Scared of late seroconversion

[blahblub]

Hi Dr. H,

I had a risky encounter with a TS escort 5 1/2 months ago. I performed oral sex on her without a condom. We also had intercourse (me giving, she receiving) but that was with a condom and to my knowledge, the condom did not fail. I did not taste any pre-cum and she did not ejaculate in my mouth. However, I am convinced now despite the tests that I have taken, that I am HIV positive. I had the classic ARS symptoms about 3 weeks post-exposure (flu-like, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes under my jaw, muscle aches, malaise) and I still have swollen lymph nodes under my jaw today (that has not fully gone away since the 3-week mark).

I have taken several tests, but I am sure that I will be one of the few to test positive outside of the 3-month window. I've had a few DNA PCR tests (performed by LabCorp) and they were negative, that latest one being 4-months post-exposure. And I've had ELISA-antibody tests nearly every week either through Home Access, or LabCorp, those too have all been negative.

I've read that approximately 60,000 new cases of HIV are reported every year. And supposedly, the 3-month window period is accurate to more than 97% accuracy, but that still leaves 3% of people who test positive between 3 months and 6 months. That's still a lot of people! (around 1,800 if I'm doing my math right). That's what has me extremely worried. In the meantime, I have developed thrush on my tongue and my wife (who I am deathly afraid has contracted HIV as well through my stupidity and selfishness) has developed a mucocele on her lower lip. I found a study online that says that mucoceles have a strong relationship to early HIV infections. My wife won't have anything to do with me now (for good reason) and she hasn't decided yet if she'll take an HIV test.

Many sites (medhelp.org included) state that a 3-month negative test is conclusive, yet I still have very troubling symptoms. I'm just trying to figure out what I should do next. Thanks.

-Jim

[blahblub]

Thank you Doctor Hook, that goes a long way to putting my mind at ease. I really appreciate your well-reasoned response. Thanks again and take care.

-Jim

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  Your information is out of date and certainly does not pertain to you.  You do not have HIV.  You have now been tested using several different types of highly tests , all of which give the same result.  

The idea of delayed seroconversion in someone who has not been taking anti-HIV medications is an urban myth.  

The sorts of figures that the CDC provides are based on data that are now badly out of date and come from an agency whose philosophy is that they cannot “afford” to be wrong in the information they give. This makes them very conservative.  The recommendations for testing at 3 and even 6 months are the result of two factors- data from older tests no longer used (you really do not need to worry about which generation of tests you were tested with, at this time virtually all tests are far more sensitive that they were even 2-3 years ago when the 3 month recommendation was made) and secondly, the fact that some, mostly governmental agencies which have to provide recommendations for virtually everyone without the sort of interactions such as those you get with your doctor or on personalized sites such as this one, feel the cannot "afford" to be wrong and therefore make recommendations and guidelines which leave most people unnecessarily nervous for 4-6 weeks longer than the 6-8 weeks it takes virtually everyone to develop HIV antibodies.  

You really need to believe your test results.  EWH