STD/HIV TESTING TOO EARLY?

[scaredstraight68]

I'm sure you've seen my pop through this forum lately.  

RECAP:  Condom broke / 5 second exposure with a girl of unknown status.  She ends up on her period. I freak out.

STD: With all the research I've been doing on HIV, I'm totally clueless on more common stds. At 3 weeks I had a case of epididymis.  Ran a test for Ghonorea and Chlimitia and both came back neg.  My doc said Ecoli or a UTI.  Anyway went on Doxycyline for 12 days and that got wrapped up.  I also tested for all other STDS at 3 weeks and all those came back ok.  But I'm starting to think all those were done too early?  I havnt had any thing show on my privates since the encounter some 7 weeks ago.  SHould I retest for all this stuff?  Would the Doxy clear up Syphlis if I had it?

HIV: Since I'm here I might as well ask the typical HIV testing questions.  Like everyone else on here my symptoms are through the roof but I'm trying to stay focused on the tests and not my body.  The only symptom I didnt seem to have was a fever.  At least none that I can recall.  I've developed alot of pimples on my forehead in the last week which Im hoping is due to stress a couple on my arms.  I would think that a rash (if it is a rash) wouldnt show up after 6 weeks. COuld it be from coming off the Doxy?  

Tested at 4 weeks and at 6 weeks via Bio-rad ab/ag + 0 at lab (California Standard).  Both neg.  When assessing the actual tests would 2 negs be better than one or does it matter?  Should I be scared to test again?  I was thinking of 10 weeks but my doc didn't think I needed the 6 week test.  I would like to believe the odds are at least in my favor now.  My risk contained blood which might have pushed me into the high risk catagory?  Of course I'm freaked out.  I tried to do the math on all this but I suck at math.

Thanks Doc

[FiveCantonas]

So from looking at all this your anxiety levels must be at an all time low by now? There is a lot of experts here giving the same opinions and all seem to be well qualified.

I have heard now from several sources they have not seen a patient testing negative at four weeks, then testing postive at a later stage.

For me after all the reading that I have done, I think testing can be summed up in a few sentances and even this may be conservative...

If you have been to a clinic that uses modern day testing and your risk was a single unprotected exposure of any kind whether that be anal / vaginal / oral then the chances that you would not show up postive for P24 or HIV1 or HIV2 by six weeks are far less than 1% unless other known medical factors come in to play. If you have been tested more than once in this time frame your risk can be decreased even further. The 12 week test should be used as a closure for people who cannot accept thier previous negative results.

Wonder if the Dr. agrees?

[skerdstraght68]

I thought I'd post these findings so the ww dont have to go searching.  Maybe save you guys a few hours of agony. lol..

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/HIV/messages/258.html

http://experts.about.com/q/Immunology-including-AIDS-973/ELiSA-6-Weeks.htm

http://www.health24.com/medical/Condition_centres/777-792-814-1753,33966.asp

http://www.aac.org/site/PageServer?pagename=basics_home

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=2523.0

http://www.aegis.com/askdoc/ASKD040318.html

http://www.hopkins-aids.edu/publications/book/03MMHIV1to3.pdf  (page 7)

http://www.unaids.org/en/MediaCentre/References/default.asp#begin (q:32)

http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/SideEffects/Archive/Testing/Q142661.html

http://depts.washington.edu/hivaids/initial/case1/discussion.html (figure 7)

http://experts.about.com/q/Immunology-including-AIDS-973/u.htm

[monkeyflower]

"I do alot of things that would be considered "extreme" and nothing and I mean nothing scares me more than HIV testing. Maybe its just the not knowing. I dont think Cancer patients do 1/10th the research that those who are HIV testing do. HIV is the only disease where the more you read the less you know. Its enough to drive anyone nuts."

I'm sorry, I know this isn't the place for this discussion, but I just had to comment. I think this is such a fascinating phenomenon. I tend to think it's a combination of the stigma associated with all STDs (especially HIV), the scare tactics of our conservative govt, sex "education", and religion, the lack of accurate information, and our society's issues with sexuality in general. Let's face it, we're far from a sex-positive, healthy society. There's often lots and lots and LOTS of guilt, whether for being sexual at all, or for having other partners, etc. I also think this probably serves as a pretty handy container for all the anxieties associated with *real* issues in everyday living.

I wonder, too, whether age has anything to do with it - whether those who became sexually active before all the HIV/AIDS hype feel differently. Of course, people's perspectives change as they gain life experience anyway, so it might be hard to tell.

Oh - and re: cancer patients doing research, betcha folks finally diagnosed with HIV don't do this kind of exhaustive research either. Of course, they probably weren't in this anxious population to begin with...

[FiveCantonas]

skerdstraght68 / excellent post and very useful information for all forum users. I too was told similar from a friend of a friend who works at lab corps who said they preform over 10,000 tests per year. They confirmed 99% of all positive tests were before six weeks and the ones after that where people who tested but could not give date of exposure.

Thanks for the follow up reply Doc on positive tests. The work you do on this forum warrants a knighthood, (maybe you do not have these in USA?) in the UK it would be issued by the QUEEN !

[freddy999]

Thats the thing about reassurance...it fuels a need for more reassurance and we focus on finding exceptions to invalidate the assurances we have been given...Weird ????

[skerdstraght68]

I do alot of things that would be considered "extreme" and nothing and I mean nothing scares me more than HIV testing. Maybe its just the not knowing.  I dont think Cancer patients do 1/10th the research that those who are HIV testing do.  HIV is the only disease where the more you read the less you know.  Its enough to drive anyone nuts. Good luck to everyone here.  

SIDENOTE: I did talk to a lady today from I believe Duke Medical lab who does the actual testing and she was very knowledgeable on current Elisa tests.  I asked her about testing periods with new antibodie tests.  She said the new tests were excellent at catching early positives and they were extremely accurate.  I asked if she had seen many - come back + and she said shes has seen very little and the ones she has seen were 2-4 week tests.  She claimed that just about everyone gets pos results by 4 weeks. 6 weeks is more like a safety net and Mass wasnt far off.  She claimed that the old tests were set up with a threshold of lets say catching 100 particles of antibody to become pos and the new ones need like 1.  It's highly sensity.  If you think that this makes me feel like I'm out of the woods you'de be crazy. lol.  When it comes to HIV, I'm just like all of you.

And thanks for the reply doc.