Hiv Test Anxiety

[timkinen]

I had an high risk encounter.  Been experince symptoms- last month, severe PN whole body, itchy too, stomach problems

Took 2 full std panels in 45 days, negative

8   days western blot
18 days Rna
39 days IgG
42 days DNA

I am at 8 weeks now.  Do you think this is conclusive?  or should I go for more testing?  What kind of testing.  Have a duo and swab test pending.

[timkinen]

broke out after protected ** though

[timkinen]

I used dry condom she kept putting lube on.

[timkinen]

Why am I having symtoms starting on my genital after protected sex?

[nursegirl6572]

After reviewing this, and your thread on the HIV forum...you have NO HIV concern and shouldn't even be testing.  The only risk you had was the unprotected anal you had with your GF, which you've already tested for.

You wouldn't miss a condom failure.

Time to start addressing the anxiety, and time to put these HIV worries to bed, once and for all.

[timkinen]

8 days hiv ab, hiv 1/2, eia with reflexes
hiv 1/2 eia ab screen

[timkinen]

should I stop testing at 82 days?

[timkinen]

last 30 pins and needles
full body tingling subsiding to feet and legs stomach and intestent problems

[timkinen]

8 days elisa
18 days rna
38 days rna &  IgG
42 days hiv dna
49 days swab eia
55 days hiv duo (pending)

Multiple Sex (workers) partners protected.  Not sure if (1) condom fail.  Unpotected with GF.

symptoms

[nursegirl6572]

This is in n anxiety community, not an HIV forum.  We'll be happy to discuss anything related to your anxiety, but we typically don't get into long conversations about HIV.

Briefly, I'll try to address this for you, as I am a frequent responder on our HIV community anyway.  You stated you had a "high risk", what was your risk exactly?  If it wasn't unprotected vaginal or anal sex, or sharing of IV drugs/works, then you were never at risk to begin with.

If you DID have a risk, your testing history is very perplexing.  Why did you take a WB?  Did you have a + ELISA antibody test?  A WB is a confirmatory test, to be taken after someone tests + on an antibody (or antigen) test.

If you had a risk, you need to take a simple antibody (ELISA) test at 3 months post exposure.  That will be conclusive.

As for the anxiety, it's normal to have anxiety if you have had a risk.  HIV anxiety is actually very common, but that usually involves people who are anxious about HIV despite it being impossible that they're infected.

You need to stop testing.  If you REALLY had a risk...then follow the testing advice I gave you above.  Taking multiple tests is completely unnecessary, and is actually counterproductive.  For one, it increases your anxiety, and also, the more tests you take, the higher your risk for a false +.  You want to talk about anxiety?  You do NOT want to have to go through that.