HIV Risk and testing

[ohmygodwhathaveidone]

I am a 30 year old male, 17 days ago i made a huge mistake and had unprotected sex with another male. I was the insertive of us and it was about 1-2 minute long session. Then i realised what i have done and stopped.

I had the Alere determine rapid fingerprick combo test done in 14 days, it was negative. Does the test have any accuracy in two week or was it the waste of time? Im goig to do a DUO test in 28 days, i live in scandinavia and healthcare here still says that even it is the combo test it will be conclusive in after 3 months. Are they just conservative? Have there been any know DUO test result in the world that has changed after 28 day?

I did get fever and flu in about then days after exposure, i am pretty much worried about these, even that we have a flu-season here right now.

I think my questions are: 1.)  2 week test any good 2.) 4 week ag/ab test really is conclusive even my actions were high risk?

Sorry my bad english and have a healthy year!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  I'll be pleased to comment.  You certainly did put yourself at risk for HIV and for other STIs from the exposure you describe.  The good news here is that most people do not have HIV or other STIs and most exposures to infected partners do not lead to infection.  If your partner was infected, your risk for infection is about 1 in 100 exposures (1%).  Your risk for having gotten other STIs (chlamydia in particular) is somewhat  higher.  

You need testing, both for other STIs and for HIV.  You can and should be tested for STIs such as chlamydia at this time and there is much good information to be gained from an HIV test at two weeks. With tests that test only for antibodies, at two weeks about 50% of persons with recent infections will have positive tests.  With a DUO test, the proportion of infections detected will be higher although precisely how many more is not clear.  Further, if your flu-like symptoms began before your DUO test, then it is highly unlikely that your symptoms were due to recently acquired HIV.  

finally, your official communications, like those that we get from the CDC are overly conservative and I would encourage you to treat results of a DUO test at four weeks as conclusive.  I am not aware of any person who was tested negative at 4 weeks and then went on to be found to have HIV.

I hope these comments are helpful.  Please go get tested for STIs soon.  EWH

[ohmygodwhathaveidone]

Just got my results on 28 day test. Test was antigen/antibody and a result was negative. I think this is conclusive result even my doctor still asked me to come in new test at 3 months because my actions we high risk.

I think i trust this forum doctors more and i really dont need more testing.

Thans for your efforts.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

My efforts to reassure you with sceintific data seem to be unheard.  Both because of this and becasue we have limited time and space for follow-up questions, this will be my final answer.  You may post your test results if you wish but there will be no further relpies.

If your symptoms started 5-7 days prior to your earlier HIV test and it was negative, it provides stong evidence that your symptoms were not due to HIV.  I said this in my original (and apparently ignored) reply to you.

This will end this thread. EWH

[ohmygodwhathaveidone]

Just one final question before i go my 4 week test.

I checked my calendar and my flu like symptoms started between days 10-12after my exposure. I started with little sore throat and chills, day 17 i went to test of all STI:s and today got the results, all negative including hiv agab.

My mild fever started about same day i was tested, fever not high (have been working all time in quite physical job). Fever has been gone in some days anf then come back on next.

Does the thest prove that my symptoms are not because of hiv and i have just season flu? Because some symptoms started 5-7 days before test. Fever was only that came later.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Yes, the test you describe appears to test for both HIV antibodies (ab) and the antigen (ag) EWH

[ohmygodwhathaveidone]

I have had flu symptoms about a week now. Not high fever but little over 37c in couple of days. My throat is not severe sore but it feels funny when i swallow, like there is hard slime or something in the bottom of my throat, and my ears make this popping sound when i swallow too. When i eat my throat feels quite normal and it is confusing me.

I ordered hiv-test from my doctor at 4 week from exposure, i asked is it o DUO and he said it is S –HIVAgAb. I just want to make sure that this is the DUO because the term duo is not in common use in my country and my doctor just say it is this s-hivagab.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There are no cases in which anyone has ever been proven to get HIV from receipt of oral sex.  You are not going to be the first.  Nothing more to add.  EWH

[ohmygodwhathaveidone]

My flu symptoms started couple of days before i got in the test, they have gotten worse since though.

[ohmygodwhathaveidone]

I was in test of all STIs, will get the results next week. In my country hiv is quite rare, 5,5 million people and just little under 3000 hiv-positives, about 1000 people is estimated to be who dont now they are positive.

It was a stupid risk i know, just hoping im lucky this first and last time

[ohmygodwhathaveidone]

And i dont know my partners hiv status, afterwards he said that he was tested about a year a go and he was clean of hiv and else STD:s.  Sex was oral and anal, i was insertive in both of them.