Aa
I really need to know the TRUE answer
I have finally taken the courage to come to this room. I hope Teak of this room will answer my question, but any others are appreciated. I travel for business and have had multiple sexual exposures over the years. My last one was a year and a half ago. I have tested out to nearly a year and a half with PCR tests, Antibody tests 1/O/2 and all have been negative. I continue to have symptoms that do not make sense to me or any professional. I have white tongue, muscle twitching as well as bad floaters in vision. I have searched this forum as well as other papers and get some conflicting information. Mr. Teak, you say that ANY HIV should be able to be detected by 3 months? Does that include just using the standard AB tests? I have read that since my exposures were overseas(Africa,Carribean)and in parts of the world where the disease is higher(Africa,Carribean), that I COULD have a strain that is not detectable by the current testing? Do you agree? Some papers say that GROUP N/P may not be able to be found by "regular" testing since it really only looks for group M with B subytpes. Is this true? I recently got by regular bloodwork back and all values are normal along with the latest HIV test. I guess I want to know that after a year and a half and persistent symptoms, whether or not I need to continue to dwell on the possibility that this is some rare strain that CANNOT be found. Have there been cases like mine that you know of or cases of rare strains that are missed because of testing limitations? How in the world are these other strains found if there is really no test for them? Please help as I need to get this behind me and be well again. Thanks so much.
I think you are missing a point. HIV will not escape the immune response to produce antibody. If you had HIV, you will produce Antibody...PERIOD!!! There are many different strains of HIV, the test are manufactured to pick up "antibodies". It is a sensitive process. There are 2 types of antibodies we produce to HIV. Read about antibodies and how they work in our immune system, this may help, your body will not ignore the virus if it enters the body. The antibody cell is seperated when the WB confirms the HIV strain that the antibody is attached too.
Teak, would these tests pick up those N, P groups? Only because I had exposures in those areas. Dr. Hansfield says they may be hard to detect. Just wanted your thoughts. Thanks
...there is no chance that your body would not produce antibody to HIV reguardless of any subtype or rare group, the EIA/ELISA tests are required by the FDA to demonstrate accuracy in detecting HIV subtypes and groups. These tests are 99% reliable at 6 weeks and conclusive at 12 weeks post exposure.
Final comment Teak:
1) would ANY HIV regardless of group, strain, etc, be able to be detected by our standard antibody tests used here with LAbcorp and quest? Even given where my exposures were?
Thank you
1) would ANY HIV regardless of group, strain, etc, be able to be detected by our standard antibody tests used here with LAbcorp and quest? Even given where my exposures were?
Thank you
What you are experiencing can be associated with your fear alone or another disease, but not HIV.
Teak, please comment on the possibility of a rare type of HIV. My infectious disease doctor thinks the tests would pick it up but there is the possibility that it could be missing it. He is going to talk to local health department and see. Could you give me your thoughts on this previous three questions. Everything I am experiencing cannot be pinned with a diagnosis. Please answer
I do not have an answer from any md. Will you please tell me your thoughts on those three previous questions?
1) Would these "regular" tests be able to detect these types of "rare" subtypes/strains/groups even those they are actually designed for?
2) Can it ever take this long to seroconvert?
3) How are these types of people found to be positive with the rare strains?
Thank you
1) Would these "regular" tests be able to detect these types of "rare" subtypes/strains/groups even those they are actually designed for?
2) Can it ever take this long to seroconvert?
3) How are these types of people found to be positive with the rare strains?
Thank you
Mr. Teak,
Could you please address those previous 3 questions? The symptoms I have without any professional diagnosis is very worrisome. Thank you
Could you please address those previous 3 questions? The symptoms I have without any professional diagnosis is very worrisome. Thank you
1) Would these "regular" tests be able to detect these types of "rare" subtypes/strains/groups even those they are actually designed for?
2) Can it ever take this long to seroconvert?
3) How are these types of people found to be positive with the rare strains?
Thank you
2) Can it ever take this long to seroconvert?
3) How are these types of people found to be positive with the rare strains?
Thank you
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