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Avatar universal

Is this test worthless?

I had unprotected vaginal sex one month ago as I stated in my previous posts. Right at the four week period I started to get really ill. I had an HIV test done yesterday at 31 days after the incident and it was negative. I am extremely nauseous, have diarrhea, headaches, no appetite, and a sore throat. I think I am experiencing ARS but have yet to experience fever. How soon after ARS symptoms start would fever appear? What percentage of people test positive at one month or is this not available information? I am really upset at myself and afraid, any information would be appreciated.
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Avatar universal
england66,

A fell Brit here with some words sourced (word for word) from Dr. H Handsfield. This fits you to a 'T' so you should keep your head up because things are vastly in your favor. Yes this is playing the odds, but this is the essence of our lives each & every day. You have more to worry about today, at this moment, from dying in a car crash than you do of having been infected with HIV from the incident you described & your 31 day test supports this belief.

Yes I am a layperson (a worry-well much like you) but I have calmed my fear & anxiety through researching the facts from this forum & the expert forum. Your 31 day test (approx 90% certainty, keep repeating 90% to yourself) along with the fact that your single hetero-sexual exposure = a LOW RISK scenario = highly reassuring for you. Both docs on the expert forum have stated rarely do they come across people who have caught HIV from a single exposure such as what you described. And your symptoms mean zippo, I've also had some & I've learned to put them in perspective.

Dr. H Hunter Handsfield's words:

"OK, here it is again (for at least the 10th time).  

Assume a low risk exposure, like a typical heterosexual exposure with a partner of unknown (but probably negative) HIV status.  Say the odds someone acquired HIV were 1 chance in 100,000.  Now assume a test is 95% accurate at 4 weeks and 99.9% accurate at 3 months.  After a negative test at 4 weeks, the odds the person has HIV (despite the test result) is 0.00001 x 0.05 = 0.0000005.  That's 5 in 10 million, or once chance in 2 million.  That's so low to be considered zero.  (It's 75 time LESS than the lifetime chance of someone living in the US being killed by a lightning strike!)

Now assume a very high risk exposure, like a gay man who has unprotected anal sex with a known-infected partner (or being raped by an infected man).  The odds of infection might be 1%, i.e. 1 in 100.  Test negative at 4 weeks.  The odds the person has HIV despite the negative test are 0.01 x 0.05 - 0.0005.  That's 1 chance in 2000.  Pretty low, and the test result is reassuring.  But not nearly reassuring enough; most people will not accept a 1 in 2000 risk of being infected an not knowing it.  Therefore, that person needs another test at 3 months.  At that time, a negative test result translates into 0.01 x 0.001 = 0.00001, 1 chance in 100,000.

Same test, but the differenence in circumstances leads to different levels of reassurance.  The bottom line is that the higher the risk, the more important it is to carry out testing to a later time, such as 8 weeks or even 3 months.  The lower the risk, the less it matters to wait that long.

Only you can decide whether you "need" testing as long as 3 months after exposure.  But for most people, a single test at 4-6 weeks is sufficient.  (If you're going to worry about the possibility of HIV despite a risk of less than 1 in a million, I have to assume you never drive, don't cross busy streets, and never take commercial flights--all of which have a much higher chance of killing you.)"

HHH, MD

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Avatar universal
They started at the end of the 4th week but the diarrhea is real bad, like pure liquid. I am also getting major cramps in my stomach and glands are swollen in my throat to the point where I can't touch the right side if my neck because it hurts so much. I have not had fever that I can tell, at around 2 -3 weeks I was a little warm but never over 98.6 to 99.1 . Could that have been ARS fever? I also am getting an irritation, sore, red area on my butt in between my cheeks that comes and goes. Sometimes it is very red and other times it is not there at all? How long can diarrhea last with ARS?
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Avatar universal
ARS symptoms happen at 2-4 weeks post exposure...you are past that time frame.
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Avatar universal
I have had two straight weeks of diarrhea and stomach cramps as well as the glands are so sore and sensitive in my throat that I can't touch the right side with my hand. I also feel like I am going to throw up after eating and as soon as I do eat , I have diarrhea right away. I am sure this is HIV, I think I am going through ARS right now
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Avatar universal
not to worry, i have had all symtoms of hiv after 2 weeks of protected exposure im march 2009. ferver rash sore throat and many more i was not able to stand from bed for 1.5 months at that time. But after 18 months i m hiv negative, around 40 test in 18 months including western blot, dna pcr, combo, antibodies . So dont go to the symtoms
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Avatar universal
A 1 month neg is encouraging but not definite.  you have cleared the first hurdle.

If you can afford this, get a second test at 8 weeks, 56 days.  i believe you will be

pleasantly surprised at the result.  When that one is neg, you have rounded second and

are sliding into third.  Get a final test at 13 weeks and you are home free.
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Avatar universal
There are no tests marketed or sold that will give a conclusive negative test earlier than 3 months.
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Avatar universal
DR HHH

"Your doctor is not up to speed on modern HIV tests and how quickly they turn positive.  The older tests, not in use for many years, sometimes took 3 months and maybe 6 months very rarely.

