Aa
scared and depressed
Need some advice and possibly reassurance. I recently found out that my friend with whom I have a sexual relationship with was diagnosed hiv+ we have been together for about a year but always use condoms because we're not totally exclusive. (We don't use condoms for oral sex though) About a months ago she was notified that a previous partner is hiv+ and got tested and also tested +. On one occasion about 2 months ago a condom broke on us during anal sex which I didn't worry too much about until after I learned she was in fact hiv+ at that time.
I immediately went to my dr and was tested using the ag/ab lab test and it was non reactive and this was about 31 days after the incident. I felt some relief but then anxiety made me feel scared & I retested at 41 days also ag/ab and also non reactive negative.
Despite my - tests I still feel totally depressed and anxiety filled. I read a lot of reassuring threads by Dr. HHH & EWH and also Dr Jose and Dr. Sean on the international forum. But I've also read some not too reassuring threads on the body.com saying that the window period is still 3 months even with the 4th Gen tests. & on this forum some people say 4 weeks & some say 3 months. I've looked on the CDC website and don't see anything that says that the window period is infact reduced to 28+ days for the 4th Gen test. All I see is that with the 4th Gen test a negative test means the person is negative and doesn't require any further testing (but doesn't give a specific timeframe) I even called the CDC info line but they're useless and won't even comment on the window period.
I feel terrible & I keep having pain in my armpits and throat & that terrifies me. I feel scared and confused & don't know what else to do. Any advice would help. Thank you!
I immediately went to my dr and was tested using the ag/ab lab test and it was non reactive and this was about 31 days after the incident. I felt some relief but then anxiety made me feel scared & I retested at 41 days also ag/ab and also non reactive negative.
Despite my - tests I still feel totally depressed and anxiety filled. I read a lot of reassuring threads by Dr. HHH & EWH and also Dr Jose and Dr. Sean on the international forum. But I've also read some not too reassuring threads on the body.com saying that the window period is still 3 months even with the 4th Gen tests. & on this forum some people say 4 weeks & some say 3 months. I've looked on the CDC website and don't see anything that says that the window period is infact reduced to 28+ days for the 4th Gen test. All I see is that with the 4th Gen test a negative test means the person is negative and doesn't require any further testing (but doesn't give a specific timeframe) I even called the CDC info line but they're useless and won't even comment on the window period.
I feel terrible & I keep having pain in my armpits and throat & that terrifies me. I feel scared and confused & don't know what else to do. Any advice would help. Thank you!
If it will give you peace of mind, go with the above recommendations and test again with 4th GEN at 8 weeks.
3rd GEN also accurate at that timeframe.
But once done you can forget about it and move on.
Take care.
3rd GEN also accurate at that timeframe.
But once done you can forget about it and move on.
Take care.
Thank you for your comments sharkboy... so would you recommend I test at 8 weeks since my exposure was pretty high risk? If so should I have another ag/ab test? Or just an antibody test? Thanks again!
BASHH/EAGA statement on HIV window period
November 2014
HIV testing using the latest (fourth generation) tests is recommended in the BHIVA / BASHH / BIS UK guidelines for HIV testing (2008). These assays test for HIV antibodies and p24 antigen simultaneously. A fourth generation HIV test on a venous blood sample performed in a laboratory will detect the great majority of individuals who have been infected with HIV at 4 weeks after specific exposure.
Patients attending for HIV testing who identify a specific risk occurring less than 4 weeks previously should not be made to wait before HIV testing as doing so may miss an opportunity to diagnose HIV infection (and in particular acute HIV infection during which a person is highly infectious). They should be offered a fourth generation laboratory HIV test and be advised to repeat it when 4 weeks have elapsed from the time of the last exposure.
A negative result on a fourth generation test performed at 4 weeks post-exposure is highly likely to exclude HIV infection. A further test at 8 weeks post-exposure need only be considered following an event assessed as carrying a high risk of infection.
Patients at ongoing risk of HIV infection should be advised to retest at regular intervals.
Patients should be advised to have tests for other sexually transmitted infections in line with advice on window periods for those infections (see BASHH guidelines at: www.bashh.org ).
Dr Keith Radcliffe - Chair, BASHH Clinical Effectiveness Group
Dr Laura Waters - Chair, BASHH HIV Special Interest Group
Prof Brian Gazzard - Chair, Expert Advisory Group on AIDS
Dr Jan Clarke – President, British Association for Sexual Health and HIVN
November 2014
HIV testing using the latest (fourth generation) tests is recommended in the BHIVA / BASHH / BIS UK guidelines for HIV testing (2008). These assays test for HIV antibodies and p24 antigen simultaneously. A fourth generation HIV test on a venous blood sample performed in a laboratory will detect the great majority of individuals who have been infected with HIV at 4 weeks after specific exposure.
Patients attending for HIV testing who identify a specific risk occurring less than 4 weeks previously should not be made to wait before HIV testing as doing so may miss an opportunity to diagnose HIV infection (and in particular acute HIV infection during which a person is highly infectious). They should be offered a fourth generation laboratory HIV test and be advised to repeat it when 4 weeks have elapsed from the time of the last exposure.
A negative result on a fourth generation test performed at 4 weeks post-exposure is highly likely to exclude HIV infection. A further test at 8 weeks post-exposure need only be considered following an event assessed as carrying a high risk of infection.
Patients at ongoing risk of HIV infection should be advised to retest at regular intervals.
Patients should be advised to have tests for other sexually transmitted infections in line with advice on window periods for those infections (see BASHH guidelines at: www.bashh.org ).
Dr Keith Radcliffe - Chair, BASHH Clinical Effectiveness Group
Dr Laura Waters - Chair, BASHH HIV Special Interest Group
Prof Brian Gazzard - Chair, Expert Advisory Group on AIDS
Dr Jan Clarke – President, British Association for Sexual Health and HIVN
Some sites such as The Body are seriously out of touch with testing updates.
The CDC, BASHH and EAGA all say 28 days testing for 4th GEN test.
Only test at 8 weeks for if very high risk.
All European countries consider 8 weeks conclusive for 4th GEN test.
The CDC, BASHH and EAGA all say 28 days testing for 4th GEN test.
Only test at 8 weeks for if very high risk.
All European countries consider 8 weeks conclusive for 4th GEN test.
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