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Your Expert Opinion Please
I have extensively researched the forum and probably also have the answers to my questions however that assurance I can get from your comments will certainly settle my doubts.
Atleast 4 weeks after a possible exposure (rubbing penis head with a CSW vagina, no penetration,) I got tested for HIV and Hep. B & C, all of which came back negative. I have the following questions:
1. I have read on this forum that HIV test results take upto a week to come back. Though forum members can be from anywhere in the world but this seems to be an average time taken. I live in South East Asia. The HIV and Hep B/C test I had done were blood tests and the HIV test results stated HIV Ab/Ag done using kit from Abbott PCMIA. My results were available 2 and half hours later. I don’t know what kind of a testing kit this is (does not look like an ELISA). Are my test results valid or should I go for re-testing specifically asking for an ELISA test?
2. Are the post 4 week results good enough or would you recommend that I get tested again?
3. You refer to odds a person can have in catching HIV as 1-1000 or 1-2000 exposures. Does this mean that 1000 or 2000 exposures the same person has with various partners, or given an estimated numbers of exposures worldwide between different people on any single day i.e. is 1000 or 2000 an average of all these exposure combined, worldwide?
4. I have also read on your forum that transmission of HIV through oral (receiving not giving oral) has odds of 1-10,000 to 1-20,000 as there is no well documented case regarding this. On the other hand I have read on the internet that receiving-Oral act is 99.997% safe at least from HIV. Do you agree with this percentage?
I have a small soar in my mouth (at the base of lower jaw and lower lip) but given my test results you may say that it means nothing. Apologies for too many questions. Appreciate your patience. Many Thanks.
Atleast 4 weeks after a possible exposure (rubbing penis head with a CSW vagina, no penetration,) I got tested for HIV and Hep. B & C, all of which came back negative. I have the following questions:
1. I have read on this forum that HIV test results take upto a week to come back. Though forum members can be from anywhere in the world but this seems to be an average time taken. I live in South East Asia. The HIV and Hep B/C test I had done were blood tests and the HIV test results stated HIV Ab/Ag done using kit from Abbott PCMIA. My results were available 2 and half hours later. I don’t know what kind of a testing kit this is (does not look like an ELISA). Are my test results valid or should I go for re-testing specifically asking for an ELISA test?
2. Are the post 4 week results good enough or would you recommend that I get tested again?
3. You refer to odds a person can have in catching HIV as 1-1000 or 1-2000 exposures. Does this mean that 1000 or 2000 exposures the same person has with various partners, or given an estimated numbers of exposures worldwide between different people on any single day i.e. is 1000 or 2000 an average of all these exposure combined, worldwide?
4. I have also read on your forum that transmission of HIV through oral (receiving not giving oral) has odds of 1-10,000 to 1-20,000 as there is no well documented case regarding this. On the other hand I have read on the internet that receiving-Oral act is 99.997% safe at least from HIV. Do you agree with this percentage?
I have a small soar in my mouth (at the base of lower jaw and lower lip) but given my test results you may say that it means nothing. Apologies for too many questions. Appreciate your patience. Many Thanks.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The combination of an essentially zero risk exposure (penis rubbing without vaginal penetration carries no measurable chance of catching HIV) plus negative HIV antibody test at 4 weeks make it certain you didn't catch HIV. There was no need for testing. There also was no need for hepatitis B testing (and hep C isn't even sexually transmitted!), but those results are too early; those tests need to be done at least 6 weeks after expsoure. To the specific questions:
1) You are over-thinking it. The HIV result is valid, especially since you had the Duo test that included P24 antigen.
2) You didn't need testing at all for HIV, and therefore do not need any more testing. However, many experts recommend testing at 6-12 weeks to be absolutely certain. That is not my recommendation, but feel free to do whatever you wish.
3) You're also overthinking this business. The numbers are very rough. The estimate is 1 chance of a male cathing HIV for every episode of unprotected vaginal sex with an HIV infected woman.
4) The figure for 99.997% safety of oral sex is ridiculous. Not because it isn't true; it might be about right. But there are no data to calculate the risk with such precision. The risk of 1 in 10-20,000 is about the best anybody can do.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
1) You are over-thinking it. The HIV result is valid, especially since you had the Duo test that included P24 antigen.
2) You didn't need testing at all for HIV, and therefore do not need any more testing. However, many experts recommend testing at 6-12 weeks to be absolutely certain. That is not my recommendation, but feel free to do whatever you wish.
3) You're also overthinking this business. The numbers are very rough. The estimate is 1 chance of a male cathing HIV for every episode of unprotected vaginal sex with an HIV infected woman.
4) The figure for 99.997% safety of oral sex is ridiculous. Not because it isn't true; it might be about right. But there are no data to calculate the risk with such precision. The risk of 1 in 10-20,000 is about the best anybody can do.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As you suggest yourself, laboratories have no incentive to provide anything other than a reliable result. They rarely cut corners on procedures. I don't know for sure where the various time estimates come from, but my guess is that 4 hr is the usual minimum from the time the blood is drawn until the result hits the provider's office. The actual test run might take under an hour, with the rest occupied with paper work, specimen transport, data entry, etc. I see no reason to be concerned about gettting the result in 2-3 hours.
Thank you Doctor. Your advice is worth a million. I am still confused over the testing type for HIV and I am sorry for repeating my stupid question to you. In your knowledge, are there testing kits (other than orasure) which based on blood samples can produce genuine results for HIV in just 2.5 hours? I recall reading somewhere that an ELISA test takes upto 4 hours. I have no reason to doubt the hospital lab I went to as it is one of the best around.
As I am travelling out of the country now and wont be back for another month, therefore the question rather than returning to the lab and asking them the question.
As I am travelling out of the country now and wont be back for another month, therefore the question rather than returning to the lab and asking them the question.
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