Partner Positive - I'm Negative @ 7 weeks ~ Could his results be wrong

[Scaredsick867]

My 48-year old partner/fiance has been ill off-and-on since October (flu, pneumonia, fever, aches/pains, chills/sweats)  He got a little better after bad illness in October but has been sick off-and-on since.  Week of 4/16 he had high fever, chills, sweats, and a purple/red splotchy rash on head, face and trunk (dr. initially thought allergic reaction to ibuprofen script).  A lot of dr. visits, etc....in late April was given ELISA that was non-reactive.  Western Blot was indeterminate.  Infectious disease specialist who reran test early May ~ ELISA was reactive, Western Blot positive-negative.  What is "positive negative"???  Dr. said he "definitely, definitely has HIV".

He gave blood routinely ~ with the last time being January 29 when he donated both plasma and blood.  He did not recieve any communication from Red Cross (scary if he was infected then and just in window-period).  The dr. thinks he got HIV somewhere between February & April and just seroconverted in early May.

He lives out of state ~ we have had two intimate, unprotected encounters (oral & vaginal) once on Feb. 14 and once on Mar. 21.  I was negative on rapid test on May 12 (at least I know I did not give this to him).  I'm sick thinking I've had a high exposure risk since I read it's very transmittable when partner is newly infected and I have to wait until mid-June to be almost 100% sure....

He insists that donating blood and being with me are the only behaviors....ZERO risk from what I can find all over the internet.  He traveled between PA & OH three times (1x Feb 13, Mar 20, Apr 18 ~ looked awful on that visit - thankfully we did not have sex since he felt so terrible) ~ dr. said possible he picked something up at a rest stop.  No recall of being poked, stuck or anything.

If he is being honest (I do trust him ~ but can't find anything to support he could get this from any of the activities he claims are the only ones since then.  He did fess up that he went to a strip club on his birthday (April 7) but had two beers and gave one stripper $1 to dance for him.  She did touch him ~ although he said clients are not allowed to touch them.  I don't think that is even considered a risk (except he knows how I feel about strip clubs...it could be high risk for the relationship).

Any answers.....is he maybe the one in one billion with a false positive result????  Is he lying/cheating?????  When do you think he was infected based on symptoms/test results.  I'm praying for April which would leave me in the clear ~ but I'm scared to death (for both of us).

Thank you.  

[Teak]

No that is not what it took. That wasn't even a risk.

[Scaredsick867]

Thank you and sorry....I reposted this question as I was thinking member may have thought I was reposting my original question.

He did fess up a little...he put his fingers inside a stripper then into his mouth.  Is that all it really took????  10 seconds for a lifetime of illness and a ruined relationship?  I don't know that I can forgive (yes, I have an appt. with Psychiatrist and already back on Antidepressent meds).  I will always be there for him (although I'm glad now we are 8 hours apart and I won't need to see him for a while).  He needs space now...we had a great thing going and in an instant it's all gone.

I know I could probably stay with him.  I am not HIV-a-phobic ~ it's the betrayal (he knows I have a peeve about strip clubs).

Thanks again.  I feel pretty sure I will be okay as this happened either the day before or day after his b-day on April 7.  I will still retest at 3 months just to be sure.  Probably won't bother with the 6 month one.


Thanks again.  Take care.

[nursegirl6572]

Of course it indicates a recent infection...sometime within 3 months before his POS test.  Most likely, it was 4-6 weeks prior to the pos result.

It really isn't going to do you much good to try and figure that out, b/c you are only guessing.  HE knows when the exposure was, and hopefully he will decide to be 100% honest with you soon.  Knowing exactly when he was exposed would be a great help to you in figuring out YOUR risk.  He really owes you that much, and I would tell him so.

Hang in there...you will have your final results soon.  

[Scaredsick867]

Hi...sorry to ask another question.  After this I will not pose any more questions (except to let you know how it works out for me). I know I have to retest at 3 months to be sure I am not infected; however, that's 4 more weeks...I'm going crazy.  Anyway he read these results to me over the phone, so they or may not make sense.  I was wondering if his high viral load result in early May when he tested positive (after testing negative end of April) would indicate a recent infection...I'm still hoping & praying it was after our last encounter on 3/21.  I guess the more indications I have the more relaxed I can be and start dealing with his illness and our relationship.

antibodies - positive
in-range - no response

reference range - negative

Western Blot - out-of-range positive
reference range negative

HIV Repeatedly Reactive

Quantitative Real Time (PCR) - range copies & log copies range under 48

Copies/ml 345,693
Log Copies 5.54

Thanks for all you're doing.  I don't know how you do it ~ but it's really appreciated.  Some of these questions are just crazy!!!

