Question for WorriedUS

[Naseeb]

So what's ur status dudue? I had exposure on Oct 13th last month....exactly 1 month ago. Today at 32 day I had Oraquick test and it is negative and I m very happy. High level I had sex safe and ain't gonna worry anymore. No more testing, I am done with stress.

About u, I am wondering did u take Oraquick test? OR just regular blood test? I saw on ur post that u had exposure was last month too...It will be good if you can also cheer like I am cheering all day long since this afternoon. Good luck man, I am sure it will be negative.

[WorriedUS]

brambles26,

thanx for ur genuine heart-felt tips and sound advice and with sharing your story.  We're all more or less, in the same boat.  

but here is what the doc said regarding risk and testing after a negative result and a low-risk encounter.

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"OK, here it is again (for at least the 10th time).

Assume a low risk exposure, like a typical heterosexual exposure with a partner of unknown (but probably negative) HIV status. Say the odds someone acquired HIV were 1 chance in 100,000. Now assume a test is 95% accurate at 4 weeks and 99.9% accurate at 3 months. After a negative test at 4 weeks, the odds the person has HIV (despite the test result) is 0.00001 x 0.05 = 0.0000005. That's 5 in 10 million, or once chance in 2 million. That's so low to be considered zero. (It's 75 time LESS than the lifetime chance of someone living in the US being killed by a lightning strike!)

Now assume a very high risk exposure, like a gay man who has unprotected anal sex with a known-infected partner (or being raped by an infected man). The odds of infection might be 1%, i.e. 1 in 100. Test negative at 4 weeks. The odds the person has HIV despite the negative test are 0.01 x 0.05 - 0.0005. That's 1 chance in 2000. Pretty low, and the test result is reassuring. But not nearly reassuring enough; most people will not accept a 1 in 2000 risk of being infected an not knowing it. Therefore, that person needs another test at 3 months. At that time, a negative test result translates into 0.01 x 0.001 = 0.00001, 1 chance in 100,000.

Same test, but the differenence in circumstances leads to different levels of reassurance. The bottom line is that the higher the risk, the more important it is to carry out testing to a later time, such as 8 weeks or even 3 months. The lower the risk, the less it matters to wait that long.

Only you can decide whether you "need" testing as long as 3 months after exposure. But for most people, a single test at 4-6 weeks is sufficient. (If you're going to worry about the possibility of HIV despite a risk of less than 1 in a million, I have to assume you never drive, don't cross busy streets, and never take commercial flights--all of which have a much higher chance of killing you.)"

HHH, MD
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[cholny29]

I think we can all understand your stress and anxiety level as that is what probably brought most of us here in the first place. nonetheless, congratulations on your negative test. If I were you, and following what others have posted, I would probably go for a final and conclusive test at 6-8 wks just because that is what the doc says you can consider really reliable and accurate and the 12 wk is icing on the cake more or less.

[brambles26]

hi Worried and Nas,

Dont worry i know what your going thourgh.. the worry is painful and the what ifs... even worse.

Thanks worried, for understanding my posts, some other forum participants have got annoyed with me.. i gather they dont really care too much about anyone but themselves,

Coming from some one who is still fairly anxiety driven there are only a couple of tips i can give you:  -

1) Dont read any other websites/forums etc apart from this one....that is how my anxiety started.. they all have diffeent purposes and different opinions, stick with Dr HHH who is knowledgable in his field.

2)Keep teling yourself you are ok... and listen to the advice Dr HHH gives.

3)  If you continue to suffer anxiety see a counsellor or talk to a friend, it helped me onece i had told someone and you get some reassurance you are being irrational.

4)  I think you both should get tested at 6-8 weeks regardless of risk.. just to be sure and clam any worries you still may have.  Regardless of risk 100% of people will be positive by this time, Dr HHH has said this many times.


Hope this helps, be safe from now on guys.....


Trust me I have been where you are now... until a few days ago i was even thinking about going for another test at 18 weeks (previously tested 11), but then whe  i sat down by myself and thought about it... i realised..... i tested at 78 days... i was negative... that is conclusive.. i just dont have it.. it is my fear making me think i do....
Maybe you 2 should try to do the same...

If you think anything i am saying is incorrect Dr HHH please clarify.

You are both fine... dont let life slow you down or pass you by while you are waiting for these results......

