My boyfriend has been sick for a while. We went to the hospital (which was a hell of a process- he doesn't have health care) and they diagnosed him with a simple middle earache, we went home, took the anti-biotic azithromycin (not sure on spelling) and waited it out.
After the package was empty, we followed up with the hospital- informing them that nothing was better. In fact- things were getting worse. We figured out he was JAUNDICED. So we cut his intake of tylenol to absolutely nothing.
After that, we waited it out again, they did some blood tests, and called us back later that night. Our spirits were high, and they informed my boyfriend that they had some confidential patient-doctor information to share with him. He informed them that I was family, and that he didn't hide anything from me.
The doctor said that that was fine, and told my boyfriend that his preliminary test returned positive for HIV.
Of course- panic set in (at least in me).
The hospital informed us of infectious disease doctors, and advised us to make an appointment with them.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT I REALIZE THAT THE THREAD DOES NOT ADVISE ON HIV/AIDS.
So. We continue on, and did not make an appointment. I was taking all of my hopes that it was a false positive- hoping that the ear infection had something to do with misdiagnosis...
His symptoms were not getting better, so I brought him to a different hospital- Mercy in Coon Rapids- Minnesota.
We sat there in the emergency room for a while, and they did blood tests. I was not in the room, so I did not hear what they said.
My boyfriend informed me later that they told him that he had MONONUCLEOSIS.
My hopes were looking up. There are plenty of things that happen in hospitals that can switch up blood results, mess up tests, etc. I know they're very unlikely, but I do know that some things can mess up the HIV testing...
On to my question-
Can mono give a false positive?
My boyfriend and I were confused as to how he tested positive for HIV. He did nothing to receive it. The doctor actually angered me by saying... here, I'll quote.
doc- "The safest thing you can do is to practice abstinence, even though you obviously don't"
he doesn't do drugs AT ALL, and we're both virgins. I have not been tested yet, though I will once his western blot tests come back. I have none of the symptoms he does, and if the second hospital we tried said nothing about his HIV result...
I don't know, i'm confused. please get back soon?
oh- of course! symptoms
cough, sore throat, nausea, headache, fever of 100-103.2 F, swollen glands and lymph nodes (in neck only), fatigue, occasional vomiting. That is all that I can think of at the moment.