[Question #1803] Negative HIV Rapid Test after 73 and 74 days
90 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
90 months ago
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Welcome to the Forum. The short answer, which I will then elaborate on, is that it is time for you to stop testing and be assured that you did not get HIV from the exposure you describe. further, I would urge you to stay off the internet as I can assure you that this will mostly raise your concern and most often mislead you.
You should evaluate your situation first from the statistics involved:
1. Far less than 1% of heterosexual men in the U.S have HIV.
2. Your partner told you he had been tested and that he was not infected. Most people tell the truth and is is unlikely that he would have acquired HIV in the year following being tested.
3. The estimated risk of infection IF he was infected is less than 1 infection per 10,000 exposure, thus using the average HIV rate in the population and the risk of infection if he was, mathematically, your likelihood of infection before you were tested is less than 1 in a million.
Second, consider your test results. While most antibody-only tests are definitive at 6-8 weeks, it may take slightly longer with the rapid tests that you used. That said:
1. 4th generation, antigen-antibody tests are definitive at 4 weeks (28 days) and you were tested at day 53. These results are definitive.
2. You were tested twice at more than 70 days (7 weeks). these results are also definitive.
Bottom line, your results are definitive. Really. Time to believe the results, stop testing and move forward without concern or remorse. EWH
90 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
90 months ago
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