[Question #12750] HIV Risk and Testing Reliability

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5 months ago
35 year old male here. Over the last 15 years, engaged in several erotic massages ending in handjobs  and one night stands with a condom (heterosexual only). I test every year and have gotten negative results every year. Well, I finally met the love of my life and planning on marrying her, today was my hopefully last time testing for hiv, syphilis and hep c. 
Anyways, I’m psyching myself out thinking what if I get a false positive? I know specificity is generally over 99% but what if I’m the needle in a haystack and this leads to months of retesting? Just needing reassurance I suppose, that I will indeed get a true accurate result. Part of me thinks I’ll pay for all of my past with a false result with my last ever test.  I went to quest diagnostics and they use the 4th Gen HIV 1/2 antibodies with p24 combo. Thanks doctors. I’ll post my hopefully negative results and please pray for me.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
5 months ago
Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions and your confidence in our service.  I'll be glad to comment.  I think you are worrying far too much.  The activities you describe are safe, virtually no risk events with no meaningful risk for HIV.  I understand your desire to get tested so you can put any lingering concerns you might have aside.  I also think you are worrying entirely too much about false positive tests.  They occur only about once in every 5000-10,000 tests and when they occur, they are quickly identified as such through a standard, highly reliable series of further tests.  Quest laboratories is highly reliable.  I anticipate that your tests will show that you are not infected and hope that that will permit you to move forward without any lingering concerns.  I look forward to hearing of your negative tests.  EWH---
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5 months ago
Thank you doctor. All results negative, very relieved.. I do have 1 follow up for you.
I also tested for tuberculosis via quantiferon gold plus through my work. I’m scared of positive/false positive  results there too. I think I’ll be negative. In any case, will a positive result in a quantiferon impact your confidence in my negative std results? Again, please pray for me.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
5 months ago
Neither a true nor a false positive quantiferon gold would interfere with the accuracy of your results.  Please accept your results and don’t worry.  EWH---