Aa
HIV information & clarification
Hello Doctors. I have been on edge for a very long time with the thought that I have HIV. Last year in Nov I had protected sex with a call girl when the condom broke. The local STD clinic told me to get tested at six weeks
which I did and it came back negative. It was a duo. Having a family I am really worried about infecting my wife and having read alot about HIV and window periods on this site streesed me to an extreem. I am aware after reading the doctors comments about out dated data from old tests hence the 3-6month issue. Through worry I had more tests, the second at 3.75 months and a final test at 5.75months assuming a month is defined as four weeks. All were duos and negative. I tried to move on but I recently had a fever that lasted a day and went away and again a month later just for a day. 1)Is it possible to have ARS after 5 months. 2) Is there any chance of having HIV beyond 5.75 month with the test that I have had and what are the chances? 3) I have used condoms with my wife since this happened, would it be okay to have unprotected sex with her as I am very concerned about infecting her. 4) Would you recommend a further testing due to the fever that I have had twice now?.5)Can or have you heard of people going beyond the period that I have had with a duo test to test positive later on? I would really appricate your professional advice. Thank you
which I did and it came back negative. It was a duo. Having a family I am really worried about infecting my wife and having read alot about HIV and window periods on this site streesed me to an extreem. I am aware after reading the doctors comments about out dated data from old tests hence the 3-6month issue. Through worry I had more tests, the second at 3.75 months and a final test at 5.75months assuming a month is defined as four weeks. All were duos and negative. I tried to move on but I recently had a fever that lasted a day and went away and again a month later just for a day. 1)Is it possible to have ARS after 5 months. 2) Is there any chance of having HIV beyond 5.75 month with the test that I have had and what are the chances? 3) I have used condoms with my wife since this happened, would it be okay to have unprotected sex with her as I am very concerned about infecting her. 4) Would you recommend a further testing due to the fever that I have had twice now?.5)Can or have you heard of people going beyond the period that I have had with a duo test to test positive later on? I would really appricate your professional advice. Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This information doesn't change my opinion or advice. Since you don't have HIV (and could not possibly have caught it from the exposure described) it is impossible you gave her HIV.
Please accept the reassurance, and the reality you don't have HIV, and move on. That's all for this thread.
Please accept the reassurance, and the reality you don't have HIV, and move on. That's all for this thread.
Doctor, last week I heard from my ex partner that during a routine blood donation that the levels of Globulin were high around the 175mark and that the nurse had mentioned that its usually related to infection either bacterial or viral which made me worry. Could this have any relation to HIV if I had it and passed it onto her?
Thank you for your time and advice
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I already said it is impossible you have HIV, even if that particular word didn't appear in my reply.
If you have continuing concerns about HIV, return to (or telephone) the Sexual Health Centre where you were evaluated and tested. The Australia SHCs collectively are probably the world's best STD/HIV clinic system. If you continue to be unable to get beyond your fears despite all the reassurance you have had, it may indicate a need for professional mental health care. It isn't normal to have such difficulty accepting such strong evidence that you are not infected.
If you have continuing concerns about HIV, return to (or telephone) the Sexual Health Centre where you were evaluated and tested. The Australia SHCs collectively are probably the world's best STD/HIV clinic system. If you continue to be unable to get beyond your fears despite all the reassurance you have had, it may indicate a need for professional mental health care. It isn't normal to have such difficulty accepting such strong evidence that you are not infected.
Thanks Doctor Handsfield for your feedback. I read a similar response by you to someone else on this forum which you mentioned "Impossible" for HIV after 3 and 5 months. Would this relate to me as well? By the way I am from Australia and I appricate this forum. Could you please also suggest any ways of getting over my worry that have worked with others on this forum? Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the HIV forum. Thanks for reading other threads with similar questions before asking your own.
First, from your reading you should understand you had a very low risk exposure. The odds any particular sex worker (in the US) has HIV is under 1 in 1,000, and the chance of transmission from a single episode of vaginal sex -- if she were infected -- is no higher than 1 in 1,000. Those two factors together mean your risk of catching HIV was on the order of 1 in a million.
All the discussions about seroconversion time -- i.e. the interval to a reliably negative test -- are pertinent only to the antibody tests. The duo test is for antibody and for p24 antigen, a marker for HIV itself. For that test, the window period is never longer than 6 weeks. In other words, the STD clinic was correct in recommending a single test at 6 weeks: your first negative result proved without a doubt you did not catch HIV. All other tests since then were superfluous.
We have also said many times -- you probably saw some of the discussions -- that symptoms are almost never useful in judging whether or not someone has a new HIV infection. It isn't possible to have have onset of ARS symptoms at 5 months, but even if it were, the test results prove you don't have ARS. To your specific questions:
1) No, not possible.
2) No chance.
3) No distant online expert can guarantee someone isn't infected. But if I were in your situation, knowing what I know, I would never have stopped having unprotected sex with my wife -- and even if I had given in to non-rational fears and used condoms to start, I certainly would have stopped that after the negative test at 6 weeks.
4) No further testing is necessary.
5) No, I have never heard of this happening.
You don't have HIV -- trust me. It's time to move on. Good luck-- HHH, MD
First, from your reading you should understand you had a very low risk exposure. The odds any particular sex worker (in the US) has HIV is under 1 in 1,000, and the chance of transmission from a single episode of vaginal sex -- if she were infected -- is no higher than 1 in 1,000. Those two factors together mean your risk of catching HIV was on the order of 1 in a million.
All the discussions about seroconversion time -- i.e. the interval to a reliably negative test -- are pertinent only to the antibody tests. The duo test is for antibody and for p24 antigen, a marker for HIV itself. For that test, the window period is never longer than 6 weeks. In other words, the STD clinic was correct in recommending a single test at 6 weeks: your first negative result proved without a doubt you did not catch HIV. All other tests since then were superfluous.
We have also said many times -- you probably saw some of the discussions -- that symptoms are almost never useful in judging whether or not someone has a new HIV infection. It isn't possible to have have onset of ARS symptoms at 5 months, but even if it were, the test results prove you don't have ARS. To your specific questions:
1) No, not possible.
2) No chance.
3) No distant online expert can guarantee someone isn't infected. But if I were in your situation, knowing what I know, I would never have stopped having unprotected sex with my wife -- and even if I had given in to non-rational fears and used condoms to start, I certainly would have stopped that after the negative test at 6 weeks.
4) No further testing is necessary.
5) No, I have never heard of this happening.
You don't have HIV -- trust me. It's time to move on. Good luck-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the HIV - Prevention Forum
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
