[Question #135] HIV false negative results
109 months ago
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109 months ago
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
109 months ago
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Greetings. Welcome to the forum.
The news is good: you definitely do not have
HIV from your exposure in France. The HIV tests are much more reliable than
exposure history and symptoms. Your symptoms really are not typical of HIV,
despite what you seem to have concluded from online research. But even if they
were, the test results rule as long as enough time has passed between exposure
and testing -- and the combo tests are 100% reliable any time after 4 weeks.
To your specific questions:
1) No. ARS symptoms cannot start later than 2-3
weeks after exposure.
2) Yes. The combo test detects antibody to
HIV2. Also, unless your African partner was from the small area of Africa where
HIV2 exists (e.g., Cameroon), it is very unlikely she has HIV2.
2a) Zero. There is no realistic chance of lab
error, certainly not three times.
3) No. You should not have any more HIV tests,
assuming no new exposure.
4) It happens that I have never heard of 2
or more false negative combo tests in a single patient. I've never heard of it
happening even once, if the test was done 4+ weeks after exposure. But
this is irrelevant anyway. Rare things happen. Whether I have or have not taken
care of a patient struck by lightning, does it change the chance you will be
struck?
So you truly need not be at all worried about
HIV from this exposure. Do your best to move on without worry.
I hope
these comments have been helpful. Best wishes -- HHH, MD
109 months ago
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