV positive after 3 months negative antibody test

Dear all,

Does anyone here know about people who tested HIV positive after a 3 months negative test.

If so, please comment if there were specific conditions to consider (like co-infection with another virus at the same time possibly delaying antibody responses, auto-immune disorders, immuno-compromised people..)

Many of us, like me, still remain worried after 3 months because of this so-called final window of 6 months.

I just want to understand.

[jose883]

Hi, the case of the nurse that you refer, was in the early 90's when there weren't modern tests (no 3rd and 4th generation ELISA). There is also another case (I think it was published in the same medical magazine, also in the 90's), of somebody how tried to suicide by sticking with a needle infected with HIV and HCV. He developed antibodies to both viruses within a month or so (the normal time).

[Teak]

That question has been asked and explained thousands of times and usually several times a week if not days, who may take longer than 3 months to obtain a conclusive test result and you've been here long enough to have read it.

[thelastbullet]

Yes,

You are right about that, but honestly, I have never seen someone from the 'worried well' posting after they have found they were positive. Maybe this is so because most people here were never truly at risk. Of course, they would never seroconvert after 3 months. So, given the lack of reports from truly positive people, how reliable is that '3 months is final' anyway.

[thelastbullet]

Teak,

Like you say, I have read a lot about the exceptions here (the post 3 month seroconvertors), but how do I know if they are true or not? So Teak, please confirm these cased as to be taken into consideration or not:

1. Immunocompromised persons
2. Organ transplant persons
3. Cancer treatment persons
4. PEP users

These 4 cases, i understand an find back in medical guidelines, but what about these:

1. Co-infection with Hepatitis C
2. Co-infection with Mononucleosis
3. Co-infection with CMV

Apparently, in those cases, both virus infections will have delayed conversions, hence no anitbodies in the blood, for any of those viruses.

So how could a person know if he is co-infected, don't we have to consider risk of co-infection (especially with Hep C) for at least a specific group of people (gay males).

I'd like to know your point of view on this.

[Teak]

1. Co-infection with Hepatitis C
2. Co-infection with Mononucleosis
3. Co-infection with CMV

Will not cause delayed seroconversion.

[thelastbullet]

But what about the case of the 3 nurses more than 10 years ago who only sero-converted after 1 year, 2 of the 3 were apparently co-infected with hep C.

This case is often referred to as a reason to test beyond 3 months.

It is even mentioned on wikipedia under the 'HIV testing'. Wikipedia still refers to the 6 months for 'exceptional cases'.

[jose883]

Hi, the case of the nurse that you refer, was in the early 90's when there weren't modern tests (no 3rd and 4th generation ELISA). There is also another case (I think it was published in the same medical magazine, also in the 90's), of somebody how tried to suicide by sticking with a needle infected with HIV and HCV. He developed antibodies to both viruses within a month or so (the normal time).

[thelastbullet]

Thank you Jose for responding.
I wish the medical experts would dismiss this specific case of the 90's nurses once and for all as not relevant anymore in these times. It remains a bizarre case.
What you say about the 'suicide case' proofs that there is no real sense in saying that co-infection with HCV would delay seroconversion. It could be the opposite as well.

Thanks for telling me about this, it relieves some of my remaining 'anxiety of delayed seroconversion'.

Wikipedia should be updated, I thought there was some control over the reliability of the information given there. Many people use wikipedia as first line information source. The 6 months period and the nurse cases are put there in a confusing way.

[LIZZIE LOU]

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