hi...again.

[justscared2]

I have previously posted a question and received an excellent response from Dr Hook. I am the pregnant lady who fears she contracted hiv from an at home oraquick test. I was scared that the test stick was tampered with and that because it was enclosed in packaging, it may have still been infectious when I swabbed my gums (I don't remember checking if the packaging was sealed or not).

I hope you are not too irritated with me for posting again but I made sure to start a new thread. I know you have probably said everything that there is to say. However, I have come down with some sort of sickness. My symptoms are very sore throat, ear and head pain, 99.4 degree fever, body aches, very congested. These started 8 weeks and 1 day after the day I took the test that I fear was contaminated. I took an oraquick oral swab test after 8 weeks exactly and it was negative. As you can see I am extremely alarmed and can't put this behind me. I know once 12 weeks has passed and if I get a negative result, I will then be able to relax but I still have 4 weeks to go and now this sickness has got me in a panic.

I know 8 weeks is probably considered late to start ars symptoms and an 8 week negative oral swab is highly encouraging but I am just scared that the fact that my immune system is weakened due to pregnancy I may be one of the people who take longer to have ars and test positive. Do you think due to my symptoms I will test positive on my next test? I just want this over with. I am almost there but now am just going crazy with increased worry because of these symptoms. the pregnancy is causing much more worry because I am scared for my baby not just myself.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Already answered:  "Pregnant or not, there is no realistic concern about false positve result."  Did you think I might have changed my mind?

This thread is over.  Any more irrational comments that ignore previous replies will result in deletion of the entire thread.  Move on.

[justscared2]

i just want to do one more oraquick at the 12 week mark so I can move on. I have read too much information regarding false positives and I'm just so worried I will get one since I tested so much plus being pregnant. Some information I found states that being pregnant alone increases false positive likelihood but other sites say that it only happens in multiparous women (this is only my first pregnancy). so would that not apply to me? Do you have any information on this?

I'm so sorry. I'm really trying to get over this.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Last comment:

Pregnant or not, there is no realistic concern about false positve result.  Just follow your obstetrician's routine, standard recommendations and stop worrying about it.

[justscared2]

ok thank you. I know it sounds irrational. This is the last thing. Do you think I need to worry about false positives (if i take one more test at 12 weeks just for extra peace of mind) if I have already tested negative during pregnancy? i know there is a higher risk of them during pregnancy. This is my first pregnancy.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Noted. Sorry about your normal morning sickness -- which is all it is.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome back to the forum.  However, I'm disappointed to see you remain unnecessarily (in fact, irrationally) concerned about HIV despite absence of risk and the strong reassurance you had from Dr. Hook.  The HIV test results always overrule symptoms or exposure history.  Even if you had typical symptoms (you do not) or if you had a known high risk exposure (apparently you did not), you can still rely on the negative test results you have had.  And as Dr. Hook told you, pregnancy and "weak" immune systems have absolute no effect on HIV test reliability.  You can be sure any and all future tests you have will remain negative.

There is no point in asking any further questions about it.  There are no additional facts, symptoms, or anything else that will change the advice and reassurance you have had from both me and Dr. Hook.  The rest is up to you.  If you remain anxious about it despite all this, you should consider professional counseling about the reasons.  I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.

Best wishes for a successful, worry-free pregnancy and a healthy baby.

[justscared2]

also vomited once and stomach is off