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PrEP and Testing
Hi. First, I would like to apologize for a very lengthy post. I'm not sure if I'm in the correct forum but I'm hoping you guys can help me.
I tested non-reactive on an Ag/Ab test 20 days and 27 days after a sexual encounter. This was considered good as conclusive so I asked my doctor if I can be put on PrEP as an additional protection for future possible encounters. I started PrEP on the same day (Day 27). However, the following day, I woke up with slight muscle aches and headache, and a feverish feeling. These did not last long and was gone even before the day ended. The following day, the back of my thigh was extremely itchy and sometimes had a burning sensation. These were gone the following day.
At that point, I wanted to make sure so I took two more Ag/Ab tests - one on Day 29, another on Day 36 (counted from the day of the original encounter). These tests were done while I was already on PrEP. Both were non-reactive.
With my scenario, I hope you can help me with my questions:
1.Were my 20 and 27-day tests really conclusive despite the symptoms that showed up the day after? I know that 28 days is conclusive (as per a lot of experts) but Dr. Tan's website (a prominent doctor in SG) even suggests that he's very confident when someone tests negative at 2 weeks and a 3 week test is already a very strong indication that an infection has not occured.
2.If the result wasn't conclusive on Day 27, then the tests on Day 29 and Day 36 should be, correct? Or will there be a delay in the detection since I started PrEP on Day 27?
3.Will PrEP affect the window period for detection? I want to get tested again (45 days after the original encounter) but I don't know whether I can trust that result since I don't know whether my daily adherence to PrEP may have an effect on the window period for detection.
I'm sure that most of you will probably tell me to consult with my physician and believe me, I want to. But she's currently out of the country and won't be back until next month so I'm hoping that in the meantime, the experts on this forum can help me with my questions.
I would really appreciate any input that you guys can give me.
I tested non-reactive on an Ag/Ab test 20 days and 27 days after a sexual encounter. This was considered good as conclusive so I asked my doctor if I can be put on PrEP as an additional protection for future possible encounters. I started PrEP on the same day (Day 27). However, the following day, I woke up with slight muscle aches and headache, and a feverish feeling. These did not last long and was gone even before the day ended. The following day, the back of my thigh was extremely itchy and sometimes had a burning sensation. These were gone the following day.
At that point, I wanted to make sure so I took two more Ag/Ab tests - one on Day 29, another on Day 36 (counted from the day of the original encounter). These tests were done while I was already on PrEP. Both were non-reactive.
With my scenario, I hope you can help me with my questions:
1.Were my 20 and 27-day tests really conclusive despite the symptoms that showed up the day after? I know that 28 days is conclusive (as per a lot of experts) but Dr. Tan's website (a prominent doctor in SG) even suggests that he's very confident when someone tests negative at 2 weeks and a 3 week test is already a very strong indication that an infection has not occured.
2.If the result wasn't conclusive on Day 27, then the tests on Day 29 and Day 36 should be, correct? Or will there be a delay in the detection since I started PrEP on Day 27?
3.Will PrEP affect the window period for detection? I want to get tested again (45 days after the original encounter) but I don't know whether I can trust that result since I don't know whether my daily adherence to PrEP may have an effect on the window period for detection.
I'm sure that most of you will probably tell me to consult with my physician and believe me, I want to. But she's currently out of the country and won't be back until next month so I'm hoping that in the meantime, the experts on this forum can help me with my questions.
I would really appreciate any input that you guys can give me.
You can also call the prep manufacturer about these questions.
4 Comments
Thanks. I will try to do that. Can you give your insights on my first question though?
1. Were my 20 and 27-day tests really conclusive despite the symptoms that showed up the next day? Slight muscle aches and headache, feverish for more than a half day. Itching and burning sensation on thigh the following day. I know that 28 days is conclusive (as per a lot of experts) but Dr. Tan's website (a prominent doctor in SG) even suggests that he's very confident when someone tests negative at 2 weeks and a 3 week test is already a very strong indication that an infection has not occurred.
To follow up, is it possible, that on Day 27, I was on the "period" when p24 was already starting to drop and antibodies weren't detectable yet which was why I had non-reactive results? If that's the case, then my Day 20 test should have been positive, correct?
I would really appreciate any input that you can give me. Please help me with my questions.
1. Were my 20 and 27-day tests really conclusive despite the symptoms that showed up the next day? Slight muscle aches and headache, feverish for more than a half day. Itching and burning sensation on thigh the following day. I know that 28 days is conclusive (as per a lot of experts) but Dr. Tan's website (a prominent doctor in SG) even suggests that he's very confident when someone tests negative at 2 weeks and a 3 week test is already a very strong indication that an infection has not occurred.
To follow up, is it possible, that on Day 27, I was on the "period" when p24 was already starting to drop and antibodies weren't detectable yet which was why I had non-reactive results? If that's the case, then my Day 20 test should have been positive, correct?
I would really appreciate any input that you can give me. Please help me with my questions.
Was the encounter oral, anal or vaginal and did you use a condom? You need to stop examining your body and Googling for symptoms because HIV docs can't diagnose from symptoms so neither you nor I can either and it will just make you anxious because there is no useful info to be gained.
It was vaginal. He started with a condom but he removed it at some point. So can I trust the results of my 20 and 27 day tests despite the symptoms that showed up on Day 28?
You should never examine your body for symptoms because they prove nothing, so you are just keeping track of what you consider data, but it is not of use. Any negative person can have those issues you are studying, and it is easy to imagine they exist when they don't or perhaps always existed but you never noticed them before.
Everyone posts here about their ARS, but in act no one since I have been here actually had ARS because no one has tested positive. That is a large number of false self diagnosis, some with multiple symptom claims.
Everyone posts here about their ARS, but in act no one since I have been here actually had ARS because no one has tested positive. That is a large number of false self diagnosis, some with multiple symptom claims.
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