HIV and STD timeframe for testing

[keb2727]

Dr Handsfield,

   I have an important question about HIV and other STD testing. I have been with several professional escorts, which I greatly regret now because of my fear of STD's. I have never had unprotected sex except 2 occasions of unprotected oral, in which I did not climax. These all occured prior to past Februrary and I had an everything STD test 5 months later which was all negative. I also had an encounter with an escort 1 month ago which we both manually stimulated one another. (including me fingering her) and I kissed her not deeply twice. No need to respond to the low risks of this encounter--you already have on a previous post Dr.


   I would really like to know about HIV testing and time frame with regards to the window period. I am already in emotional turmoil from all of this. I have visited so many web sites and there are so many differing opinions and information it is further adding to my enormous mental stress. I have read that 3 months is a reliable testing for HIV and viral Hepatitis. I have further read that it can take 6 months. I have read yet more to say it may take more than a year to detect viral antibodies. I am less than 2 months away from my 3 month elisa and I really want to know if that is definitive as well as the 5 month from exposure elisa I had last month. I never plan on being with another escort, or anyone for that matter, and if I get married soon, I want to know with out a shadow of a doubt that I couldn't possibly infect my wife with something. I also really don't want to go for a year or more not knowing--I want to know definitively so I will no longer need testing. Will you elaborate on all of this testing information please.

I respect your opinion Dr., that's why I'm asking you.

Thanks, KEB

[Nickolas290]

A related discussion, Was stuck in the hand was started.

[keb2727]

Thank you Dr. I have had only one possible exposure I haven't tested for yet--the hand stimulation. The other exposures were 5 months ago and more and I tested negative at 5 months. I just wanted to know the reliability and you answered it. I guess it's safe to say that 5 months is definitive for sure. Thanks. KEB

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

With modern HIV tests routinely used in the US and most other industrialized countries, most (80% or more) of infected people get positive tests within 3-4 weeks, and it approaches 99% by 6 weeks.  The official advice of most experts, including the manufacturers of the tests, is that you can definitively rely on results at 3 months.

You say you know about the low risk of the exposures you describe.  But I'm still going to elaborate, in case you haven't seen the statistical analyses I have offered in other threads.  I would judge the chance you got infected from those exposures, even if your escorts were HIV positive, at 1 chance in 10,000.  Now let's assume there is a 5% chance that both WERE infected (which is far too high, but good enough for this exercise).    0.00001 x 0.05 = 0.0000005, or 5 chances in a million, or 1 in 200,000.  Now assume you have a 1-month test, which is "only" 80% reliable.  If that's negative, your odds of actually have HIV are 1 in a million.  Now go to a 3 month test, and let's say it is "only" 99% reliable.  Your chance of having HIV, if your 3-month test were negative, would be 1/200,000 (0.000005) x 0.01 = 0.00000005, or one in 20 million.

The risk of viral hepatitis might be a little higher than HIV, but only a little; and testing within 3 months is just as reliable as for HIV.

Bottom line:  Because it is the official recommendation, be tested one more time 3 months after the second escort exposure.  But in the meantime, don't lose sleep over the risk.  Your odds of having HIV from the exposures you describe are in the lottery-winning, lightning-strike range.

Good luck--  HHH, MD