HIV testing window

[worriedaf20]

Firstly, thank you to the amazing volunteers and moderators who with their work, keep the rest of us at peace and sane.

I am a man and I reconnected with my ex girlfriend whilst I was in Philippines for a holiday and had unprotected vaginal sex with her on 3 occasions across 3 days. She had assured me that she hadnt had sex with anyone since we broke up 2 years ago and I believed her and since I hadnt had any vaginalnsex since my full panel test many months ago, figured we were safe. Also she lives in Philippines which is technically a low incidence country.

Nonetheless once I returned to Singapore, I had flu and then sore throat and some rashes but I know symptoms are no indicator. So on the 28th day after exposure, I went to the STD clinic and got a full panel STD test (which goes to the lab) and a 4th gen antigen/antibody fingerprick HIV test done, the results of which are given at the clinic itself. The HIV test came back negative.

My lab results however came back a few days later and I had chlamydia which then sent my mind into a panic attack since I assumed I got it from my ex and that she hadnt been truthful with me. So my questions are

1) with the change in guidelines of HIV 4th gen, should I do a test again at 45 days and more importantly, should it be a test sent to a lab instead of the strip at the clinic?

2) I had recieved unprotected oral from a girl at a massage parlor a week after the above episode. From what I have read on this forum, chlamydia from oral is not likely, but could that have been a source ? And apologies if this particular question should be asked in a different sub thread.

Thanks  much

[CurfewX]

It doesn't matter how you took the test. 28 days is generally considered conclusive with a 4th-generation test, but given that you had an STD, you might feel more comfortable re-testing at 6 weeks. It is EXTREMELY unlikely that your result will change - this would just be for peace of mind.

Your second question can be answered in the STDs forum: https://www.medhelp.org/forums/STDs-STIs/show/98  There is no need to repeat the info regarding HIV and testing for that, though, since we've already answered that question here.

[worriedaf20]

Thank you CurfewX. The only reason I asked about the test being sent to a lab is because apparently CDC guidelines of 2014 say that the specificity/sensitivity of rapid 4th gen test done at point of care is not as great as 4th gen test in a lab. Nonetheless in Singapore, the default for HIV 4th gen tests is point of care rapid tests so there must be some merit in that.