[Naseeb]

agreed dude, u will be fine. Just believe in God.

My symnptoms were oppsite too....gained weight...was feeling more hunry....I forgot about stress when I was hanging with my friends...and those what if questions ate me alive. Initially I thought I would go get tested at 6 week mark, but my mind was bugging me so much that I couldn't even focus on anything. Check this out, I was so stressed that...

I had two speeding tickets in 4 weeks (I never had speeding ticket before)
I lost my ID

I was so paranoid that...

I thought stripper put holes in condoms on purpose
what if strip club people didn't use right type of condoms


I was so Superstitions that...

Magic Johson found out about his status in November so I won't get tested in November
Number 33 is not lucky so I won't get tested on day 33
I would only get tested after I clean my apartment....after I shave etc etc

Before the encounter I was regular on working out but after encounter I couldn't workout a sinlge day coz of all "what if" questions. This moring I had enough with myself and all "what ifs".....I said to myself shut up and lets go get tested in november and without shaving and without cleaing my apartment and without taking my regular lucky car....many others to add but u guys will just laugh even louder :)

Finally results came back negative...there was doc up there who literally bitched me out to get tested after wearing rubbers. Also at the clinic I was so annoyed by other stupid couple who was there for same testing but they weren't serious at all, they were hugging and kissing each other and laughing. I was at the point to tell them to shut up.

I came to realize what human mind can do to you! One lesson I learned is not to have sex with stranger/stripper. Those two minute of fun can make you go through hell for next 3 months. I would rather stay abstain, only consider to have sex after marriage with a girl whom I trust. Period.

But thank God that negative test gave me my normal life back.

[brambles26]

Here is an example for Nas and Worried.. if soemone can do the calculations for me...lol

1) If you get tested after (ill be conservative) 8 weeks - DR HHH says he has never seen someone negative at this point and positive later... so thats a good statistic.

so obviously there is a miniscule possibility, say in my case ive been tested at 11 weeks which i think is iver 99% relaible,, the chances i would be positive now are.. like tiny....

any one care to do a calc.....

[Naseeb]

Thanks for info. But I really wanna put it to rest coz I had sex safe, period. I might go ahead and get another test at regular routine check up with my regular doc tho. Bottom line is that it is all luck. Someone might get it from 1 time while others won't get it by doing it 1000 times. But neg test results def is life saver :)

Last but not least, belive in God coz he worries more about u than urself. Learn from your mistake. If all of us starting to have safe sex OR better yet only have sex with long term partner (wife/gf) then no one will suffer from this anymore. Period.

[WorriedUS]

Naseeb,

As Doc H would say, I am battling right brain-left brain issues.  (right brain-emotional anxiety, left brain-logical responses and conclusions).  

Got tested on 11/8/06, (exactly 4 weeks post exposure) and will know by 11/22/06.  14 days seems like an eternity!!!!

But I will know my results from chlamydia, gon., syphillis, and molluscum (all the curable ones) by this friday.  I don't have any symptoms from these per se, but I'm not worried either since they're treatable/curable.

But the local health clinic where HIV testing is free, was very conservative in saying 4 weeks post exposure was accurate, but they allowed me to test anyways and said I should wait 3 months.  But I know that 6-8 weeks is normal.  

In my mind, I know I'm OK. But my heart says, "what IF?".  

I don't know for sure, but I would say I'm alright.  

I've had all the opposite symptoms. I don't have night sweats, I feel kind of cold at times, I've gained weight, more appetite, have woken up early and slept late a lot (i.e., no fatigue), and generally, no headaches other than from 4-9 days post exposure.  Urination is light, not dark! lol. lymph nodes have not swollen (doc checked me out and said they're not swollen in spite of what I think and feel).

So all in all, everything LOGICALLY and COMMON SENSICALLY points out to nothing to freak out about having HIV.

But in the weird, out of the ordinary chance I DO have it. I'm not gonna freak out totally. Life sentence? NO WAY!!  will it change my life like it has anyone else who's had it? of course.  It's a chronic disease now, and not a death sentence.

but I'm not gonna freak.  I'll get tested once more at 8 weeks, and 3 months to be sure. The human mind is a terrible thing at times.  hard to let go..but I'll keep you and everyone posted on here for sure.

Thanks for asking. and I'm DEFINITELY happy that you are negative.

Good luck..and stay safe.

-WorriedUS