[Question #1886] Autoimmune diseases

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90 months ago
Hi doctor,

I got a few questions: 

Incident one

1) I wanted to know if there has been any documented cases worldwide where hiv has not been detected in somone till only 18months post exposure. I.e  for example where autoimmune disorder (hyperthyroidism or similar...) has delayed the detection. 

2) i had negative hiv testing 3,6, 12 and 18months post exposure however the reason why im sitting here doubting is because it took 6 months for molluscum contagiousioum to occur on me and i am doubting that i have an immune disorder that delays the reaction which might have delayed the hiv detection as well? 

Incident two

1) received oral sex for a minute or two and came out with all negative testing on all std testing (except ngu) 11 weeks so would any immune disorder delay the detection?





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90 months ago
Correction : when i say except ngu i dont mean i was tested positive for ngu i mean the doctor didnt feel neccessary to test for ngu...


Note: i am suffering from slightly enlarged lymph nodes above ear and random spots around the body intermittently and body feels hot only.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
90 months ago
Welcome back to the forum. Directly to your quesitons:

1) There are no medical conditions that interfere with HIV tests or their reliability. Autoimmune diseases certainly do not do this. And no, there are no cases in which it required 18 months or more for an HIV test to become positive.

2) The incubation period for infections -- i.e. the time from exposure to symptoms or positive testing -- varies widely between different conditions. Six monthis is longer than average for molluscum contagiosum, but well within normal. That it took 6 months for you MC to appear says nothing at all about time to positve HIV test if you had been infected. Your negative result at 3 months proved you did not catch HIV. The additional tests were superfluous, but they confirm you were not infected.

3) Oral sex is low risk for all STDs. Autoimmune diseases never delay symptoms or diagnosis of any infection.

There are no STDs that cause "slightly enlarged lymph nodes" above the ear or eslewhere. Also, self assessment of enlarged lymph nodes is highly unreliable -- and "slightly enlarged" nodes are not abnormal anyway.

This is your fourth question on the forum in 3 months, mostly displaying evidence of increased anxiety about HIV and other STDs. The forum does not permit repeated anxiety driven questions. This will have to be your last one; future new questions about this exposure, testing, and your fears about HIV or other STDs will be deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. This policy is based on compassion, not criticism, and is designed to reduce temptations to keep paying for questions with obvious answers; because experience shows that continued answers tend to prolong users' anxieties; and because such questions have little educational value for other users, one of the forum's main purposes. I trust you will understand.


Best wishes---  HHH, MD


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90 months ago
Hi doctor,

Im not sure why you keep accusing me of anxiety driven questions when they clearly are just questions due to me not having enough knowledge in this topic. Do you think if i was knowledgeable on this topic i would keep asking?


Anyway i had a follow up question but afraid to ask because it looks like you may relate it to anxiety which clearly not the ask as  if you have the blessing to meet me will see i am no where near anxiety.

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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
90 months ago
Each question permits two follow-up comments or questions before closing the thread. Feel free to ask whatever else is on your mind.

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90 months ago
Thanks for the green light,

My questions are:
1) the molluscum was burnt off 4months ago and i cannot see any sign of them anymore ...do you think it is safe to resume sexual intercourse or shall i wait maximum 6months since that was the time it took last time for them to initially appear?

2) i have burning and smell in urine and did blood and urine tests (chlamdya, gonorea etc and etc) all came back negative even the wbc count was normal...can i safely rule out ngu or shall i get tested to be sure?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
90 months ago
1) The duration that MC may remain contagious after treatment has never been studied. With no recurrence for 4 months, I would be pretty confident that the virus is gone and you're not infectious for partners. That the incubation period was 6 months probably doesn't make any difference.

2) The main symptom of NGU is discharge, usually with little or no burning or pain on urination. Urine odor definitely is not a sign of NGU or any STD, or usually any infection at all; it is detremined almost entirely by diet and fluid intake. If your "burning" is simply a sensation of "hot" feeling when you urinate, especially at the same times odor is strong, I would also attribute it to just having concentrated urine. Try drinking extra fluids and I'll bet both odor and burning clear up. In any case, there are no "tests" for NGU other than what you have already had:  examine to make sure no abnormal discharge, check for excess WBC in the urethra -- that's all the testing there is. It seems clear you don't have it.

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90 months ago
Hi doctor

Just want to inform you that i did full std and hiv testing and all came back negative.

I just want to highlight that this forum really gives proper advice and although not perfect i think it is pretty much the best forum and online resource available on the internet without a doubt.

You and dr hook really are amazing at this field and i came to think that if you guys were wrong then surely many people would come back and inform of such missdvice but i am yet to see this happen which shows  how your advice is well studied, well structured and well experienced individuals.

I say to everyone please dont let anxiety rule over the advice given on this forum by these doctors as most likely most probably these doctors on here know what they are doing as they have proved it time and time again

Thanks once again and truely i have learnt my lesson with the true help from dr hook and dr hunter.




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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
90 months ago
Thank you for your kind words. You're very welcome. That's why we're here!

Best wishes and stay safe.

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