How reassured can I be?

[JP4324]

Hello Doctors, In March I had vaginal intercourse with a girl who I later found out was HIV positive! The condom broke and I was exposed for about 1 to 2 minutes. 1 week later symptoms began, every SINLGE symptom I read on the net that happen during ARS, except for fever. Most of the symptoms went away at around week 7/8, I am now 5 months post exposure and some symptoms have not gone away - 3 lymph nodes in my neck (1 the size of a marble the other 2 pebbles), folliculitis, oral hairy lukoplakea, a sore throat that comes and goes, diarreah, fatigue.

I had several antibody tests (some ELISA and some the rapid finger prick tests) at weeks 2,4,6,8,9 and 13 all negative/non-reactive. As well at week 16 I had another antibody test ICMA with a Western Blot negative/non-reactive, in addition I had RNA PCR for HIV 1 non detecatble.

I just don't know what to think because of the exposure, the fact that I still have all these symptoms, and that there is too much conflicting information on the net about how reliable/conclusive my test results are!

1) Just how conclusive/reliable are my test results? From everything I am reading on the net, conclusiveness of test results are based on percentages and not a simple 'you have it or you don't.

2) Is it possible that my symptoms are in fact ARS/HIV and none of the tests I had are picking it up? Has any case like that ever happened?

3) I've always been a super healthy person, what could possibly be causing these symptoms?? I had about 3 full blood labs done, everything has come back normal, my CD4 count was 718.

When can I put HIV behind me for good?!

Thank you.

Joe

[JP4324]

Hello Dr. Jose!

Thank you very much for your reply, it's a huge relief! I'm sure you can understand how much of a mess I've been since finding out her status and then having all these unexplained symptoms.

1) do you think I need to be concerned about HIV 2? She is African American.

2) do I need to be concerned about rare/outlier virus types?

3) Do I need any further testing? Is there any other type of test I did not do that would be more usefull, or can I clearly with 100% confidence and certainty know that I did not catch HIV?

Thank you so much!!

[Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia, MD, MRCGP, PhD]

Hello Joe,
Thank you very much for your post and welcome to our HIV forum.
I would like to answer your questions here below;

1) Just how conclusive/reliable are my test results? From everything I am reading on the net, conclusiveness of test results are based on percentages and not a simple 'you have it or you don't.

YOUR TESTS ARE FULLY CONCLUSIVE AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE HIV.  A NEGATIVE ELISA SEROLOGY IS CONCLUSIVE ALREADY AFTER 8 WEEKS.

2) Is it possible that my symptoms are in fact ARS/HIV and none of the tests I had are picking it up? Has any case like that ever happened?

NO, IT HAS NOT.  BY DEFINITION, IF SOMEONE IS EXPERIENCING HIV SERO-CONVERSION SYMPTOMS, THE TEST HAS TO BE POSITIVE

3) I've always been a super healthy person, what could possibly be causing these symptoms?? I had about 3 full blood labs done, everything has come back normal, my CD4 count was 718.

I CANNOT TELL YOU THAT, BUT WHAT I AM COMPLETELY SURE ABOUT IS THAT IT IS NOT HIV.

Best wishes,
Dr José