Take care everyone.

[LIZZIE LOU]

to help alleviate some of your anxiety...listen to what nursegirl told you.  your test is a very good indication of your status...and is "unlikely" to change...BUT...you need to test out to 3 months for a conclusive result.
having unprotected sex with a hiv + person does not mean automatic infection.  my son and his wife (then girlfriend) had unprotected sex for several months before he knew he was +...and she did not get infected.  
retest at the appropriate time...and try to relax knowing that you have a negative test at 51 days.

[Scaredsick867]

Sorry...but in less than a week my whole life has turned upside down....

Couple more questions that are killing me:

1) Based on his "story" with the high fever, cough, rash, aches/pains occuring mid-April is there a good chance he got HIV after our last encounter on March 21??????  He has been coughing a lot off-an-on since October when he had pneumonia.  He did donate blood on 1/29/09 and recieved no notification of infection.

2) If he was infected in the last 6 months given the facts he could have had a longer window period than most...would he have been MORE likely to transmit to me.

I know the truth deep-down...he did fess up about the strip club after me pushing and pushing.  It's almost more upsetting to me that he is lying to me and that if it was a one-time thing in April and letting me STRESS to no end that I could be positive.  I have two young children and am 8 hours away from him (so happy he does not come home every weekend) so I am all alone.  I have a lot of freinds and family around who adore this guy...way too soon to fill them in on all this.  He is alone too as he has not told anyone (fortunately he has family close to him as well when the time comes)...but he can start facing this.  I'm still unknown...I guess I'm selfish because I'm more worried about me right now than him.

Thanks a bunch for allowing to me to go on-and-on....

[nursegirl6572]

Your test result is very reassuring.  You had a risk, and you're doing the right thing by being tested.  One thing I can tell you is just being exposed to someone with HIV, is no GUARANTEE you will get the virus.  

Also, like teak said...the only way your BF could have been exposed is via unprotected anal or vaginal sex, or by sharing a needle.  I KNOW that isn't what you want to hear, but it is the facts.  If he tells you ANYTHING else, he isn't being honest with you.

His story has already changed...it will continue to change as he gets closer to revealing the whole truth.  Right now, he is prolly quite scared with the new diagnosis, so he is going to try to play this game for a while...but know that he had to be exposed in those ways to get HIV.

I'm sorry for not having something more positive to tell you.  Other than so far, so good for you.  Please be sure to let us know how your testing turns out.

[Teak]

I gave you the only ways he could have contracted it. There is no VERY HIGH risk. I don't even like using that them a risk is a risk. You said his test was confirmed then he's positive.

[Scaredsick867]

I can't relax...who am I kidding.

Can you provide any info on my other questions ~ regarding possible false-positive results for him?  How he got it in the first place?

If he got it between February and March were my encounters with him in those months not only high risk ~ but VERY high risk as he was at one of the most contagious points he will ever be?

UUGH....at least I know I'm not alone in this.  Seems to be a lot of people on hear with a million questions with 1/2 of them living in REAL fear ~ the others only fearful because of media hype.

[Teak]

There is nothing that you can do by worrying, you might as well relax.

[Scaredsick867]

Yes.  This past Monday (May 11) the infectious disease specialist called him and said "your positive for HIV".  He (partner) recieved a copy of lab report too ~ he read that the ELISA was "repeatedly reactive" (his older one said "nonreactive").  The WB on latest report indicated "positive negative".  Dr. reassured him that means positive...His first WB was "indeterminate".  He has been reported to and contacted by a Social Worker.  He has an appt. with Dr. on Thursday to discuss what's happening, treatment options, etc.

I know I need to retest at 3 months to be sure...do you think I can relax a little with my 51-day rapid test being negative (done at General Health District)?

Thank you for responding to me.

[Teak]

Has he ever been confimed positive? Just because he has one positive test does not make him positive. The only way for him to contract HIV is by unprotected vaginal or anal sex or sharing works with other IV drug abusers.