Testing and other concerns

Hi doctor had unprotected vaginal sex in the late winter.  Few symptoms will not get into as I know they are not that reliable.  Had 2 tests- One around 60 days (approx) and a second around 115 days (approx)  However i have few concerns I would like to ask about.  When I had the first test done at a clinic which send the lab results away to a nearby city something was originally labelled improperly and they called and I had to return the next day to redo it.  Week and a half later results came back negative and I was originally very happy until I decided to retest. Followed by the other test at approx 17 weeks.  My questions are- 1) Should I be 100% confident in these results? Do labs ever mix up results or incorrectly interpret them? Am I just being paranoid or can I have complete faith in the procedures and know they did not mess up?
2) Is a test at 6 months not necessary?
3)Random but I have a red, sore pimple like bump at the top of my pubic region, just showed up the other day and I popped it which hurt. Could be an ingrown hair maybe but I do not know, could this be herpes just showing up 5 months after? Does herpes present with a single bump (nothing on genitals) or normally clusters?
4)What are the chances I have HIV giving what I have told you? Even if she was HIV positive (which I do not know) would you for sure tell me to move on after my two tests?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our forum.  I'll be glad to provide my perspective.  

First test reliability.  ANY test carried out more than 8 weeks following exposure is reliable and should be believed.  Thus both your 60 day result and your >100 day results prove that you did not get HIV. Further, even if one was wrong, there is simply no realistic way that labs would mess the testing up twice.  Believe that you did not get HIV- your tests prove this.  There is no need for a 6 month test.

Next, could the labs switch specimens and mess them up?  It's possible but unlikely. Laboratories have a variety of protocols to insure that specimens are properly labeled. The fact that the lab appreciated a breech in protocol and called you in for a second test following your initial test is proof of this and should be looked upon as reassuring, not worrisome.

The lesion you describe in the public area could well be folliculitis (a "hair bump").  it is in a location where such things commonly occur and where HSV is relatively uncommon.  Further, as you mention, HSV lesions tend to occur as clusters of small fluid filled blisters, not as solitary lesions.

Hope these comments are helpful. It is time to stop worrying about your encounter last winter. EWH

[dtrace12]

yeah it wasn't the lab who messed up, it was the nurse who took my blood at the clinic, before they sent it away to the lab for my first test, but they called me the next day to redo it.  
So there is no need to even consider this possibility of a lab mixup?
Do the labs ever retest the negative results and they somehow change after sitting for a few days?

Finally can folliculitis cause a painful red bump?
When does herpes first occur after exposure?   Sorry for all the questions if you can help me with these it would be very appreciative and I will not ask any further questions.
I just want to know 100% sure I do not have HIV.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

no, no need o re-test.

Lab result s do not  change when specimens are re-tested.

Yes, folliculitis can cause a painful red bump.  Folliculitis occurs when the pores in your skin get plugged.  This allows that normal bacteria that are present on just about every-one's skin to grow and cause what is essentially a pimple.  Some of these just appear as red bumps which may or may not be  tender while others go on to actually form pimples.  

finally, HSV typically appears within 2 weeks of exposure.  

Again, you should not worry.  EWh

[dtrace12]

okay thank you doctor.  you guys provide an excellent service with this website.  I just wanted to be sure there was no realistic way there could be a mixup with my tests or any concerns I should have. It is very frustrating seeing so much conflicting evidence but I will take your advice and move on, something I wanted to do after my first test.
Thank you.

[dtrace12]

finally one question i was going to ask originally- even if she was hiv positive (which i do not know) you STILL would see no need for further testing due to my two negatives?

[dtrace12]

and is folliculitis hiv related?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Even if she had HIV, you did not get it.  I will not tell you you are not infected again.  The answer will not change, not matter how you rephrase the question.

folliculitis in not HIV related.EWH

[dtrace12]

thanks doctor

[dtrace12]

i currently have several canker sores as well. have you ever seen a negative result at either of my testing times later turn positive? would you retest if you were me?

[dtrace12]

also i saw on another post about subtypes, she was a north american white woman, do i need to even worry about subtypes? would those be picked up by my 2 tests?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, you do not need to worry about subtypes.  Really.  EWH

[dtrace12]

i keep getting tingling on occasion in my feet and sometimes in my hands. it doesn't hurt just kind of feels like they are falling asleep.  is this PN? how long does it take for pn to occur?
sorry to ask so many questions i just want to rule out hiv 100%

[Edward W Hook, MD]

This will need to be the last answer.  It appears that you are having trouble moving forward from your concerns despite my comments.  I fear that continuing answers will just fuel your continuing anxiety. Further questions will be deleted without comment.  

Peripheral neuropathy is a problem which occurs late in the natural history of HIV infection, not with recent infections.  Further, the sort of tingling you describe is often anxiety related.  

The thread is now over. EWH

[dtrace12]

just wondering sorry to bother you, why do specimens never change when they are retested after sitting for a few days , or weeks?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There are a variety of answers to this question which have to do with the rate at which antibodies or other indicators of infection break following being obtained as well as the nature of the chemical reactions involved in detection.  It is beyond the scope of your question.

Time for this thread to end. EWH

[dtrace12]

ok thank you doctor i will accept my result and move on, just wanted to make sure there was no chance of them retesting the result and it changing, but i see that is not possible. Thank you