INDETERMINATE HIV TEST .....HELP SCARED!!!

[frank7979]

I am a 24 year old hetro sexual male (tested negative 1 year ago). Let me first start off by saying I know that im a complete idiot for having unprotected sex, but somehow in both instances i was convinced I did not need a condom.  In the past 3 months or so i have been with 2 different women unprotected. The first was a short term girlfriend that did test negative in feb first encounter was 4/30 (relationship lasted a few weeks after that and she said in between that time she was with her previous bf a few times). The 2nd is my current girlfriend which the first encounter was 6/1 (was tested negative months ago and claimed was only with me since - had nausea a few weeks ago). 1st girl claims to have zero symptoms and feel fine. I started to get a wierd skin rash on my penis about a month ago. First went to the dr and he said it was not an std and gave me some antifungal cream. Its not an open sore....its flakey skin irrited skin at a bunch of different spots on my penis (tip, underneath the head, base....). I had a similar rash once before a few years ago which is strange. Also had a rash on my hands that was red bumps and i used the antifungal cream and it began to peal away (lasted 3 weeks). I also have had unexplained pain in my hip & knees for the past 6 months (comes and goes). I decided that there has to be something else wrong and requested a full test. Now I am COMPLETELY TERRIFIED after getting these INDETERMINATE results. Positive Elisa and Indeterminant Western Blot.

gp120 equivocal
p65 absent
p55 absent
p51 absent
gp41 absent
gp40 equivocal
p31 absent
p24 present
p18 absent

Elisa Reactive 1.3
WB Indeterminate


I know im not HIV positive for sure.....but I feel like I am and my life has been horrible ever since that day. They said I need to wait 4 weeks to take another test and I dont know if i can last that long. If I end of positive I dont think I will be able to deal with it. I need someone to talk to I am so scared....

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I'm sorry to hear of your situation and appreciate the anxiety that must be going through your mind.  Let me start with a comment on your risk.  It is very low.  Having tested negative yourself and have had two partners is the recent past, both of whom have also tested negative within the past few months makes it most unlikely that you have HIV and, as you have concluded, that this is most likely to be a false positive test.  

I also think it is reasonable to wonder if the rash on your penis could be related to this process.  There are numerous causes of genital skin rashes.  If it is still there, I would be my advice to see a dermatologist for evaluation and suggestions for management.  While this might just be a fungal rash, it could be some other process (i.e. a non-sexually transmitted virus), other allergy, etc. Unless you have been tested already, another outside possibility from your description is that this might be syphilis although the disease is quite rare.

Finally, regarding follow-up, I would have suggested follow-up at two weeks, not 4.  If you are developing HIV antibodies they should be evident in two weeks.  The other thing to discuss with your doctors at this time is the possibility of getting a HIV PCR test.  If you are developing a positive HIV blood test, that test would be expected to be positive at this time as well

Hope this helps.  Please let us know what turns up as your evaluation continues.  Take care.  EWH

[frank7979]

Forgot to mention that the rashon my penis has lasted about 5 weeks now.

[frank7979]

Have you had experience with indeterminant test results in the past? If so what was the outcome? What can cause this?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Yes, I have had considerable experience.  The list of things that can cause interminants is long and includes other infections, drug allergies, other allergic reactions.  In addition, many peole just have them,  To try to guess the cause if not fruitful.  Sometimes they go away, sometimes they don't.  Sorry I cannot be more specific.  EWH

[anxietyattack2008]

Sorry to hear this, I could imagine it must be horrifying to see anything other than Negative. If your PCP do not provide HIV PCR test, it is available at Private MD Lab for $221.00 which takes about 4~5 days to receive result via email. I just took one last Thursday and got the result this morning. The blood sample is collected at any Labcorp location near you. Good Luck!

[frank7979]

Any guess as to what other infection could cause the peeling skin?

[frank7979]

was your test after an indeterminate test?

[frank7979]

Notices this morning i had some peeling skin on my chest. Can stress manufacture syptoms?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Like the equivocable test, there are enumerable causes of rash and peeling skin.  Once again, I urge you to go see a dermatologist who can examine you and comment based on his/her findings.  EWH

[frank7979]

I returned to my dr yesterday and he wanted me to take a viral load and cd4 test. I also requested to check for autoimmune diseases (ra) since i have had that unexplained hip and knee pain for the past 5 months. Could these rashes be associated with that?

Is you experience what have the majority of the inderterminate test turned out to be?

[BlackGold]

CD 4 / CD 8 should tell if you indeed have HIV. Low Cd 4 and HIgh Cd 8 with inversion is 1 big indication of HIV infection.

[frank7979]

Im not sure....she said we would get a better idea if you were positive or negative without waiting the extra couple weeks. Is that right?