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Window / Testing
Hell Doctor,
I have a question related to the conclusivity of my 90 day Antibody test. My exposure was insertive oral sex with a CSW while on a business trip. It was brief and did not include ejaculation. The entire episode lasted roughly ten minutes.
I most recently had a lab drawn HIV Anti-body test done and at the 90 day mark, also had the Labcorp Early Detection DNA test. Both tests were returned negative.
In terms of seroconverting outside the range of 90 days, the responses I have seen range from "doesn't exist" to "urban myth" to "rare." Both doctors on this forum seem to subscribe to "urban myth" unless you have a severly compromised immune system, terminal cancer etc.
My questions are as follows:
1) How does one determine the strength of ones immune system? I did recently have a CBC done, that revealed all normal ranges with regard to WBC, Neutrophils etc. Literally every range was normal - does this indicate my immune system is functioning properly enough to produce antibodies in 90 days?
2) Throughout testing, I did test positive for HSV1 (old infection) can I assume that since my body had held HSV1 and my igg levels in check and steady throughout the 90 days that my immune system is functioning properly enough to produce antibodies?
3) At three weeks, is it possible for the PCR DNA test I took not pick up HIV DNA? If so, what is the accuracy of the at this point point? Does this test give me complete the complete level of conclusivity I am seeking at this point?
I desperately want to let this go, and would love to be able to move forward with 100% certainty.
I have a question related to the conclusivity of my 90 day Antibody test. My exposure was insertive oral sex with a CSW while on a business trip. It was brief and did not include ejaculation. The entire episode lasted roughly ten minutes.
I most recently had a lab drawn HIV Anti-body test done and at the 90 day mark, also had the Labcorp Early Detection DNA test. Both tests were returned negative.
In terms of seroconverting outside the range of 90 days, the responses I have seen range from "doesn't exist" to "urban myth" to "rare." Both doctors on this forum seem to subscribe to "urban myth" unless you have a severly compromised immune system, terminal cancer etc.
My questions are as follows:
1) How does one determine the strength of ones immune system? I did recently have a CBC done, that revealed all normal ranges with regard to WBC, Neutrophils etc. Literally every range was normal - does this indicate my immune system is functioning properly enough to produce antibodies in 90 days?
2) Throughout testing, I did test positive for HSV1 (old infection) can I assume that since my body had held HSV1 and my igg levels in check and steady throughout the 90 days that my immune system is functioning properly enough to produce antibodies?
3) At three weeks, is it possible for the PCR DNA test I took not pick up HIV DNA? If so, what is the accuracy of the at this point point? Does this test give me complete the complete level of conclusivity I am seeking at this point?
I desperately want to let this go, and would love to be able to move forward with 100% certainty.
Thank You Doctor....
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
A brief answer. The hepatitis B antigen test is the important test. A positive hepatitis B antigen indicates that the virus is present and when it dissappears, the infection has run its course and is gone, making the person no longer infectious. In your case, there was no risk to start with since there is no information to suggest that hepatitis B is transmitted thorugh oral sex. You negative tests just confirm that you are not the first person to get hepatitis B through receipt of oral sex. I would not worry further about hepatitis B, either. EWH
HI Doctor Hook,
Thank you for the reassuring words last week. I have one more follow up question that I am hoping you can help me with regarding a few of my other tests....
My Hepatitis B test (s) were done at the 1 week, 9 week and 13 week respectively, and they were all the Hep B surface antigen test. I have tried to research when / how you can obtain a conclusive result on these tests, and the only thing that seems to be a constant is that the HBSAG in acute infections shows up between 2 and 9 weeks and then disappears and become not detectable again until weeks / months after....
I am not sure if this falls into your area of expertise, but I wondered if my tests for hep b would be considered conclusive at this point? Could I have missed the window of opportunity for detecting Hep b surface antigen by only testing at teh 2, 9 and 13 week mark? Do you know when the Hep Surface Antigen Disappears (how far from potential infection)
Thank you for your help Doctor, it is much appreciated. I posted the question here, because it is essentially the same type of question, and the subject of the message is Testing Window...
Thank you for the reassuring words last week. I have one more follow up question that I am hoping you can help me with regarding a few of my other tests....
My Hepatitis B test (s) were done at the 1 week, 9 week and 13 week respectively, and they were all the Hep B surface antigen test. I have tried to research when / how you can obtain a conclusive result on these tests, and the only thing that seems to be a constant is that the HBSAG in acute infections shows up between 2 and 9 weeks and then disappears and become not detectable again until weeks / months after....
I am not sure if this falls into your area of expertise, but I wondered if my tests for hep b would be considered conclusive at this point? Could I have missed the window of opportunity for detecting Hep b surface antigen by only testing at teh 2, 9 and 13 week mark? Do you know when the Hep Surface Antigen Disappears (how far from potential infection)
Thank you for your help Doctor, it is much appreciated. I posted the question here, because it is essentially the same type of question, and the subject of the message is Testing Window...
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our forum. I can see from your question that you have read other posts on this site and thus I suspect you know what I am about to say. Straight to your questions:
1. Unless you have frequent, serious infectious illnesses or are receiving cancer chemotherapy, your immune system is functioning well. Persons with the sorts of immune deficiency we talk about as being exceptions to our statements about the reliability of tests are sickly and typically have had multiple deadly illnesses. The immune system is a complex system with many internal backups which serve to protect us. As a health adult, there is no reason for you to worry about your immune system.
2. Correct.
3. Your combination of tests provides conclusive evidence. The PCR test is not standardized for HIV diagnosis, thus no one knows precisely how good it is for diagnostic testing. Evidence is that it is very good but just how good is not totally clear. When your negative 3 week PCR is combined with negative antibody tests (which have been studies in literally hundreds of thousands of person), you can be confident that if you had been exposure, you did not get HIV.
In your own case, having read other posts on this site, I suspect you also know that receipt of oral sex, even if your partner had HIV, is a no risk exposure.
For you to worry further about HIV is silly. You were not at risk and you have tests to prove that you did not get it. EWH
1. Unless you have frequent, serious infectious illnesses or are receiving cancer chemotherapy, your immune system is functioning well. Persons with the sorts of immune deficiency we talk about as being exceptions to our statements about the reliability of tests are sickly and typically have had multiple deadly illnesses. The immune system is a complex system with many internal backups which serve to protect us. As a health adult, there is no reason for you to worry about your immune system.
2. Correct.
3. Your combination of tests provides conclusive evidence. The PCR test is not standardized for HIV diagnosis, thus no one knows precisely how good it is for diagnostic testing. Evidence is that it is very good but just how good is not totally clear. When your negative 3 week PCR is combined with negative antibody tests (which have been studies in literally hundreds of thousands of person), you can be confident that if you had been exposure, you did not get HIV.
In your own case, having read other posts on this site, I suspect you also know that receipt of oral sex, even if your partner had HIV, is a no risk exposure.
For you to worry further about HIV is silly. You were not at risk and you have tests to prove that you did not get it. EWH
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.
