i came across the manual that insti hiv test is not licensed or has not been validated to detect hiv group o and n and now i am worried please help me i am freaking out.
Hi
Thanks for keeping me posted.
Yes, I have heard of the test. Again yes, it’s a very reliable test, almost 99.6% reliable. However, a fresh infection of HIV may take 6 months for the antibodies to develop and hence though a negative test at 16 weeks is a very good sign, I would recommend another after you cross 6 months period. No need to panic. Just advicing you to be on safer side, that’s all.
Hope I am making sense. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted.
The Biolytical INSTI is indeed a reliable test. It is used by all the Private HIV clinics in London and by the John Hunter Clinic at the Chelsea and Westminster (which has the largest cohort of HIV+ patients in Europe). You had it done at a reliable time after your non-risk so this should put all your residual fears to rest.
hi,
i had insti (TM) hiv test done after 16 weeks of risk encounter and it is negative .my question how reliable is this test is have you heard about it,do i need to test again the done was conclusive and final.
thanking you,
You can put your HIV fears permanently to rest by taking an antibody test now, it will undoubtedly be negative. At more than three months the result will be reliable as virtually all people who will test postive will have done so by this time. The network of GUM clinics in London is superb.
Hi
I understand your concerns and as I have been saying, it is too early to comment. In all probability you do not have AIDS nor are the carrier. However you must take the test for STD including HIV for your own safety, especially if you have multiple partners (including sex workers).
I agree the medical system is different in different countries, but you must see a dentist for your oral problems and a physician too. Swollen glands in the neck area and under the jaw line are usually due to a problem in the mouth.
Symptoms like ‘more burps, sounds of bowel movement literally which i can hear them from abdomen’ could be due to acidity. Have you taken antacids? Again it is a problem which your physician can solve. Please do not link all your problems to HIV infection.
I have been copy pasting relevant information for you to read and alleviate your fears. You can see for yourself that you hardly have any symptoms that point to HIV. I am only cautioning you to take the tests for STD for your own safety. It is a routine test for all sexually active especially with multiple partners or with partners who are at risk of transmitting the disease (like sex workers).
HIV transmission is less common through oral route, but not impossible. Please take a look at this link: http://aids.about.com/cs/safesex/a/oralsex.htm
Again the link is for your information, so that you are more careful in future. It is not a substitute for clinical examination by your physician or dentist. Please see both and put an end to your fears. Get the STD panel done, in all probability your physician will order one after hearing you out.
There is no point in stressing yourself out when all you need to do is step into a doctor’s clinic.
Relax, think positive, don’t stamp yourself as a HIV patient or carrier when you cannot be sure you are, go to your doctor/dentist, take your test and be a free bird!
Please keep me posted.
Hi Aamir,
You didn't have a risk of HIV infection from the events you describe. Not a chance. No one to date has been infected from receiving oral in the 40 + years of the pandemic (closer 100 according to recent extrapolations from mutations studies) and that includes from people with poor oral hygeine.
There are several large scale epidemiological studies with serodiscordant couples (one is poz one is neg) which corroborate this.
Your symptoms at 4 days are too early for HIV Acute Retroviral Syndrome. Symptoms are unreliable indicators in who has or hasn't been infected and your's don't sound anything like ARS
Full blood counts say nothing either way about HIV infection
Sure, go and get yourself an HIV test to resolve your HIV anxieties but you don't need one for this sexcapade. Anyone sexually active is recommended to have an HIV and STI screen regularly, say annually or more frequent depending on the number of partners and risks taken.
Now stop poking at your lymphatic system to find nodes. Lymphadenopathy can only be diagnosed by a Doctor. CLinicians find that the vast majority of patients in their clinics don;t have swollen nodes at all they are from patients poking and prodding at them. Lymphadenopathy in Acute HIV is systemic and almost never without fever.
See a dentist for your teething troubles (which are probably the cause of apparent node inflammation as is poking about at abcesses with your tongue)
Stop self diagnosing (Circum vallate papillae ...what on earth ), as they say it takes an idiot patient and a stupid Doctor.
And stop worrying you'll give yourself an ulcer! ;-)
hi doctor nee,
thanks for the reply,i would like to describe in detail about my condition.the thing i developed on my lower gum just down to left canine a hard thing which i can feel through tongue and by my hands when i feel by my tongue it feels like i am feeling on the tip of a teeth i mean i can understand is a bone projection or a teeth coming under teeth and i have seen canker sores it is not like that and canker sores are painful right in my case i don't feel any pain even when i press with my finger on it or press through tongue . and the thing i got growth on my back of the tongue are in v shape no discoloration same as tongue color and i think they are (Circum) vallate papillae which are taste buds and have surfed on the internet that its common in people have those at the back of the tongue they are not painful nor sore and in one thing i am sure that is i felt swollen gland on the right side under jaw first and after few weeks again on left . the things i am really worried about are i am developing more acidity like more burps,sounds of bowel movement literally which i can hear them from from abdomen.the thing is i am in uk and i cannot take xrays and ct scans on my own like how you can take in india .
please help me i am really worried off.
thankyou.
Hi
“The symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary, depending on the phase of infection.
Early infection
When first infected with HIV, you may have no signs or symptoms at all, although it's more common to develop a brief flu-like illness two to four weeks after becoming infected. Signs and symptoms may include:
Fever
Headache
Sore throat
Swollen lymph glands
Rash
Even if you don't have symptoms, you're still able to transmit the virus to others. Once the virus enters your body, your own immune system also comes under attack. The virus multiplies in your lymph nodes and slowly begins to destroy your helper T cells (CD4 lymphocytes) — the white blood cells that coordinate your entire immune system.
Later infection
You may remain symptom-free for eight or nine years or more. But as the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, you may develop mild infections or chronic symptoms such as:
Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection
Diarrhea
Weight loss
Fever
Cough and shortness of breath”
Your blood tests point to mild anemia and hence your doctor gave you iron. Maybe a multivitamin supplement should be added to take care of the mouth ulcer.
Mouth ulcers can be caused due to many problems.
“There are many processes which can lead to ulceration of the oral tissues. In some cases they are caused by an overreaction by the body's own immune system.
Factors that appear to provoke mouth ulcers include stress, fatigue, illness, injury from accidental biting, hormonal changes, menstruation, sudden weight loss, food allergies and deficiencies in vitamin B12, iron and folic acid.”
It is too early to say whether you have HIV infection, as you can remain symptom free for years. However you could be a carrier. Hence it is very important that you take the test. I would suggest take the complete STD panel.
The mouth lesion along with the swollen gland could also be due to canker sores. “Canker sores are shallow, painful sores in the mouth. They are usually red or may sometimes have a white coating over them. You might get them on the inside of your lips, the insides of your cheeks, the base of your gums or under your tongue.”
Please let me know if there is any thing else. Please keep me posted.
hi,
The things what i have described are of any symptoms of hiv infection please let me know
Hi
The symptoms of HIV match that of many other diseases too. However because of your history, I strongly recommend you take the HIV test, which is just a routine test. You have to be strong as it’s a serious matter. Please do not delay. Once the results are out at least you know where you stand. Endless speculation can be very un-nerving.
Please let me know if there is any thing else and keep me posted.