high risk, please read and help, thanks

Hi, I just discovered this group and hope someone will help me, please. I was at risk, unprotected vaginal sex  on 29 September. After 3 days I went to the doctor, I discovered that I contacted STD gardnerella vaginalis and also a cervical wound (with HPV), so a higher risk in case of HIV exposure. The doctors in Romania said I have to wait 3 month before HIV testing because of the window period. In these 3 month I experienced ARS symptoms as follows:
- in October nothing,
- in November: soaking night sweats+joint pains in hands and feet+ my stool became softer and changed color and it remained the same until now (for 3 month),
- in December: 3 weeks with subfebrile conditions (37.2 -37.4 celsius degees) but I felt very bad, I was burning all over as if I had 39 degrees! and also my tongue became white (later the doctor said it was candida but it might have been due to the antibitics I took). Sometimes, when I had fever, the lymph nodes in my neck were swelling, sometimes not. As for sore throats, I have them a couple of days, then dissapeared, then came back again, especially in the morning.
- in January: another 2 weeks with subfever, and the neck lymphs swelling more and more.
The doctors could not explain me what is the cause of these symptoms. I did a lot of blood and other clinic tests and all are ok...
On 29 December, when the window period was over, I took the following tests: (they were made in our hospitals of infectious diseases,but I do not know if they are 3rd or 4th generation:
- 29 december (12 weeks): HIV 1+2 total antibodies MUREX+GENSCREEN (worked on EVOLIS) -negative
- 6 January (13 weeks): HIV 1-ARN (QUANTITATIVE) real time PCR - undetectable. This test was made in an private laboratory and the employees here said that the test was sent to Germany. The test was only for HIV1 group M subtypes A-H, but they could'nt give me further info, because they did not know more about it!
-17 January (15 weeks) HIV 1,2- Ag/Ac (the doctor said it is a combination between antigen and antibodies) -0,10 negative (normal values < 1 )
-9 february (17 weeks) the same HIV 1,2- Ag/Ac, in the same hospital,- but the value was higher, only after 2 weeks!! - 0,43 negative!!!
I am scared now. Is there a possibility that I began to seroconvert now and that is why the value of the last test is bigger?
I suspect that the person I was with, might have been newly infected without knowing. I remeber that he told me in Octomber that he was not feeling very well, he felt like fever and after 2 weeks he was sick, 6 days with high fever (38.6 celsius degrres) and severe sore throat. Never spoke with thim since. He is a singer, he travels from country to country, so high risk... and I just found out that he also was with a girl ho worked in Dubai...and God knows what other girls...and I am still having symptoms...
Kindly please someone tell me what do you think of my tests. Under these conditions of high risk do I have to test again, at 6 month? I am confused: the doctors in Romania say that 6 month is conclusive but I red on this site that 3 month is conclusive?
THANK YOU VERU MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR REPLIES and sorry I wrote such a long story...
Lots of health to all of you! Regards from Romania.

[anniella]

Thanks, your reply broght a little peace in my soul. It's only that it;s such a strange coincidence to experience all of them after a risky situation. As a lot of people said here, I am a very healthy person, never had them until now. Most of all I am suspicious about the fever. I mean anxiety can cause a lot of things, I agree, but fever and night sweats? There are days when I am terribly scared and I have no symptom and other days when I am very calm but I have symptoms. Anyway, I'll try to keep calm and each time I'll be scared again, I will go and read the results, with loud voice, 100 times: negative ate 12 weeks, negative at 12 weeks... :-) Thanks again!

[anniella]

Teak, ref your reply to scarednbeirut... do you think that I have to worry about the value of the last test? Is there a chance to begin the seroconversion now? Is this the reason of the big value?
Do you think I need further testing or shall I calm down? I shall highly apreciate your oppinon on this. Thanks a lot!

[RainLover71]

You have over tested,6 Months is outdated.You don't have HIV.You are 100% HIV negative.

[Teak]

I'm confused with your tests. Ag/Ac? If you meant Ag/Ab then your 12 week test was conclusive. Depending on the test will results have the index values.  

[anniella]

The test I had at 12 weeks was for sure only an abtibody test.

As for Ag/Ab test - I had them later:
I think the romanian Ag/Ac = the english Ag/Ab.  
Ag means antigen and Ac means antibodies (in Romanian, antibodes = anticorpi = shortening "Ac").
I remember the doctor said this Ag/Ac test is a test searching both for atibodies and also for antigen.
So, I made this Ag/Ab test twice, in the same hospital, on the same machine. The index value of the test is <1 negative.
My first result, at 15 weeks was 0.10 negative. My second result, at 17 weeks was 0.43 negative. Why did the value increased? It was the same Ag/Ab test, the same machine, the same hospital, the same cut off value (<1 negative). Shall I worry or move on?

Your oppinion is very important to me, sorry to bother you so, thanks in advance!

[Teak]

Patient index value flucuates due to contaminates in the blood that has nothing to do with HIV.  You can test several times in one day and more than likely not get the same index value. Your concern is the the c/o value. When <1, the test is negative.  

