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Question about rapid testing
Hi!
I have a question that I would like to ask the community. I did a rapid HIV test at the reputable clinic, 59 days post exposure. My blood was collected via venipuncture, so the testing material used was serum. The description of the test stated it was antigen and antibody, HOWEVER, as it turns out there was a typo and I just did antibody testing. I requested information about the test used, and they sent me the annotation. Did not find a mention of IgM antibodies, let alone antigen. Just says antibodies to HIV 1/2. Im assuming worst case scenario that this is a 2-nd generation test, since many immunochromatography lateral flow tests seem to be only detecting IgG antibodies. If this is the case, Can i be at least somewhat calm about my results?
Many sources and especially diagrams say that IgG is produced in enough quantities normally after 6 weeks. I did not have any of the typical seroconversion symptoms after 2-4 weeks after exposure. Only thing I could mention is I had slight pain in my lower back about 5 days after exposure and went to the toilet more often for a day or two. Went to get tested, I had a borderline result for chlamydia so i did antibiotics for that. I still have a discomfort in my lower back after almost a year since then. Im assuming it is due to some bacterial infection and cant really link it to HIV. No high fevers, no swollen lymphnodes, Rashes or anything of that sort. My CBC looks fine as well, normal WBC too. Honestly it would be the easiest thing to just go and get tested by 4-th gen lab test, but i had so much anxiety last time testing that i just dont want to deal with that any more... although i guess i will have to. Just wanted to hear the opinion of he experts.
Many thanks!
I have a question that I would like to ask the community. I did a rapid HIV test at the reputable clinic, 59 days post exposure. My blood was collected via venipuncture, so the testing material used was serum. The description of the test stated it was antigen and antibody, HOWEVER, as it turns out there was a typo and I just did antibody testing. I requested information about the test used, and they sent me the annotation. Did not find a mention of IgM antibodies, let alone antigen. Just says antibodies to HIV 1/2. Im assuming worst case scenario that this is a 2-nd generation test, since many immunochromatography lateral flow tests seem to be only detecting IgG antibodies. If this is the case, Can i be at least somewhat calm about my results?
Many sources and especially diagrams say that IgG is produced in enough quantities normally after 6 weeks. I did not have any of the typical seroconversion symptoms after 2-4 weeks after exposure. Only thing I could mention is I had slight pain in my lower back about 5 days after exposure and went to the toilet more often for a day or two. Went to get tested, I had a borderline result for chlamydia so i did antibiotics for that. I still have a discomfort in my lower back after almost a year since then. Im assuming it is due to some bacterial infection and cant really link it to HIV. No high fevers, no swollen lymphnodes, Rashes or anything of that sort. My CBC looks fine as well, normal WBC too. Honestly it would be the easiest thing to just go and get tested by 4-th gen lab test, but i had so much anxiety last time testing that i just dont want to deal with that any more... although i guess i will have to. Just wanted to hear the opinion of he experts.
Many thanks!
What was your risk and did you use a condom? A CBC test (or any other non-hiv test) has nothing to do with hiv testing and docs can't diagnose from symptoms, so no one here pays attention to them.
You should stop looking for symptoms because no one can tell which disease caused them, so you will just get more anxious trying to find ways to circumvent the only way that a diagnosis can be made - which is to take a test for a quick result instead of all this anxiety that you are putting yourself through.
You should stop looking for symptoms because no one can tell which disease caused them, so you will just get more anxious trying to find ways to circumvent the only way that a diagnosis can be made - which is to take a test for a quick result instead of all this anxiety that you are putting yourself through.
6 Comments
Thanks for your feedback! There was risk, unprotected heterosexual. Even though very short before I came to my senses, but still. Anyway, i posted about CBC because WBC tend to drop during acute phase as far as I know. I'm not really looking for symptoms, I'm just providing as much information as i can, plus I did test granted it was inside window period though but at least 8 weeks out. My main concern is the type of test, really more than anything, taking into account that it was done on serum instead of finger prick blood.
Any negative test is encouraging, but antibody-only tests are not considered conclusive until 90 days post-event. Your risk was VERY low, even if your partner is HIV+. I would not spend too much time worrying about this. Just test at 90 days or more post-event and move on.
Oh, just wanted to add, the only reason i did this rapid test, was because i thought it detected antigen as well as antibodies, hence being 4-th generation. At 60 days, that would be accurate, otherwise I would have gone for lab testing straight. Sadly because someone did not pay attention to what was written on the website, I ended up with 2-nd gen test...
Thanks, that is reassuring. Today is waaaay past the 90-day mark, it's been a year since my exposure. Yea, i have read the CDC guidelines and tons of other ones as well. They also say that 95% will have antibodies by 6 weeks. This was my only exposure too, all my life I was careful.
Just test instead of wasting the rest of your life worrying.
"Anyway, i posted about CBC because WBC tend to drop during acute phase as far as I know. I'm not really looking for symptoms, I'm just providing as much information as i can" As I said before no one pays attention to symptoms or irrelevant tests so nothing that you posted is going to be considered by ANY hiv doctor, otherwise the hiv test manufacturers would not be able to sell their tests. You have wasted way too much of your life, a whole year, worrying and making irrelevant analysis, when you could have taken any test before now and actually got a useful answer.
"Anyway, i posted about CBC because WBC tend to drop during acute phase as far as I know. I'm not really looking for symptoms, I'm just providing as much information as i can" As I said before no one pays attention to symptoms or irrelevant tests so nothing that you posted is going to be considered by ANY hiv doctor, otherwise the hiv test manufacturers would not be able to sell their tests. You have wasted way too much of your life, a whole year, worrying and making irrelevant analysis, when you could have taken any test before now and actually got a useful answer.
I agree in a sense, but again, I thought I did AG/AB test, I just found out today that I did not, that's why I'm asking. I did not do irrelevant tests out of fear of HIV, since I do CBC for my thyroid hormone to administer right doses of TSH several times per year, I just posted this as additional information.
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