HIV test result and flu vaccine (please read and help).

Can a flu vaccine affect the results of a rapid/quick test or a blood test?

I've been going over sexual history and trying to recall any instances of high-risk behavior....in the last yr there have been a few (4 or 5 seriously at best) instances of a condom breaking or realizing it was "up inside" of me the whole time after sex was over...some unprotected sex exposure was short (5 mins at best) and some we'd been having sex for a while (close to 40-45mins). I went in early afternoon of nov 23rd and got 2 rapid tests RIGHT/minutes AFTER I'd gotten a flu vaccine (on top of that i'm still getting over the end of a bout with what a previous doc diagnosed as Acute Bronchitis if that matters) and both came back "faintly" positive. They were trying to convince me it doesn't mean I have it but at the same time they were backpeddling that in most cases it can mean that I actually do as in may have just gotten it.  The doctor attending me said both times they were so faint she was sure it was negative (2 nurses were looking at the results with her)....one nurse didn't see anything on the first but the other did and vice versa on the 2nd. Can the flu vaccine i'd just taken and recovering from acute bronchitis have created/influence the rapid results and can it affect the blood test they just sent out?  Thanks.


"Cadence".

[Teak]

No the flu vaccine will not affect your HIV test.

[unfortunateconfusedguy27]

I have heard may be I am wrong that flue vaccines  attribute to false positive results.

[interestedparty71]

You are wrong. They dont alter the results.

[CADENCE718]

What about having another viral infection that can cause actue bronchities or pnuemonia (pneumonia)?  

Glad flu vaccine doesn't affect results....I was reading that everywhere.  What can cause faint positive results? I've read too many things about what can cause them or false positives and I'm beyond confused.

I'm freaking out.

[Teak]

The answer is no.

[CADENCE718]

What can cause faint positive results?  I've read too many things about what can cause them or false positives and I'm beyond confused. Please and thanks to anyone that can help. I don't have anymore nails to bite off and I'm feeling the worst anxiety waves every other minute. Thanks much.

[Teak]

No one is going to give you a faint positive because they would have advised you that the test had to be redone.

[CADENCE718]

The 2 nurses and attending doctor  were the ones who told me the two rapid tests results came back as "faint positive".  So what causes faint positive results? What does that even mean? I've heard of false positive or inconclusive but never a "faint positive".

[Teak]

Doesn't mean a thing without a confirmative test result.

[CADENCE718]

I'm aware of that... had a doctor from another site tell me it is possible that if i take a rapid test immediately after a flu vaccine it can possibly create a false or weak positive and could possibly cause a false pos on an elisa blood test but not on a western blot. Nothing much now but to wait for the first phone call. Not sure if they did a western blot of elisa or another kind of confirmatory test but i was told they are supposed to do a western blot after 2 positive elisa tests.

[CADENCE718]

I was told  also the rapid tests should not have been called faint or weak positives anyways but indeterminate.

[Teak]

Reread the replies that you were given.

[CADENCE718]

Few  more questions. I think I still have a good amount of a bad cold/bronchitis which a doc said can mess with an rapid test or elisa blood test  aside from a flu vaccine if the blood was taken right after which it was administered (and apparently i probably should've had the tests and blood taken before the vaccine) so if it shows via an elisa blood test of a positive hiv test will they automatically test that same blood again or will they ask for more? And is a western blot more confirmatory and can rule out affects of non-hiv antibodies etc  vs the elisa test?

[Teak]

There are no reasons whatsoever to be ask the same questions on two different forums.  ELISA is not a confirmative test, WB is a confirmative test.

[CADENCE718]

The forum wasn't on this site and I was looking for other opinions. Anyways, good news for me the confirmatory WB yesterday gave me  a negative.

[Teak]

You posted on Aidsmeds earlier.