I understand your perspective. That's exactly why I take a somewhat hard line: I'm trying to discourage people from using this site as a source of emotional support. The internet and all online advice sites like this one are poor resources for that purpose. Your comment reinforces that goal!
So it isn't insensitivity, just pragmatics, in the hope people who need emotional support will seek it through proper channels. Call if tough love.
HHH, MD
I am not posting a question, but will post a comment. I think that what you are doing is fantastic. However, due to the volume of people that you deal with you have become calloused to the issue. The people posting questions on this site are experiencing emotional trauma. The reason behind paying $15 and asking the question isn't for medical advice so much as emotional reassurance. They can grab a medical textbook and get medical knowledge about these issues. The problem is a lack of emotional support from all levels. There are no good resources to provide this necessary support to the many people just wanting to talk about thir problems with a professional in the industry. Like it or not, that's why people come to this site. Please take a good look at this from our perspectives. Hopefully you wil no longer dismiss people on this site or respond in an unsupportive manner. These are real live people that are desperately in need of emotional help.
God Bless!
Getting close to God or not, it sounds like your turnaround didn't last long. I don't know what test Quest uses. In any case, this is not an emotisnal support site. You cannot know you have thrush by self-diagnosis, and I doubt you have it. See a mental health professional to figure out why you can't let this go. Please do not continue any further follow-up questions here.
HHH, MD
Dr., please forgive me if I am annoying you. I am really trying to get over this anxiety like you mentioned but I keep getting symptoms. I have had swollen neck glands for several weeks, occasional night sweats (mostly neck and groin) recently thrush (I just started using listerine which I read may cause this) and headaches that move from place to place around my head. If I didn't have symptoms, my anxiety would be gone. To get right to the point, how reliable is any qualitative dna by pcr test administered by Quest? I have heard 99.9% sensitive and am starting to think that I could be the 0.1% due to my symptoms. If it isn't HIV then what else could it be?
First of all, you are way off in terms of estimating any one-time risk. Even in Africa, where the greatest risk of HIV transmission is through heterosexual sex, the probability of contracting HIV from an infected woman, per episode, is .0063, or one in 160.
Relax. You are way overstressing about a non-existant risk. If you can't get past this on your own, I suggest seeking counseling. In the meantime, keep taking your meds. It will help :-)
Well, this experience may be the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have gotten close to God and have completely turned my life around. If he sees fit to carry me through this, I will never have to go through this again and either way will serve him for the rest of my life.
Thank you everyone for your comments, it has helped!
God bless
Thanks for the reassurance. I just cannot understand why there are so many different opinions on the internet about a topic that should be pretty straight forward. I figured my exposure possibility to be 25% if the girl was hiv+. I have been an emotional wreck since I developed symptoms that I read about. Every time I read about a new one, I got it. That's why I've been so anxious. I also saw were you thought Quest Diagnostics is a pretty reputable company. I will attempt to move on emotionally.
I sought advice from the doctor sometime ago. He told me to relax and not worry. Easier said than done - today I have received advice of a negative test at 11/12 weeks after earlier testing negative at 7/8 weeks and ten weeks. I quite simply overtested.
I wish I had of been able to do as the doctor said - I have stressed out to the max - ( I have prayed a lot certainly believe in God ) despite people telling me 'not to worry'. I searched the net bigtime - again causing generally much concern and at times confusion.
The doctor here I think does a great job and I for one will now certainly accept the results, stop searching the net and get on with life knowing I am not infected with hiv, Praise God.
Please I suggest listen and give heed to the doctors advice thus saving yourself a lot of pain.
All the best.
You are overreacting in a major way. The risk of infection from the exposure you describe was so close to zero that it can't be measured--even if your partner had HIV, which she probably didn't. Your doctors' presriptions for Xanax and Prozac are a good indication they believe your reaction is unreasonable, and I cannot disagree with that judgment. I'm not going to try to diagnose your rash, but it has nothing to do with HIV or any other STD. Steroid creams or ointments cannot affect the HIV test results; even large doses of corticosteroids systemically (by mouth or injection) don't do that.
You didn't need HIV testing at all. But since it was done, you can rely 100% on the results. You don't have HIV, end of story.
Good luck- HHH, MD