[Question #6742] Follow up to 6694
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65 months ago
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Hello Drs,I am sorry for returning - I’m hoping you can ease my mind one last time. I took Dr Hook’s advice and got a throat swab for G/C done and was negative. I had moved forward feeling comfortable with the results and with no plan to test for Syphilis/HIV considering Dr Hooks recommendation. I have also resumed unprotected sex with my husband. Well I saw my OB yesterday for a routine OB Check - I’m now in my third trimester. She was able to see my recent visit to urgent care in the electronic chart and asked me about it. I opened up to her about my recent encounter. Luckily she was compassionate and not judgmental at all. However, she feels that I should retest (mentioned G/C, HIV and Syphilis) — I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe this is routine for someone who has had a new partner during pregnancy? Maybe it is because I tested for G/C at 6 days post encounter? Most providers I have interacted with say this is too early to be sure about gonorrhea and chlamydia (same with most online resources...) But I know as experts you believe otherwise. I don’t understand the discrepancy - Why is it that you trust 4-5 days will deliver a reliable result? I have scheduled the retest for which will be 4 weeks out from the encounter. And now of course my anxiety is high once again and I’m afraid they will find something. Am I being illogical? Her request to retest me has really caused my anxiety and doubt to resurface. I believe she is doing what is best for baby and I, so I’m trying to trust that it will all be ok. I guess what I’m asking for is reassurance that my original testing was accurate and that resuming sex with my husband wasn’t a huge mistake. I’m obviously suffering from major regret - my anxiety and guilt is getting the best of me now that anticipating test results is looming over me again. I’m trying to separate logic from my emotions but obviously (especially with my baby and future at stake) it is very difficult. Thank you in advance!
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
65 months ago
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Welcome back to the Forum I'm sorry to hear of your continuing concerns and anxiety. My recommendation is based on 40 years of STI-focused research which has led me to have become recognized nationally and internationally as an expert on these infections. I write research articles and textbook chapters on STIs and am regularly asked to consult on STIs for the CDC and World Health Organization. You are welcome to google me to evaluate my expertise. While the internet is is a great place to shop and to communicate with others, it is a terrible place to go for guidance on health issues because it has no context to provide advice through and because while some of the information found there is reliable, much of it is out of date, taken out of context, mis-interpreted or just plain wrong. Your doctor is being conservative and it is hard to fault her for that- she wants what is right for you and your baby. I can assure you however that your test results will, once again show that you are not infected with any STI. EWH
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65 months ago
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Thank you for the reassurance Dr Hook.
alternative nucleic acid target.
Performed by ARUP Laboratories,
I was just looking at the charting from my urgent care - the throat swab description said it was by “TMA” Per 2014 CDC recommendations, this
test does not include confirmation of positive results by an alternative nucleic acid target.
Performed by ARUP Laboratories,
It took a day and a half for the result to come back.
The vaginal swab at 6 days post exposure was by “amplified probe technique” — this swab was taken at 9:30Am and result came back by 5PM that evening. I’m very worried that they did t not complete the more sensitive NAAT testing for my vaginal swab. Can you please help me interpret this result? Obviously I have been having unprotected sex with my spouse and while I assume amplified probe meant NAAT and I saw that it was a HOLOGIC kit..... my anxiety is through the roof now Dr Hook. If it wasn’t NAAT, how reliable is this test at the time I took it? Thank you for any further clarification on this test.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
65 months ago
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This is good news. The TMA test is a NAAT and is one of the most sensitive tests for STIs available. In the lab most NAATs, including the TMA tests take only a few hours to process but may labs do not get results aback until a much longer period because of logistical issues in reporting their results. The Hologic test is excellent and the ARUP lab is world renown for its excellence. You can have complete confidence that your test results are reliable and should believe the results which PROVE that you were not infected. EWH
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65 months ago
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Thank you Dr Hook - that makes me feel comfortable for the throat swab.
However, the Vaginal swab doesn’t say the same thing as the throat - it does not indicate that it was TMA and only says “amplified Probe Technique”. When I look up my health systems protocol for testing this is what it says - see below. I’m worried that my vaginal test was only a culture which is the old testing methods, right?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
65 months ago
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Please don’t worry. There are many names for the tests and they are referred to in different ways. An amplified test is so a NAAT and highly sensitive, just as the Hologic TMA test is. No reason for concern. You have PROVEN you were not infected.
This is my 3rd reply. This will complete this thread. There should be no reason to return. You are not infected and have not put your husband at risk. EWH
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