[Question #7231] Dr HHH or Dr Hook Please. HIV assment.
6 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
6 months ago
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Welcome to our Forum and thanks for your question. I'll be glad to comment and hope that you'll find my responses reassuring. I'll go straight to your questions:
1. Your test results are absolutely conclusive. Prevalence of infection does not impact the performance of the test although is prevalence may impact the probability that a result is truly vs falsely positive. In your case, I will also point out that the tests for HIV you had looked for HIV three different ways if any, looking for HIV protein (antigen), HIV antibodies, and HIV DNA. Your results are incontrovertible and should be believed.
2. From time to time rumors of new HIV "strains" appear on the internet. These reports have little if any substance. Your tests would have picked up ANY HIV infection you had. I will acknowledge that there are some cases in which HIV can progress more rapidly than most cases but these strains of virus would be detected by the testing you have had.
3. Rapid progression of disease would not impact antibody production by an infected person.
4. No. See my response number 1.
5. You are not infected with HIV. You do not need more testing. It is time for you to move forward. If you cannot do it on your own, then I would suggest you seek the assistance of a trained counselor who can assist you. FYI and of no relevance to your situation, HIV can very rarely be transmitted to a person performing oral sex on an infected person. On average, this occurs less than once in every 10,000 acts of oral sex (i.e. more than 99.99% of the time the infection is NOT transmitted)
I hope you find my replies helpful. The tone of your questions suggests that you are very worried about the possibility that you might have acquired HIV. You did not. I wonder if some of your concerns also reflect your guilt over your misstep. That is a separate issue. EWH
5 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
5 months ago
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5 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
5 months ago
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