[anniella]

I thank you all for your prompt replies, they are very valuable and encouraging for me. Hugs for all!

[anniella]

I understand.
In conclusion, would you tell me, as you told others on this forum: "You are negative and don't need further testing"?

[Teak]

Teak  2 hours

I'm confused with your tests. Ag/Ac? If you meant Ag/Ab then your 12 week test was conclusive. Depending on the test will results have the index values.  
.

[anniella]

Hi, just one more on this one and I won't bother you anymore.
I called the hospital today in order to get more info about the hiv tests I've made.
All the info I could get was the following:
- the test I've had at 12 weeks is only an antibody test. The method used is a type of ELISA test using MUREX and GENSCREEN technology. Result -negative
- the test I've had at 17 weeks is, I quote the nurse: "a very good test, last generation, using chemiluminescence technique, searching both for antibodies and antigen". Result: negative.
I am dissapointed. I think in my country the testing methods are the old ones and that's why the doctors insist on testing up to 6 month. When you ask them details they don't give you any useful info...
So, taking into consideration the ones above and my overall strange symptoms, in your oppinion do you think I could calm down? I'll test anyway at 6 month as the doctors said but I would like to hear your final oppinion 'cause I'm so stressed out...
Thanks&regards

[Teak]

It doesn't matter what generation test it is at 3 months the results would have been conclusive. You are conclusively negative.

[Krish799]

No more tests needed at all listen to Teak And RL they are right I was advised no test for my exposure but still tested 1 month 3 month and recently at 8 month all negative was having symptoms too all gone now after my last test it's all anxiety driven symptoms I learnt it the hard way thinking 6 months as window period it's of no use 3 months is enough..

[anniella]

Sorry, but after reading many posts on this forum, I found out that an autoimmune disease will delay seroconversion.
I was just discovered with an autoimmune thyroid and I am still doing blood analysis to see exactly what it is (in one of my tests, the antibodies for thyroid were 200 times bigger than the c/o value of the test).

Do you think that this could delay seroconversion in my case?

Sorry again to be coming on this subject and many many thanks in advance.

[Teak]

You don't have a concern about your thyroid. You don't have HIV.

[nursegirl6572]

You read wrong...an autoimmune disease will not affect HIV testing.  Immunosupression (where a person's immune system is severely compromised) is a condition where further testing might be needed.  That would be people on chemo, people taking anti rejection drugs, chronic iv drug abusers.  

Your condition will not affect testing...your test was conclusive, you don't have HIV.

[anniella]

Thank you all so much for your replies, you cannot imagine what a great moral support they are for me!

But as I browsed today a lot of the threads here, another question just came to my mind. I have doubts about the generation of the tests in my country (Romania).
All the labs are providing mainly "Anti HIV 1/2" that means antibody test -that's all the info they provide you. Due to the fact that the cost of this test is around 13 eur I am questioning if this could be a 3rd generation test...

Could you please tell me which is the price in your country for a normal antibody test so I can compare it and have a clue?

I am asking all this info because I assume that the 12 week testing is conclusive only if done with a 3rd generation test. If the testing mehod is older than maybe that is why they ask me to test at 6 month.

Sorry to keep posting but I am new in this field and I have no one to ask.

[Teak]

Doesn't matter what generation the test was you test is conclusive.

http://www.cdc.gov/globalaids/Resources/pmtct-care/docs/TM/Module_6TM.pdf
Page 11
#4
  In an adult, a positive HIV antibody test result means that the person is infected, a person with a negative or inconclusive result may be in the “window for 4 to 6 weeks but occasionally up to 3 months after HIV exposure. Persons at high risk who initially test negative should be retested 3 months after exposure to confirm results

[anniella]

I just found out that all my tests were ECLIA, not elisa. I cannot find in my city any lab to test me with elisa, this is so frustrating.

last night I red the doctor's forum (searcing info abot ECLIA) and I found only a few posts. dr. HHH was saying that he has no knowledge about this test, as he has never worked with it... also, dr Garcia was saying "The 6 month testing advice results from uncertainty regarding HIV tests through their development in the early 1980's to now in 2011."

so...would it be possible that eclia is so old technology, not properly updated, that being the reason for the doctors are asking me to test until 6 months?

teak or somebody else.. could you please tell me if this ECLIA test is reliable and conclusive at 4 months? are you familiar with this test?
I know you replied me above, but you were not informed by that time about the exact type of test I've done.

sorry, maybe you'll send me to post to anxiety forum, but I rather consider this as a technical question (as I cannot find much info about it).
thanks a lot.

[Vance2335]

Have not heard of one test on the market today that does not have the 3 month window period.

[pirapiline]

ECLIA MEANS : ELETROCHIMIOLUMINESCENCE IT´S A RELIABLE TEST, HERE IN BRAZIL THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM, ECLIA - ROCHE, ALL THE TEST WHICH SEARCH FOR ANTIGEN + ANTIBODY ARE 4TH GENERATION TESTS. THE WINDOWN PERIOD IS TO 3 WEEK FROM 12 WEEKS. THESE TESTS REDUCE THE WINDOWN PERIOD.