Lists of HIV symptoms on most websites are pretty useless.  The sites fail to make clear that almost all symptoms of new HIV infection occur in combinations, never alone; and that almost every listed symptom (there are 50 or more of them!) occurs more commonly due to other conditions, most of them more common than HIV.  And one symptom is paramount:  fever.  Without signficant fever, HIV is very unlikely to be the cause of any other symptoms.

In brief, your assumption is correct:  my opinion still stands.  You had a low risk exposure and it is exceedingly unlikely you caught HIV.  (And if you happen to have HIV, it still won't explain the numbness!) "

Feel any better?
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Avatar universal
Be abit late I think mate. Fever the most common thing to occur when people do experience ARS. Usually accomponied by a few other symptoms. It sounds like you have just got a standard virus to be honest. It could be anything. No point living in Fear. It wont change anything now.

Im sure if you think you are Seroconverting then if you went to your Hospital they would run a PCR or something on you. That would at least provide reassurance that the symptoms you are experiencing are or aren't HIV. What you think?
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Avatar universal
It's to early to test. You can't rely on symptoms. HIV has no specific symptoms.
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Avatar universal
Is it common to have ARS without a noticeable fever, even if you have diarrhea, swollen glands, sore throat, head aches, nausea? Could the ARS fever come on later a week or two after the onset of the other symptoms? Does the 30 day test catch any new infectiond or is it definitely to early?
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Avatar universal
I appreciate it, I actually live in Canada but was born in England. They do not do the duo test here in Canada only the antibody test. I think I am going through ARS currently and will test positive in a few weeks.
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Avatar universal
Your 3 months post exposure test will be conclusive.
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Avatar universal
Hi England,

If as your name suggests, and you are from England then I think you should test right away at a GUM clinic. The whole point of taking a DUO is to catch HIV early so you can get treatment faster (a train of thought most damage is done to the immune system in the earliest stages of HIV). A DUO at 4 weeks is 99.8% .. Thats pretty darn reassuring mate.

Not many women have HIV in England, and most of them that do are based in London. So if you had sex outside of London with a random bird then the chances are Very small indeed. The symptoms if they came on at 4 weeks would be quite late also I believe. And the abscence of an extremley High fever would probably lean in your favour.

Anyway! Symptoms mean nothing. Some people who have it experience non at all. Other people are convinced they have HIV and they dont. Get tested. Doctor Jose Gonzalez reassured someone that recently the UK window period for the HIV DUO has been changed to 4 weeks.

I reckon you'll be ok mate. Try and relax, worrying wont help. Spoken from the Ultimate Hypochondriac that has has HIV twice (obviously didnt but convinced I had)
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Avatar universal
dear englan
take test at 8 weeks , 10 weeks and 13 weeks
set these test as urstep wise step target so that ur time passes.
many times sympotems are due to anxiety and other diseases
go to church and pray to almighty. he is very kind.
god bless
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Avatar universal
I am in Canada, they do not do the duo test. They test for antibodies and if they are present they do a Western Blot to confirm.
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Avatar universal
Hi england66,

I fully understand the kind of anxiety you are going through right now, especially after feeling so sick and such. I know how emotionally difficult is it right now, i myself am in such a situation too right now.

Ok, listen to naveea, and you will be able to get a very good and reliable result in another 2 weeks time. if you have a duo test, you can try to do it right now (where duo tests are supposedly very very reliable from 28 days onwards), and then again at 6 weeks for an even better reliability.

If i am able to do that test, i would do it too. Unfortunately it is not available to me, and i can only rely on rapid tests.

Hang in there, and take care ok? All the best.


May God bless you


reallyregret
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Avatar universal
I feel extremely sick, very nauseous, and my throat is real sore . I also have diarrhea and no appetite. The only thing I am missing from ARS is fever, could the ARS fever develop 4 or five days later?
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1183190 tn?1326108934
Get a HIV duo @ 6 weeks which is highly accurate which is highly unlike to change @ 13 weeks....

ARS appears all at once .....Hang in there.....
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Avatar universal
No, it was a really , really dumb drunk bar pickup. Someone I have no chance of getting in touch with or seeing again. There is no way what is happening to me now is not ARS related, in my mind I know I am positive its my heart that whats me to hope that its not. How soon after ARS symptoms start happening would fever present?
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1183190 tn?1326108934
Was the girl a CSW? if you can get hold of here and get here tested ,you can atleast calm your anxiety?
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Avatar universal
I am pretty sure with what is going on with my body that I am infected and that I tested to early to detect it. I have ruined my life, I can't believe I was that stupid
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1361323 tn?1323894922
Ars appear btw 2 to 4 weeks after infection and usually last for about a week. 4 week  may be too early to test. test again at another 4 weeks for a definitive result and at 13 weeks for a conclusive result.. Am sure the results will be the same. Goodluck mate!






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