Is it a human Error?

Dear Doctor Hook

I’m the one who posted a question last month ( finstrade and HIV Repid test? ) and today  I want your help to clarify another thing for based in your long experience in this field, as you remember  I started of doing rapid test and did came positive then in the same day I did ELISA test and came Negative then I repeated Rapid test 3 days later and then I after 1 month of initial False positive I did ELISA test and followed by western Blut and PCR 6 weeks after the initial false positive and all of them came Negatives honestly speaking the first Rapid test I did in a very low class Lab where usually such lab in my country is not following the required standard but the other conformity test performed in reputable laboratories, I knew that you have advised me no need for further testing but honestly last week I went the same lab again to do another Rapid test and the result was Negative and I was excited so I did it again in another Lab after 30 min. and the result was negative so do think the first initial false positive was a human Error because of the place where I went to maybe because I have Positive 2.0 Herpes II  as the doctor in the second lap informed maybe this was the reason why I got 1st HIV rapid test positive because of ( Cross Reaction) with Herpes Virus?  your advise is highly appreciated plus one last question as I mentioned I did 2 Rapid test last week  and came Neg. so my question is Rapid testing method is reliable as far as it’s Neg, so I can forget HIV thing for ever and forget about that initial test was a sign for HIV early infection idea which sometimes comes to my head?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Dr. Hook and I take questions randomly, without regard to specific requests for one of us.  We have been close colleagues for 3 decades and our views and advice never differ significantly, even if our styles are different.  I read your previous thread.

To my knowledge no research has been reported about why the rapid tests sometimes give false positive results.  It appears to be inherent in the test and to occur randomly.  It is not human error and there is no known relationship to any other medical condition and it is not known to result from cross reaction with any other virus test, so it probably had nothing to do with your HSV-2 status.  From Dr. Hook you already know it had nothing to do with your medications.

Rapid testing is completely reliable when negative, and indeed you "can forget HIV forever and forget about that initial test".

Let's not have any more discussion about it.  Please move on with no fear about HIV.

HHH, MD