Opinion from a Dr. in the US please...

[ashley952]

Dear Dr., I obviously went to the wrong forum to ask a Dr. Dr. Sean, sounds fantastic, but i'm not a sex worker nor man who is freaking out cause of an over seas or out of the Country oral sex situation. I'm a normal female in the US. His answers sounded professional a knowledgeable, but I'm probably better of at this forum, as Vance recommended in his recent post to me. (thanks Vance)!   I just want to here it from a Dr., although the community forum has been extremely patient and knowledgeable,w/answers, their Awesome! Could you please read the post from Dr. Sean and please give me your opinion? Bottom line, tell me how you interrupt his opinion on steroids not affecting tests? The generation mumbo jumbo?  The type of test given to me is all over my posts. The international forum is where i tried to tell him exactly what type was used for testing. I'm sure it will be easily found, as it is linked to my question. I want to believe what Vance & annabelle are saying, but with all this B.S. nonsense anxiety, I just want to here it from my home Dr.. I don't want to be a royal pain, AM I GOOD TO GO DR? Thank you, in advance1!!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

thank you. Take care.  EWH

[ashley952]

Ahh, i can breathe once again! Thank you Dr. Food for thought: I can only imagine the hell others go through waiing and wondering. I suppose for some, the anxiety of not knowing could for some, be equally terrifying as the actual disease.How one poor decision could ruin your life with no turning back. That was as close to hell as i ever want to be. Thank god for you Docs. on these forums. without you, peolpe could end up in the funning farm. Lol! Keep up your great work. No more posts, this will conclude this thread. Lol! Thanks again...

[Edward W Hook, MD]

As a generalization for both you and other readers, you must realize that we VERY frequently get questions asking if different types of exposures or prevention measures are 100% effective or whether something has ever happened.  The answer to these questions is that it is scientifically impossible to be 100% sure.  For a variety of complex mathematical reasons far too complex to go into here, all one can do with well conducted scientific studies is estimate probabilities.  By definition, any estimate, cannot be 100% certain.  On the other hand, when Dr. Handsfield or I say that something is very close to no risk or of minimal risk, or use any other term to indicate a very small risk, that means "close to zero" in a world where zero cannot be attained.  You have nothing to worry about.  EWH

[ashley952]

YES! I want to take myself far far away from ever going through such horrible stress due to a very valid Question, diffinatly not the typiclal. Would you say there has not even been documented cases of delayed sercoversion due to active steriod use? I want out of this, learned a HUGE lesson and never ever, want to put mysef into a potential harmfil risk. Thank you Lord, my father....

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I can see how you might have found the earlier answers a bit confusing. there were a lot of different parts to the answer.  let me try to be as direct as possible.

You do not have HIV and the use of rectal steroid enemas would not delay a positive test if you had acquired HIV.  Locally applied steroid medications such as steroid enemas or steroid creams used for dealing with skin problems are used locally because they allow large amounts of the steroid to be delivered to where you want them to work - in your case, to the rectum, for treatment of your ulcerative colitis.  By directly delivering them they have far fewer side effects than when they are used systemically (i.e. as pills or injections).  

Bottom line, you have a negative test and should believe the test.  you did not get HIV from your exposure over 3 months ago.

Let me know if this has  addressed your concern.  EWH