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HIV tests

Dear Doctors, thank you for your help last time I visited the forum. I have a different question to ask, and after that I know is my last question for 6 months. I've been on a waiting list for counselling for some months and hopefully will get help soon with my anxiety. I had been tested for HIV as part of a STD check in 2011. Results were negative. I worried though when I came across a post on the freedomhealth website, where someone else from UK asked if the test covered all strains of HIV, the Doctor replied the test from the GUM clinic on NHS would cover HIV 1 and 2 and most subtypes. I assumed any subtypes missing would be globally very rare? Because when I asked my GP she said it was a full HIV test. Of course anxiety starts to bring in thoughts - I was on holiday in Malta and my African friend starting hanging out with guys from different African countries, not sure which countries exactly. I was worried because I remember they began dancing very close to us (I can't remember how close exactly as it was some years ago but I probably didn't engage in anything too intimate!). I started to worry what if a guy had a hole in their trousers, and maybe if i was wearing a dress or something, and underwear was pushed across that there could be penis contact around my vaginal area....and I know HIV is prevalent in Africa and I started worried about getting infected this way - but also because maybe it was a HIV strain not tested by NHS. I then started to worry about sharing the toilet with my parents, if I left a bit of menstrual blood on the seat and the seat was down all night maybe HIV wouldn't die because it can't get dried under the seat....or if a bit of toilet paper got blood on it and they used it, or a bit of toilet paper was left in the toilet (missing the water) and later blood from it splashed them...I'm trying not to go further with my imagination
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1024580 tn?1331574121
Hello,
Thank you for your post and welcome once again to our forum.
Routine standard tests used in the UK, including in the NHS, are able to detect HIV-1 and HIV-2 and all their subtypes.  I can assure you that your negative test result is fully conclusive and that you are HIV negative.
In any case, a situation like the one you have described cannot put you at risk of HIV infection.
Best wishes,
Dr José
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Dear don't worry Hiv won't survive for long outside all cases you described are of zero risk
in health
Helpful - 0

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