Test reliability after 6 and 8 week from oral sex...

[mad141]

I performed oral sex on three men back in late April of this year over the course of a weekend. I asked each of them their HIV status, and they all said they were negative. A week and a half later, I developed an illness that lasted for 4-5 days consisting of fever, sore throat, two swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck in the throat area, though only one was tender, some body aches, and I am guessing an unrelated canker sore that started four days before I felt ill. My gums were also swollen the last day or so of the illness, but that went away with a saltwater gargle.  I am under the impression that lymphadenopathy associated with ARS is generalized and non-painful, whereas mine was only on the neck, and tender to the touch. I totally freaked out being a gay man, as well as a big hypochondriac, and persisted to research every possible symptom relating to ARS on the internet... My doctor in LA who is an HIV expert, spoke to me over the phone while I was sick and thought it was probably a viral or bacterial infection from the traveling and lack of sleep. But still, I put myself on whirlwind 6-week worry fest where I could barely function... I tested with an ELISA blood draw at my doctor AND a Home Access test at 6-weeks and both of those came back negative... I was slightly relieved, but unconvinced. I also took another Home Access test at 8-weeks which also came back negative. I am an otherwise normal guy with a healthy immune system. It is now 4 months after the potential risky behavior... How conclusive are my 6 and 8-week results? Do I need to test again? Everything I read seems to contradict... Some say 6-weeks is conclusive, some say 8-weeks in conclusive, others 12-weeks.  I thought that 6-weeks is generally reliable and the 3-month number is just to include those with compromised immune systems due to chemotherapy, etc..???  Are my symptoms consistent with ARS?  Can I rely on my tests?  Was my exposure risky?  Do I need a 3-month test?  HELP!!!!

[mad141]

Thank you for your candor, and I appreciate your expertise.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I stand by my original reply.  If you will read this forum a bit, you will find innumerable discussions about the fact that it's almost never necessary to wait 12 weeks for testing; CDC's advice is conservative and no experts wait that long.

You came here for reassurance.  I gave it.  Accept it or not, but don't argue with it.  Time to move on, certain you didn't catch HIV.  No more comments on this thread.

[mad141]

I asked the opinion of my doctor while I was sick.  Is an 8-week negative ELISA test considered conclusive in most cases, even though the CDC recommends 12-weeks as a general rule to account for all contingencies?  I apologize for sounding so paranoid, but I am a hypochondriac...  I had two tests at 6-weeks; a Home Access test, as well as a standard blood draw ELISA done by LabCorp.  I took another Home Access test at 8-weeks.  All of these came back negative...  What are the chances of me still showing positive as an otherwise healthy young man of 25, with no prior immune deficiencies, and a negative Home Access test 8-weeks out?  It has now been around 15 weeks since the incident(s) in question...  Please get back to me.  Again, I appreciate your expertise in advance.  The reason I am not talking to my doctor is that he is on vacation for the whole summer...  Thanks.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Most likely your HIV expert doctor knows more about this than Dr. Hook or I do.  I don't understand why you aren't accepting his opinion and advice.  I agree completely with him. Your test results are conclusive.  Some of your symptoms are consistent with ARS, but the test result prove that something else is the cause.  And oral sex is never high risk, even with likely HIV infected partners.

You don't have it.  Time to move on.

Regards--  HHH, MD