[Question #2185] Test result

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87 months ago
Good evening doctors, Dr.Hansfield was assesing my situation, this will hopefully be my last post and I hope you can professionally assess it, but here are the details had protected sexual encounters with3 different girls over the past 6 months. 
 (Girl-1  december-24)
(Girl-2 march-23)
(Girl-3 recurrent, february through april-22)
 Today I took an hiv 1&2 test at a hospital in mexico, i live across the border in Texas, the test was at the hospital's lab and it was a blood test they took a whole vile,It tested negative, i asked what test they used and the lab assistant said it was something like immunoenzimatic and that it was a routine test

1)is that an ELISA? Or are the results too soon for an elisa, it tested for both hiv's
2) they said results took two hours, i called within the hour and they had the negative results, is this a bad thing?
3) my last protected insertive encounter which also involved mutual unprotected hetero oral sex was april 22, exactly 29 days before i tested today should i feel pretty confident about the negative result based on that last encounter? 

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Edward W. Hook M.D.
87 months ago
Welcome back to our Forum (sort of).  As it happened, I was on line at about the time you posted and therefore I happened to pick up your question.  I have reviewed your earlier interaction with Dr. Handsfield and agreed with all that he has said.  Thus it should not surprise you that you are hearing the same thing from me that you heard from him.  None of the symptoms you described placed you at risk for HIV, condoms work even when they slip down as long as the head of the penis is covered and now you have a negative HIV test which conforms what Dr. Handsfield has told you- there is no evidence that you have HIV and your negative test confirms this.  As for your specific questions:

1. It sounds like the test you had was an ELISA, thus at 4 weeks after your last encounter it would have picked up over 90% of recent infections and your results are definitive for the partners that you last had sex with on December 24 and March 23. 

2.  No, laboratories always tell patients that he test will take longer than it actually does to allow for other activities going on in the lab and reporting out of your results.  Believe your results.

3.  There are no instances in which HIV has been proven to be transmitted by receipt of oral sex or by men performing oral sex on a female partner. 

Again, as Dr. Handsfield has already indicated, you are entirely too worried about having gotten HIV as the result of your infidelity.  While you may still feel considerable guilt and anxiety about your exposures, there is no medical reason for you to worry above HIV from the exposures you have described.  EWH
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87 months ago
Thanks Doc! Do you think I should retest in a few weeks or do I just let this go and let the anxieties subside becauae my body feels crappy all the time!!
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
87 months ago
I see no other realistic reason for testing.  You are in the clear.  I would move forward without concern if I were you.  EWH
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87 months ago
Thank you DR, on another note, i know i tested negative, my wife is 4 weeks along in her pregnancy and is having headaches extreme fatigue and nausea, should i be worried that perhaps i passed it on to her since i tested at 4 weeks or is this just her pregnancy, she says she never experienced t this bad in her first pregnancy which ended in miscarriage
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
87 months ago
You cannot pass infection on to your wife if your own tests are negative.  I urge you not to worry about this.  Your wife's headaches are unrelated to your casual sexual activities.  She should discuss her headaches with her obstetrician. There are many non-infectious reasons for headaches in pregnancy. 

This is my third response to your questions. Therefor, as per Forum Guidelines, this thread will be closed shortly with no further answers.  Please don't let your missteps worry you further in terms of STIs including HIV.  Good luck with your pregnancy.  EWH
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