[Question #11724] HIV and CDC
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12 months ago
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Good morning docs,
I’ll try to make this real simple. I had a sexual encounter with a female friend of mine a little while back ( unprotected vaginal and oral ). I keep up with this forum and the CDC and I waited past 6 weeks and got tested yesterday at 7 weeks ( day 50 I believe ) with the 4th generation HIV test. I am currently waiting on results… My partner already got checked and is negative for all STDs and HIV. ( I seen her results personally) But I just wanted my own tests… now after waiting all that time I see on this forum that this test won’t be conclusively negative for HIV 2 because I see now it’s 8-12 weeks to be conclusively negative for HIV 2. I can’t mentally keep waiting. Why does CDC say 45 days for the 4th generation HIV test if there are still chances that HIV 2 will take 8-12 weeks ? I spoke with my partner and she assured me that her negative 4th generation HIV results that I personally seen was more than 12 weeks after her previous sexual act before me… So obviously if she don’t have HIV 2, I should have no worries.. I guess I just want to know if you can elaborate on HIV 2 in the United States ( that is where I’m from ) and why the CDC says 45 days if there are 8-12 weeks situations for HIV 2 ?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
12 months ago
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Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for your questions. The encounter you describe was very low risk- most American women do not have HIV and fewer than 1 in 2000 unprotected exposures lead to infection. The reason CDC (and we) do not incorporate the possibility of HIV-2 in most of our messaging is because here in North America the risk is virtually zero. Between 2010 and 2017 there were only 111 cases of HIV-2 reported in the US and most of those occurred in person from, or who had sex with, persons from areas where HIV-2 is more common(but still a minority of cases) - West Africa and parts of India. This is 0.06% of all HIV diagnosed, i.e. 6 per 10,000 cases of all HIV, and only a very small proportion of persons tested are positive). There are fewer than 20 cases of HIV-2 diagnosed in the US yearly. The rates are so low that there is no practical advantage in suggesting people should wait for 8-12 weeks before considering there results conclusive- the resulting anxiety and anguish would far out way and realistic risk for infection.
Hope this explanation is helpful. EWH
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12 months ago
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Thank you for the response. I believe I understand most of it …. When you said “ The rates are so low that there is no practical advantage in suggesting people should wait for 8-12 weeks before considering there results conclusive- the resulting anxiety and anguish would far out way and realistic risk for infection. “. That last part were you meaning ( the anxiety of waiting for results would far outweigh the realistic risk for infection with HIV 2 ) ? Just got stumped on what you were meaning. Might have just been a typo.
And since HIV 2 is so rare, it really isn’t something to worry about here in the states ? ( like I said my partner was negative at least 12 weeks after her prior sexual contact before her and I had sex … I seen her negative 4th generation HIV results ).
And as long as I waited 7 weeks and test negative on the HIV 4th generation test , then I can move on knowing I’m conclusively HIV negative ?
Thank you doc so much
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
12 months ago
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Your summary is correct when you repeated- "the anxiety of waiting for results would far outweigh the realistic risk for infection with HIV 2 ) ? Just got stumped on what you were meaning."
I would encourage you to move on. There is no realistic possibility you acquired HIV from the encounter you described. EWH
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12 months ago
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I got my 4th generation HIV results back for my last sexual encounter which was 7 weeks ago … They were Non Reactive !!!! I am so relieved and I am going to take your advice and realize that HIV 2 is so rare in the United States that I am not even going to worry about the HIV 2 being it is so rare… plus my partner tested negative on a 4th generation HIV test atleast 12 weeks after her only prior sexual contact before her and I had sex so no worries anyway about either HIV 1 or 2 . I want to thank you for doing this for people who have questions. You are a great man sir. Have a wonderful day and I will move on knowing I am negative for HIV 1 and 2. Thanks again doc !!!
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
12 months ago
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Thank you for sharing your results. While I’m not surprised I’m pleased for your results. I think your plans to move forward without concerns regarding HIV-2 is a great strategy.
Closing the thread now. Again congratulations on your negative tests. EWH
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12 months ago
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Yes sir. Thank you as well for the congrats and being pleased for my negative HIV results… I knew that you wouldn't be surprised that they were negative !!! Have a good day doc. Take care