[Question #6573] Do I have HIV

66 months ago

Hello Doc,

I had sex with a female who's HIV status I don't know. We had protective vaginal and oral sex. She performed oral sex on me. After that I got scared with the idea that I have contracted HIV.

I did HIV early RNA test from quest diagnostics on the 14th day and that came negative and on the 45th day I got HIV antigen/antibody finger prick test and that came as negative as well the nurse there said that it's conclusive but instead on internet that finger prick is not conclusive compared to blood drawn from vein and that has got me all nervous again and although stdcheck.com says it's conclusive post 11 days the internet says it's not.

Lastly I want to ask can I get hiv from habdjob if the person giving has cut on her finger and if I suck her breasts can we contract HIV from that as well.

Thank you for your time.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

66 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

My first reaction is to congratulate you for the wisdom of having safe sex. HIV is harder to transmit than you might think. Using condoms for vaginal or anal sex, and otherwise having oral sex (even without protection) will assure you will never acquring HIV from sexual contact. So you needn't worry at all.

There is little chance your partner had HIV. (In the US and other industrialized countries, under 1 in 1,000 women have HIV, even among the most sexually active.) Oral sex is risk free for HIV even without a condom, and wiht protected vaginal and oral, there was no risk. But most important, your blood test results are conclusive. You have been misinformed about your fingerprick test. All antigain/antibody HIV blood tests, including the rapid tests, are 100% conclusive and reliable when done more than 6 weeks after the last possible exposure. (The rapid oral fluids test is the only test not 100% reliable at 45 days.)

There has never been a known case of HIV transmitted by hand-genital contact (regardless of cuts on the hand) or by oral contact with breasts and nipples, even with nursing women and exposure to their milk.

So all is well. You were not at risk for HIV and your test results prove you weren't infected.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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66 months ago

1. How reliable are early HIV rna test and after how many days are the test conclusive.

2. And from past 2 days I have this small bumps on my finger and on YouTube I heard from the person who became positive with HIV said that it's on of the symptoms of HIV is that true.

3. I read on of the answers to the questions asked on this forum that only 50 percent ppl who on art achieve undetectable levels. Is that because of adherence or art itself is not successful in acheiving those and lastly I read that today's art have less side effects and not as toxic as the ones in the past. So a person with HIV can live a normal life without any side effects like a normal person with normal life expectancy.

4. Lastly what do you think about the research achievement of Dr kamel khalili development of HIV vaccine which successfully killed the HIV reservoirs in mice.

Please and thank you.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

66 months ago

1) This really doesn't matter, does it? The 45 day AgAb test is conclusive; and the combination of the RNA and AgAb tests even more so. (But the answer is that the RNA test iis around 90-95% conclusive at 11 days.)

2) Your test results prove that this and any other symptom you have now or develop in the future cannot possibly be due to HIV.

3) I think it's higher than 50%. Failure to achieve complete suppression can be due to poor compliance, resistance of HIV to the drug(s) used, and other unknown factors. When a particular drug combination does not achieve complete suppression despite good compliance, usually an effective alternate regimen can be found. It is true that current ART regimens are much less toxic than older ones and that persons with HIV can achieve near normal life expectancy in settings where sophisticated medical care is available.

4) I'm know nothing about that particular vaccine candidate, but the consensus among HIV experts and scientists is that an effective vaccine is several years away, at best.

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66 months ago

Thanks for the help doc. I had the first encounter on December 2nd where I had the protected sex it got me tensed and I did all those test and after the HIV antigen and antibody on 45th day I was relaxed but then I went to massage parlor where the masseuse gave me hand job and I sucked her breasts and that all got me tensed again. You told me it's no risk but unwantedly I went on internet and it said that if she had cut on their finger then I can get HIV and that if there is cut on breasts or if she is nursing than I can get HIV as well and then regarding the antigen antibody test that after 45 days there are chances of seroconversion. conclusive is only after 90 days. I don't want to think about it but even without me wanting I still am all nervous and anxiety is taking a toll on me. I don't know what to do doctor.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

66 months ago

You can twist yourself in knots about hypothetical reasons that low risk exposure could really be high risk. It's pointless. If there has never been a known transmission of HIV by the sorts of exposures you had -- and there must have been billions, including millions that also involved cuts or blood, or maybe higher than usual HIV level in breast fluid or milk -- what is the chance you'll be the first?

Conclusive testing only after 90 days is old news, going back to older HIV tests no longer in use. There has never been a proved case of HIV in someone who had negative AgAb testing at 45 days or more after exposure. You're not going to be the first.

There is nothing more this forum can offer in response to "I don't know what to do". If this reasoned, science based reassurance doesn't settle your fears, I would suggest professional counseling. Your reaction to this situation is not normal and suggests an underlying emotional/psychological issue. I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Note that repeated anxiety driven quesiotns are discouraged. Please do not post any additional questions about these exposures and HIV testing. Thanks for your understanding.

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