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HIV Prevention Community
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Just a question...Would appreciate answers just to educate myself.
by ThingsAreGood08, Jul 03, 2008 08:12PM
I had a scare last year, June to be precise. I got tested at around 20 weeks (November), so that's 5 months and a couple of weeks. I did one of those OraSure rapid blood tests. It came out negative and it was one of the best days of my life. I read this forum almost nightly and it definitely helped me. Just because of my personality. I decided not to get tested at 3 months because I knew I wouldn't be able to accept that result. I knew, despite everything I read on here about 3 months being conclusive, this little voice in my head would say wait until 6 months. I got as close to 6 months as I could, and chose to get tested. I knew that 2 weeks short of 6 months wouldn't matter. As I said, the result was negative and I definitely accepted it and moved on with my life. I look back and think about how scared I was. I am writing today because, 1) if I ever get in that situation again (which I plan on NEVER letting that happen again), I can deal with it better because I will have more knowledge on my side, and 2) I can look at this forum without panicking finally.
My questions are:
Would genital herpes affect a result from being conclusive at 3 months? I doubt that, and I don't have genital herpes, I'm just curious.
How can HIV be tested with saliva, I thought it was mainly a disease that affected the blood?
Why does the CDC continue to say 6 months for a conclusive result?
Does having asthma affect whether a result is conclusive at 3 months or 6 months?
On that, what makes the CDC say 6 months? What factors led into that statement?
Again, any help would be great. I am happy to say that I am HIV negative! I'm just interesting in learning, so maybe I can help people in the future.
My questions are:
Would genital herpes affect a result from being conclusive at 3 months? I doubt that, and I don't have genital herpes, I'm just curious.
How can HIV be tested with saliva, I thought it was mainly a disease that affected the blood?
Why does the CDC continue to say 6 months for a conclusive result?
Does having asthma affect whether a result is conclusive at 3 months or 6 months?
On that, what makes the CDC say 6 months? What factors led into that statement?
Again, any help would be great. I am happy to say that I am HIV negative! I'm just interesting in learning, so maybe I can help people in the future.
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Oral tests do no use saliva, that's a myth. . It uses an fluid called oral mucosal transudate, which lives in the cheeks and gums.
The CDC doesn't say 6 months for a conclusive test result. That was changed to 3 months in 2004
Asthma or it's medications do not effect the the timeline for a conclusive test result.
The only thing that 6 months are used for are those on Chemo, those that take antirejection drugs for transplants and Chronic IV drug abusers.