Hep A twice?? Help.

[Red5000]

My question is, Is it possible to contract Hep A twice in ones lifetime? because i recently had a sexual encounter and that I have posted on the HIV prevention forum and so I got tested for everything at 30 days post exposure. Hep A came back positive. What confuses me is that I had Hep A in 2011. My test results show a positive IgM for Hep A which means a recent infection. I have always thought Hep A is only acquired once in a persons life. My main concern was HIV but now Im wondering if the HIV is hiding as Hep A on my test results? is there a link between Hep A and HIV?? A lot of the symptoms I have had for the past 35 days are exactly the same as when I had Hep A in 2011 which incude diarrhea, bloating, stomach rumbling, abdominal pain for 30+ days.

Test Results: at 30 days post exposure
Hep A Ab, IgM (Positive)
HIV screen 4th generation wRfx (nonreactive)
HIV- 1 RNA qualitative (Negative)

[sempertry]

Well, Im not a doctor, However, I have to play like i am, working with the VA. Seriously, I had Hep A Relapses for the first year after initial exposure, Which is fairly rare. In your case however, a false positive should be ruled out. I recently tested (neg) for Hep A Antibody, Which is conflicting the same test that came back (pos) just last year, Go figure... Some of the original symptoms can manifest at times, Mainly darkened urine, triggered by Alcohol, And the use of Acetaminaphine for pain managment. As far as a second bout, Its thought that once youv recovered from initial infection, You should have the Antibody for life, Which should make it impossible to be reinfected.

[flyinlynn]

Not according to the CDC. You had an antibody test you will always test positive for the hep A antibody even though you are not currently infected.

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/A/aFAQ.htm

If I have had Hepatitis A in the past, can I get it again?

No. Once you recover from Hepatitis A, you develop antibodies that protect you from the virus for life. An antibody is a substance found in the blood that the body produces in response to a virus. Antibodies protect the body from disease by attaching to the virus and destroying it.



http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/hepatitis-a-virus-test


Hepatitis A Virus Test

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) test is a blood test that looks for proteins (antibodies) made by the body in response to the virus that causes hepatitis A. These proteins will be present in your blood if you have a hepatitis A infection now or have had one in the past. It is important to identify the type of hepatitis virus causing the infection to prevent it from spreading and to start the proper treatment.

HAV infection is spread through food or water that has been contaminated by the feces (stool) of an infected person.

•IgM anti-HAV antibodies mean a recent infection with hepatitis A virus. IgM anti-HAV antibodies generally can be detected in the blood as early as 2 weeks after the initial HAV infection. These antibodies disappear from the blood 3 to 12 months after the infection.

•IgG anti-HAV antibodies mean that you have had a hepatitis A viral infection. About 8 to 12 weeks after the initial infection with hepatitis A virus, IgG anti-HAV antibodies appear and remain in the blood for lifelong protection (immunity) against HAV