Although over the last few months I’ve experienced many symptoms typical of hiv namely fatigue, body aches, headaches, diarrhea that lasted two days. At this point the three main symptoms that raise the most alarm are a mottled rash on palms of hands, a extremely white coated tongue that looks grim towards the back and swollen lymph nodes either side of neck that have lasted for months differing slightly in size but generally pea sized and fairly hard and unmoving…… 

But up until this point I’ve performed the following tests blood drawn from vein at 5 weeks and 3 months duo test neg….. at five months insti test and oraquick test neg plus postal lab test blood from finger all full panel all neg……. Then postal blood test from finger full panel at nine months passed exposure all neg. Is there any possibility that these tests are missing the infection as I see very little other causes for the symptoms I’m experiencing?!

Any advice greatly recieved 

In the last thread I also advised that your symptoms are not typical for HIV anyway. In addition, ARS -- acute retroviral syndrome, i.e. the manifestation of a new HIV infection -- do not last more than 4-5 weeks, and your symptoms not only are not typical for ARS but also not for any of the opportunistic infections that occur in advanced HIV infection (i.e. AIDS). That you "see very little other causes" is meaningless:  there are innumerable immunologic, infectious, or psychological explanations for such symptoms. However, as I also said last time, we limit our advice on symptoms to those of HIV and other STDs. Since you have none of these, I will not speculate further on their causes; that's for you and your doctor(s).

So my advice is to stop testing for HIV and do your best not to worry about it; and to keep working with your own doctor about your symptoms. Good luck with it.

HHH, MD

 I guess my main question is have you ever known of someone to test this far out with different testing methods to then find out they were positive? 

All this can’t be a coincidence having all started after my risky and incredibly stupid exposure 

Thanks for your time 

The answer to your "main question" is no:  neither Dr. Hook nor I ever have seen anyone with HIV in whom tests remained negative beyond 6 weeks or 3 months, depending on the particular test. IT NEVER HAPPENS! Why is this so hard to understand and accept? Of course it's a coincidence; these symptoms are not due to any infection from the sexual exposure you are worried about, regardless of the timing.

Have you seen your doctor? What does she say about all this?

I finally decided to bite the bullet and attend a clinic in person but they did a telephone call firstly to discuss and agreed like yourself that I’d tested enough. 

I don’t know why I can’t let this go and why I feel a pit of dread most days but I’ll do my best to move forward. 

Thanks for your time 

That completes the two follow-up exchanges included with each question and so ends this thread. I hope it has been helpful. And please go forward in 100% confidence you do not have HIV. It simply isn't possible. Good luck.