Aa
Worried
Hello Doctor, I have had protected sex(using condom) with prostitute twice. I have tested 4 times in last 8 months. My elisa test keeps coming positive with western blot negative(No Bands). I am really frustrated. My Viral load is negative 4 times. 1. do you think i have HIV? its been one year after possible exposure. I am feeling little dizzy and have loose stools. 2. do you think HIV causing this? 3. do you think western blot is coming out false negative? I hope to hear from you soon..I thank you!!!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The variable test values are meaningless. Even the same specimen tested 10 times will give 10 different numbers. It is possible that future screeing tests will be negative, but don't count on it. If and when you are tested in the future, it should be for real not imagined risk, or as a routine test every 1-2 years. And always tell the provider about your history of false negative ELISA results, so s/he will be prepared for it and to await the WB result before assuming you have HIV.
That should end this thread. Don't let this worry you. Take care.
That should end this thread. Don't let this worry you. Take care.
Hello doctor,
in your previous comment, you asked whether I was tested in lab or not. I did test in lab corp. every time i got tested it gave different values. It seemed that it was going down. May be after couple of years, it should start coming as negative but i dont know. you are the expert. i do feel better after hearing your words. thanks very much.
in your previous comment, you asked whether I was tested in lab or not. I did test in lab corp. every time i got tested it gave different values. It seemed that it was going down. May be after couple of years, it should start coming as negative but i dont know. you are the expert. i do feel better after hearing your words. thanks very much.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes, that's a typo -- false positive, not negative. Sorry.
As for whether you should see a psychatrist, whenever a person asks that question, the answer is pretty obvious. If you are sufficiently anxious over all this and having trouble believing (in your heart as well as your mind) the strong evidence and repeated reassurance that you don't have HIV, then professional counseling probably is wise.
As for whether you should see a psychatrist, whenever a person asks that question, the answer is pretty obvious. If you are sufficiently anxious over all this and having trouble believing (in your heart as well as your mind) the strong evidence and repeated reassurance that you don't have HIV, then professional counseling probably is wise.
Thanks for your answer...
when you said : It is unfortunate that you had false negative screening tests, but for sure you don't have HIV. Stop testing.
did you mean false positive? thanks again...should i go and see psychiatrist...
when you said : It is unfortunate that you had false negative screening tests, but for sure you don't have HIV. Stop testing.
did you mean false positive? thanks again...should i go and see psychiatrist...
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the HIV forum.
When the initial (screening) HIV test is positive -- either by lab-based ELISA or in-clinic rapid test -- but the Western blot is negative, the WB rules. Always, no exceptions. You can be 100% certain you don't have HIV, as I'm sure the counselors told you following your many tests. The negative viral load tests further confirm you don't have HIV.
And as we have said repeatedly on this forum, symptoms never give good clues as to whether or not someone has HIV, because the same symptoms of HIV occur much more commonly due to other common, mild viral infection.
But please clarify whether you really had ELISA tests, i.e. testing done in a lab, with results reported typically a few days later; or rapid tests, usually with results in about 20 minues, done while you wait in a clinic. The rapid tests have a higher likelihood of giving false positive results than the lab-based tests. If you have been having rapid tests, I suggest you simply never do that again. Why put yourself through the anxiety unnecessarily.
And I also suggest you stop getting HIV tests afer lor risk exposures. If your bare penis (i.e. without condom) doesn't go in a partner's vagina or rectum, you can consider your exposure zero risk. Also, the chance any particular female commercial sex worker has HIV is very low -- probably on the order of 1 in 1,000 if you are in the US or other industrialized country. So if your sexual lifestyle continues as implied here, you might just have a routine HIV test (along with routine STD testing) from time to time, like every 1-2 years -- and stop getting tested after every sexual exposure.
So the answers to your questions are: 1) No, you definitely do not have HIV. 2) Your dizziness and loose stools don't sound like HIV symptoms and your test results prove something else is causing them. 3) As long as testing is done at least a few weeks after the last exposure, there is no such thing as a false negative Western blot.
Bottom line: You weren't at risk and didn't need HIV testing. It is unfortunate that you had false negative screening tests, but for sure you don't have HIV. Stop testing. Continue to pursue safe sex practices and don't get tested again unless you put yourself at real risk.
Regards-- HHH, MD
When the initial (screening) HIV test is positive -- either by lab-based ELISA or in-clinic rapid test -- but the Western blot is negative, the WB rules. Always, no exceptions. You can be 100% certain you don't have HIV, as I'm sure the counselors told you following your many tests. The negative viral load tests further confirm you don't have HIV.
And as we have said repeatedly on this forum, symptoms never give good clues as to whether or not someone has HIV, because the same symptoms of HIV occur much more commonly due to other common, mild viral infection.
But please clarify whether you really had ELISA tests, i.e. testing done in a lab, with results reported typically a few days later; or rapid tests, usually with results in about 20 minues, done while you wait in a clinic. The rapid tests have a higher likelihood of giving false positive results than the lab-based tests. If you have been having rapid tests, I suggest you simply never do that again. Why put yourself through the anxiety unnecessarily.
And I also suggest you stop getting HIV tests afer lor risk exposures. If your bare penis (i.e. without condom) doesn't go in a partner's vagina or rectum, you can consider your exposure zero risk. Also, the chance any particular female commercial sex worker has HIV is very low -- probably on the order of 1 in 1,000 if you are in the US or other industrialized country. So if your sexual lifestyle continues as implied here, you might just have a routine HIV test (along with routine STD testing) from time to time, like every 1-2 years -- and stop getting tested after every sexual exposure.
So the answers to your questions are: 1) No, you definitely do not have HIV. 2) Your dizziness and loose stools don't sound like HIV symptoms and your test results prove something else is causing them. 3) As long as testing is done at least a few weeks after the last exposure, there is no such thing as a false negative Western blot.
Bottom line: You weren't at risk and didn't need HIV testing. It is unfortunate that you had false negative screening tests, but for sure you don't have HIV. Stop testing. Continue to pursue safe sex practices and don't get tested again unless you put yourself at real risk.
Regards-- HHH, MD
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