Testing Window

[gll10]

Hi Doctor,

I'm a female in my 40's. I have been in a monogamous relationship for the past 18 years. and other than a couple than unprotected sexual encounters during my late teens and college years, I pretty much played it safe it safe throughout.  But about about three months ago I went to a conference and one of the nights I drank way too much; I met a man and we we ended up in his room and we had sex -  at first we used a condom and it broke, but the heat of the moment and fueled with the alcohol it continued afterwards.  At one point there was a brief anal penetration. There was no ejaculation.    I 'm not going to tell you the anxiety this has brought into my life, just thinking that I could have gotten HIV from this and turn the lives of my family upside down.    Doctor this is not a judgement questions, so here are the facts:

I took at Home Acces HIV test at exactly 74 days and it was negative.  I think it was good news, is this reliable?.  Although you start reading about  the 3 month, autoimmune disorders, vaccines, etc, .which leads me to the next question.

My IgMs levels are low (not extremelymy doctor sent me to to an immunology specialists because I have been getting recurrent upper respiratory infections for the past five years (pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus).  Although the immunologists specialists felt that the IgM levels alone or anything on my blood work pin point to anything serious , the recurrent infections were a merit to check further.  Anyway, in order to check for antibodies against bacteria 5 days before I had the test I had Hib, Pneumovax and Tb Vaccines. Can any of these affect the resultsthe tests?

Doctor any help can be greatly appreciate it..Just want to put this behind me and focus on what happened that let me do this in the first place.  


I have learned... so much from this forum in the last couple of moths.  Thanks!

[gll10]

I think our minds are so strong and anxiety takes over that we don't want to believe anything other than what we think it must be. I have been going through therapy after this incident, partly because I was convinced that I had contracted HIV from this mistake.   I could barely sleep and eat. guilt and fear were taking over my life.  Even knowing that the odds were on my favor was not enough...I hope that everything works out fine.  God bless you as well and I wish you the best of luck!

[yungndum]

Oh im in the same boat I just went and got a 90 day test done via oraquick adv oral swab. The only question I kept ask the tester was it as good as blood test. I'm trying to take his word for it. I guess I under estimate the advances in science. I've taken a 8,10,12and13 week oral swaball negative hopefully I'm good. God bless

[gll10]

Thanks so much for you response and I appreciate your professional opinion. I am amazed how little I really knew about HIV until this personal situation and how many other people are in the same situation.  In regards to the comment above.  It is my understanding, even by CDC standards and every other organization I researched that rapid tests and the FDA approved Home Access tests have the same realiability standards when it comes to results as the EIA tests done on a clinic setting.  My question was in regards to the window period in the US and my individual situation with the vaccines I was exposed to and my low IgM levels.  Thanks again.

[yungndum]

Not trying to play fear factor or anything. But there is so much mixed info on this forum about rapid test. Including the fda approved ones. How is anybody able to get peace on the situation when the info changes so much about fda approved rapid test.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I'll be glad to help. There is a lot of conflicting information "out there" as to at what time can one be confident of the results of HIV blood testing.  The answer is a bit complicated because there are a number of different kinds of tests available and the quality of the tests has improved substantially over the past 5-8 years making some sites’ data outdated.  Things are further complicated by the fact that many official, governmental agencies must give general, as opposed to individualized, answers which have to be broadly applicable.  This, coupled with the fact that such agencies tend to be quite conservative in their judgments. just add to the confusion.

Here are the facts related to your situation.  You did not get HIV. Your risk from a single encounter with a heterosexual man is statistically quite low.  Your testing however moves my assessment from a statistical evaluation of risk to fact.  The Home Access test is a reliable, FDA approved test which provides accurate results at any time more than 8 weeks after testing. Thus your 74 day (10+ week) result proves you did not get HIV.  

Your recent vaccinations do not change the reliability of the test result, nor does your lowish IgM levels.

You can be confident in these results and do not need further testing.  EWH