[Question #11548] Final Follow Up

13 months ago

Hello doctors
Last discussion as I know its frowned upon to come back. I am thinking of getting therapy to help with my anxiety and HIV fear. I think this is due to guilt and me and my partner as planning to start a family. I will be tested in a few weeks and just want your advice. The test is a rapid 4th gen test from a clinic, results in 20 minutes. Is this reliable?
Just for clarification,
If i came to you practices are my exposure, you would advise me not to test for hiv due to the minimal risk?

Even is the person had hiv, you would not prescribe me PEP?
Would you be confident my result would be negative?

Should I test for anything else?

Should I try to move on, stop worrying and start unprotected sex again?

Its been 5 months since exposure.

13 months ago

I still get suprapubic pain, Im not sure if its inguinal lymph nodes. I regularly come to the forum to calm my nerves and see your expert advice and reassurances to people that have has the same exposures as me. Maybe I am looking at this forum too much.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

13 months ago

Sigh. The answer to your anxieties is to be tested for HIV. As already discussed in your two other threads, I have no other advice for you; and we discussed that you can easily get tested where you are without risk to your employment, residence status etc -- because the result will be negative.

"I am thinking of getting therapy to help with my anxiety and HIV fear. I think this is due to guilt and me and my partner as planning to start a family. I will be tested in a few weeks and just want your advice. The test is a rapid 4th gen test from a clinic, results in 20 minutes. Is this reliable?" The smartest things you have said so far. I agree counseling would help; your fears are not rational and usually it means an underlying psychological issue.

1. If i came to you practices are my exposure, you would advise me not to test for hiv due to the minimal risk? Yes, correct. However, I WOULD advise you to test for the reassurance you will experience from the negative result, because that's what it would be: negative.

2. Even is the person had hiv, you would not prescribe me PEP? In that case, I would give you the option. It would be your choice. If I were in your situation, I would not take PEP. Anyway, this no longer matters since PEP must be started within 72 hours of exposure.

3. Would you be confident my result would be negative? Same answer for the third or fourth time. I haven't changed my mind. When you finally test, the result will be negative.

4. Should I test for anything else? At this point, 5 months later, no.

5. Should I try to move on, stop worrying and start unprotected sex again? Yes.

Suprapubic pain: Not a symptom of HIV.

The forum does not permit repeated questions on the same topic or exposure. All three of your threads reveal your inflated anxieties about STI/HIV risks in general, and you have been resistant to the reasoned, science-based evaluations and advice you have had repeatedly. This will have to be your last one; future questions on these topics and your inflated fears will receive no reply and the posting fee will not be refunded. This policy is based on compassion, not criticism, and is intended to reduce temptations to keep paying for questions with obvious answers. In addition, experience shows that continued answers tend to prolong users' anxieties rather than reducing them. Finally, such questions have little educational value for other users, one of the forum's main purposes. Thanks for your understanding.

Good luck to you.

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