serious exposure/ inconclusive test results...any hope?

Question

one month ago i had unprotected sex, multiple times, with a bangkok go go dancer. whilst extremely drunk and high on drugs. 

recently. over the [ast few days i have been suffering from a sore throat and tight chest/dry cough- im going on a trip with some friends today, so last night whilst drunk, i decided to leave my end of year party and go and get an HIV test at a free clinic in Bangkok. I did this so i could relax on holiday without thinking about it. I wasnt particularly nervous about the results as apart from the sore throat and tightness in my chest i otherwise felt fine.

the results came back 1st test, reacitve, 2nd test reactive 3rd test unreactive result : inconclusive

i apologise for not knowing the exact names of the tests, but as its an up to date US funded clinic i presume they follow standard modern western procedures,

i now face an agonising wait of between 3-7 days during which my blood will get sent for DNA PCR testing. if it comes back positive then they will call me on my holiday, if they dont call, im kind of in the clear, but will require further testing.

the woman who tested me said that i should remain calm, and that she has seen this case a few times result in a negative result. she said that my reactive results could be due to my current throat infection.

i have  avery bad feeling about this. im not sure what my question is really...i suppose i just need some support. last night i had to tell two girls that i slept with since then (protected) that i have possibly put them at risk.

is there any hope for me in this situation? are two reactive results ever truly likely to be false positives? would the length of time of my exposure - exactly 4 weeks, be enough time for the third test to provide a decisive result...or am i effectively just in the process of seroconverting?

i have to meet my friends at the airport in a few hours, after a horrible night of no sleep...i dont know if i should tell them what im going through or just put a brave face on things and hope i dont get the phone call..

i feel really disgusted with myself....anyone got anything to say to help?

anonymousidiot · Answer

thanks for your replies teak. from what I have read false positives usualy occur because of pregnancy or some other serious issue. all I have is a bit of a cough. I don't have much hope due to the nature of my exposure. just have to keep my fingers crossed

Teak · Answer

All the time. False positives are not uncommon.

anonymousidiot · Answer

right...thats what i have digested. but having two reactive tests sure isnt a good sign...any experiences with results similar to mine within a similar window period?

Teak · Answer

Then none of those tests are reliable.

anonymousidiot · Answer

no. im just one month post exposure

Teak · Answer

Were your tests preformed 3 months after you last exposure?

anonymousidiot · Answer

the western blot was inconclusive/not reactive. damn im confused

Teak · Answer

You don't clarify Western Blots. Western Blot test are confirmative tests.

anonymousidiot · Answer

well i certainly appreciate you saying that, but couldnt my nonreactive western blot test simply be due to the fact that im only  4 weeks post exposure? i just dont see how a mild sore throat/cough could be picked up as HIV by the antibody test? i dont feel like i have any serious auto immune thing going on

anonymousidiot · Answer

well its free, so money and time isnt an issue, and it is my understanding that the PCR test will measure the level of the actual virus in the blood, so a negative result in this test would cast doubt upon the reactive test results (Elisa?) and help to clarify the non reactive (Western Blot?) result.

After reading this forum over the last few hours, i understand your stance on these tests - i dont really want to debate their worth,,,im more curious to hear peoples experiences with reactive/nonreactive results

Teak · Answer

Non reactive Western Blot trumps your ELISA tests. You don't have HIV.

anonymousidiot · Answer

after reading the forums like a madman, i think the tests i must of had were 2 reactive ELISA tests, and one non reactive Western Blot. after 4 weeks exposure...anyone had any experiences similar to this?

Teak · Answer

Waste of money and time. Why take a test that won't tell you anything?

anonymousidiot · Answer

i know they are not used or approved for diagnostic use but this clinic uses them as part of its standard testing procedure when people are still inside the window period.

with regards to finding the dancer...i could, but im leaving Bangkok today to go on holiday. perhaps i should stay and find her...or maybe i should just go and try to somehow relax...