Duo Test Reliability at 4.5 weeks + HCV Delayed Seroconversion?

[scaredinnyc111]

Hey folks,

Hope the new year's going well for y'all, because it isn't going well at all for me. First, a little background.

I had the misfortune of a condom failure (slippage) with a backpage CSW on November 15 last year. I did not know how long I was in penetration without protection. I was freaking out right after the accident, and she tried to reassure me by saying she gets tested regularly. She did not seem to offer unprotected sex and was insistent on condom usage even with oral sex, but  I would say still she was not a high-class escort because of the rates she charged.

Fast forward to two weeks after the incident, I am a huge mess, not sleeping, horrible appetite, depressed and anxious all the time. I went to my doctor and described the situation and was prescribed a battery of tests. I was tested for pretty much the entire spectrum of STD's. The HIV test was 4th Generation (Bio-rad, IIRC) antigen/antibody test.

The results came out and they were all clear. I still wasn't confident with my HIV status or lack thereof. At 3 weeks post incident, I started getting itchy spots on the backs of my hands at night and I lost it. My hours of sleep went from 5 to 3 or even zero.

I felt desperate and bought an Oraquick test kit from the pharmacy a few days after I started getting the spots; it was negative again. I went back to my doctor and was prescribed some anti-anxiety and anti-hypertension meds.

On Dec. 13, I read about diarrhea being a potential sign of ARS. The following week, I started getting occasional loose stools and suffered from a general feeling of weakness and nausea. I could not eat food, and I felt like vomiting whenever I tried to do so. I lost around 5 pounds in weight.

I could not take the tension anymore, so I ordered a 4th Generation combo test from an online testing service. I got tested at the 33-day mark, December 18. Waiting for the results in the midst of the holiday season was downright hellish, and its not an exaggeration to say that it ruined my Christmas.

I received my negative result on December 26. I thought I could relax.

I was wrong, because in the process of looking for evidence that I could trust my results, I stumbled upon the entire delayed seroconversion issue with regard to HCV co-infection.

So, here am I in a pickle, waiting for my HCV lab results to come out.

[shaunw84]

The Co-Infection issue is only a suspicion.  It's not proven.  

But  yes, there are some people who have taken longer to develop antibodies and the belief is that other conditions e.g. HEP-C can delay antibodies, also cancer medications, other immunological problems.

But you took a Ag/Ab test.  It doesn't' deepen on your bodies ability to produce antibodies.   That's what's effected by these other conditions.   It looks for parts of the virus.  And it's ability to find the virus doesn't depend on if you have some other condition.

You don't have HIV.  

Be well

[scaredinnyc111]

Forgot to put down that I also got tested via fingerprick rapid test on the 39-day mark, Christmas Eve exactly.


Summary;

Scared of HIV because of delayed seroconversion, negative tests at:

2 Week - Ag/Ab Combo
4 Week - Oraquick Oral Fluids
4.5 Week - Ag/Ab Combo
5.5 Week - Oraquick Fingerprick