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Help! Can I move on with my life after my test results?
Hello
I foolishly had unprotected anal sex (insertive) with an unknown Male from the U.K. He lives with his long term female partner and told me he doesn’t have any STDs or STIs and tests regularly with tests bought online.
I am worried about catching HIV and have had the following tests.
20 day 4th gen duo negative
44 day 4th gen duo negative
77 day 4th gen duo negative
Are tests were undertaken in a lab with blood taken from my vein.
Can I move on with my life after these tests or do I need to test again?
I foolishly had unprotected anal sex (insertive) with an unknown Male from the U.K. He lives with his long term female partner and told me he doesn’t have any STDs or STIs and tests regularly with tests bought online.
I am worried about catching HIV and have had the following tests.
20 day 4th gen duo negative
44 day 4th gen duo negative
77 day 4th gen duo negative
Are tests were undertaken in a lab with blood taken from my vein.
Can I move on with my life after these tests or do I need to test again?
The duo test is conclusive at 28 days. Your tests at 44 and 77 days makes it certain that you did not have HIV. You can move on now.
10 Comments
Hey thanks for your answer. Are the 2 test results conclusive with U.K. guidelines?
"BASHH/EAGA statement on HIV window period
November 2014
HIV testing using the latest (fourth generation) tests is recommended in the BHIVA / BASHH / BIS UK guidelines for HIV testing (2008). These assays test for HIV antibodies and p24 antigen simultaneously. A fourth generation HIV test on a venous blood sample performed in a laboratory will detect the great majority of individuals who have been infected with HIV at 4 weeks after specific exposure.
Patients attending for HIV testing who identify a specific risk occurring less than 4 weeks previously should not be made to wait before HIV testing as doing so may miss an opportunity to diagnose HIV infection (and in particular acute HIV infection during which a person is highly infectious). They should be offered a fourth generation laboratory HIV test and be advised to repeat it when 4 weeks have elapsed from the time of the last exposure.
A negative result on a fourth generation test performed at 4 weeks post-exposure is highly likely to exclude HIV infection. A further test at 8 weeks post-exposure need only be considered following an event assessed as carrying a high risk of infection.
Patients at ongoing risk of HIV infection should be advised to retest at regular intervals."
These are the UK testing guidelines as of 2014.
November 2014
HIV testing using the latest (fourth generation) tests is recommended in the BHIVA / BASHH / BIS UK guidelines for HIV testing (2008). These assays test for HIV antibodies and p24 antigen simultaneously. A fourth generation HIV test on a venous blood sample performed in a laboratory will detect the great majority of individuals who have been infected with HIV at 4 weeks after specific exposure.
Patients attending for HIV testing who identify a specific risk occurring less than 4 weeks previously should not be made to wait before HIV testing as doing so may miss an opportunity to diagnose HIV infection (and in particular acute HIV infection during which a person is highly infectious). They should be offered a fourth generation laboratory HIV test and be advised to repeat it when 4 weeks have elapsed from the time of the last exposure.
A negative result on a fourth generation test performed at 4 weeks post-exposure is highly likely to exclude HIV infection. A further test at 8 weeks post-exposure need only be considered following an event assessed as carrying a high risk of infection.
Patients at ongoing risk of HIV infection should be advised to retest at regular intervals."
These are the UK testing guidelines as of 2014.
So even with the conservative UK recommendation of testing high risk events at 56 days, you'd still be safe. Time to move on without worry.
Thank you again! Do I need to worry about false negatives or do the 3 negative test I have had, prove that they are in fact all negative and correct?
Sorry to keep going on !
Sorry to keep going on !
These tests don't give false negatives. The only reason a person would get a negative when they are, in fact, positive, is by taking the test too early. You didn't do that. You are negative.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! It is really appreciated, I will now try and move on with my life.
Do I need to re test at 3 Months?
Definitely not. Your tests were conclusive and a 3 month test would be a waste of time and a source of anxiety.
Thanks for the quick response. There is so much conflicting information online it’s hard to see what is correct. I have found this forum to be a big help!
CurfewX do you agree with the advice above. I don’t want to sound ungreatful about the advice given but would appreciate the opinion of someone who has been helping on this forum for a number of years.
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