[Question #10980] HIV concern

18 months ago

Hi doctor, unfortunately I’m back due to some symptoms I’m experiencing. As I don’t know if it’s Ars or just common cold/flu or Covid.

Yesterday morning I woke up with my body extremely sore and chills throughout the night and fatigued, No fever though. I also noticed a bunch of red spots on my elbow kinda like blotches not raised but they quickly faded within an hour. Today I feel much better as the soreness is completely gone and the chills is almost gone as well.

My 4th gen test on January 29th which was (9 days post PEP) and (38 days post exposure) from the day of sex. Came out negative.

My questions are as follow

1. Did my test on January 29th mean anything?

2. Do my symptoms sound like seroconversion?

3. I want to get tested on Monday morning which would be 4 weeks post pep and 8 weeks post exposure from the day of sex. But I’m afraid to do so as i read online that having a Cold/flu or Covid could potentially lead to a false positive. What is your take on this? Should I get tested on Monday? Or should I avoid testing until I’m completely recovered to avoid false positives.

4. If I do get tested on Monday could I consider the test to be conclusive as it’s (4 weeks post PEP) and (8 Weeks post exposure)

5. If I do proceed on getting tested on Monday do you recommend a 4th gen test or a PCR or maybe both?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

18 months ago

*Sigh*

These questions were answered in your previous thread. Go back and re-read it. From my closing comment in your that thread:

DO NOT POST ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THESE EVENTS OR YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT HIV OR TESTING FOR IT. THE ANSWERS WILL NOT CHANGE. In fact, because repeated questions of the same type are not permitted, and all your questions (ten of them) have been about the same issues, even if the particular exposure were different, this will have to be your last one on the forum. Excessive anxiety driven questions may be deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. Thank you for your understanding. I do hope this last discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.

1. Your negative result Jan 29 is strong evidence, but not conclusive, that you did not catch HIV.

2. No, your symptoms are not typical for acute retroviral syndrome (ARS, acute HIV infection).

3. What you read online is wrong. There are NO medical conditions that alter the reliability or timing of any HIV blood test, including colds and covid.

4,5. For conclusive results, you can either have an AgAb test 6 weeks after the last dose of PEP, or both AgAb and PCR at this time. You can expect all these to be negative.

HHH, MD

---
---

18 months ago

Okay doctor I promise this will be my last post and I will most likely seek therapy once this is all over as it been very traumatic and stressful event in my life.

I just want to clarify you saying being sick with Covid or with any flu/Cold won’t affect the HIV test accuracy? How come when I search online their are many articles stating if your sick or have been recently sick that I should I avoid testing to prevent a false positive?

I really don’t want this to happen as it will mentally destroy me.

The articles I stated below say they do affect it and state cross contamination of antibodies may be detected in the test thus resulting in false positives

https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/9689.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10089928/#:~:text=Indeed%2C%20there%20have%20been%20several,infection%20%5B10%E2%80%9314%5D.

If you were in my shoes would you just take the test on Monday morning to just to get it over with even if theirs a risk of false positives or would you wait it out.

If so how long should I wait until I should get tested until the antibodies from the flu/cold leave. I read online it takes 2 MONTHS for it to clear out the body!!!

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

18 months ago

Sorry, but you are wrong. There is no scientific evidence that ANY illnesses, health problems, or medications delay or interfere with positive test results with the HIV AgAb (4th generation) HIV tests -- and the links you provide support this view. The first link talks about CBC, blood chemistry, and other general tests -- but not about reliability of actual HIV tests. The second reports rare false POSITIVE tests for HIV in the presence of COVID: that is, a test indicating HIV in someone who doesn't have it. This is the opposite of your fears. That report says nothing about COVID making the test negative in people with HIV.

"If you were in my shoes...?" I would sit tight with firm confidence I did not have HIV, and would go ahead with one more test in a couple of weeks, i.e. 6 weeks after exposure. I would be mellow and relaxed as I wait for that result, knowing it will be negative. I would be continuing unprotected sex with my wife. I would also stop searching the internet looking for evidence that I have HIV!

Perhaps it will also help you to know that in the 20 years of this and our previous forum, with thousands of questions from persons worried about an exposure and possible HIV, nobody has yet turned out positive. You will not be the first. If and when that finally happens, I am confident it will be from a truly high risk exposure, not a minimum risk event likr yours. (Think unprotected vaginal or anal sex with a known infected partner, or anal sex between men with multiple partners every month.) And it won't be in someone with falsely negative initial test results.

Suck it up, believe it, and do your best to stop worrying until your final test. It will be negative.

---
---
---
---
---