Negative PCR at 18 days. Does that confirm my symptoms aren’t from HIV?

[Joe5055]

know it’s possible that the PCR at 18 days is too early BUT my mine concern isn’t the potential exposure, but the symptoms. I’d had symptoms for 4 days by the time I took the test. Does the negative result confirm that those symptoms AREN’T from HIV? Given that if those symptoms were from HIV then I would have a high enough viral load to tear positive? Thanks

[GuitarRox]

What was your risk exactly? We'll start there.

[Joe5055]

Gave oral sex to a female sex worker and had protected vaginal sex

[GuitarRox]

That makes this much easier. NO RISK. You need to test at all. No symptoms are related to this event as this was not a risk for getting HIV. HIV is transmitted ONLY by unprotected vaginal or anal sex or sharing iv drug needles to inject drugs. Air and saliva inactivate the virus. NO RISK

[Joe5055]

Thank you, but obviously I’m still worried. Do you have any answer to my question? No worries if not

[AnxiousNoMore]

Reread about NO - that is the only "obviously" that applies. The answer to your question is there are no guidelines for a placebo test - because it will always give negative people like you a negative result. Accordingly it is time to move on back to your happy life instead of wasting any more time on a dead end idea that you got hiv.

You stated originally that you were concerned with symptoms, however hiv docs can't diagnose from symptoms so no one here pays attention to them and you shouldn't either. You don't have any medical training so it is unrealistic for you to think that you can diagnose hiv from symptoms. You should have no confidence in your personal idea that you had a risk, but instead of accepting the 40 year old hiv science that researchers have analyzed you are sticking with your incorrect fears that somehow hiv can occur without a risk .