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How reliable are HIV viral load tests?
I am sorry I may be posting on a wrong group. Maybe because of anxiety I could not find a forum on HIV risks.
I kindly ask for your understanding and assistance.
I really would appreciate your valuable opinion and experience about my VİRAL LOAD test results.
I had risky sex on AUGUST 9th with a female. I learned that she was HIV positive A WEEK LATER. (I had used condom. The vaginal relation was only about 20 seconds, after I pulled out I could see the condom still on my penis, and semen in the condom. It seemed proper. I am circumsized.)
1. After I learned she was HIV positive. I got HIV tested (Elisa I guess) on AUGUST 16th, it was negative.
2. On AUGUST 18th (9 days after sex), I got viral test done. The results came out on AUGUST 23th. It read "“below 20 copies/ml” and log value “below 1.30”. It reads as “HIV RNA DETECTED (!), less than 20 HIV/RNA copies/ml)” There was also an "undetected" option in the test.
3. On AUGUST 19TH and AUGUST 20TH, I started taking ARVs which doctor prescribed. (Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg, Lamivudine USP 600mg, Efavirenz USP 200mg). ARVs made me dizzy, so I stoppped on AUGUST 21ST and AUGUST 22ND. After the viral load result, I started ARVs again. One pill everyday regularly.
4. On AUGUST 29th, I gave blood sample for PCR-HIV QUALITATIVE: (Performed using the Roche COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS Taqman HIV-1 Qualitative Version 2.0 assay.) It turned out negative. (By then I have been using ARVs for 7 days everyday once)
5. On SEPTEMBER 6th (28 days after risky sex), I did additional screening. I guess it is Elisa again. (By then I have been using ARVs still everyday one pill) It is negative.
I pray that the attached viral load test is "false positive". What is the likelihood of having less than 20 copies after 8-9 days? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MY TEST RESULTS?
In my country, test facilities are not diverse. There is no 4th generation tests as far as I know.
Thanks so much!
I kindly ask for your understanding and assistance.
I really would appreciate your valuable opinion and experience about my VİRAL LOAD test results.
I had risky sex on AUGUST 9th with a female. I learned that she was HIV positive A WEEK LATER. (I had used condom. The vaginal relation was only about 20 seconds, after I pulled out I could see the condom still on my penis, and semen in the condom. It seemed proper. I am circumsized.)
1. After I learned she was HIV positive. I got HIV tested (Elisa I guess) on AUGUST 16th, it was negative.
2. On AUGUST 18th (9 days after sex), I got viral test done. The results came out on AUGUST 23th. It read "“below 20 copies/ml” and log value “below 1.30”. It reads as “HIV RNA DETECTED (!), less than 20 HIV/RNA copies/ml)” There was also an "undetected" option in the test.
3. On AUGUST 19TH and AUGUST 20TH, I started taking ARVs which doctor prescribed. (Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg, Lamivudine USP 600mg, Efavirenz USP 200mg). ARVs made me dizzy, so I stoppped on AUGUST 21ST and AUGUST 22ND. After the viral load result, I started ARVs again. One pill everyday regularly.
4. On AUGUST 29th, I gave blood sample for PCR-HIV QUALITATIVE: (Performed using the Roche COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS Taqman HIV-1 Qualitative Version 2.0 assay.) It turned out negative. (By then I have been using ARVs for 7 days everyday once)
5. On SEPTEMBER 6th (28 days after risky sex), I did additional screening. I guess it is Elisa again. (By then I have been using ARVs still everyday one pill) It is negative.
I pray that the attached viral load test is "false positive". What is the likelihood of having less than 20 copies after 8-9 days? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MY TEST RESULTS?
In my country, test facilities are not diverse. There is no 4th generation tests as far as I know.
Thanks so much!
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