This is my second order and it’ll be about a different question. Ive posted before about my risk, which Dr. Handsfield had answered saying I’m risk free. I know I’m not at risk, but I’m experiencing a severe diarrhoea now (occurred around a week after my “risk”), and also due to my extreme anxiety and obsessional thoughts, I would want to get tested. I think I will need a negative result to put everything down and let it go. 

Here is what I want to ask, it’s been a week now since it happened. I’m thinking of getting an Ultrasensitive RNA test at approximately the 12th days after what happened. I just can’t wait till one month or even 3 months to get tested. 

Here will be my questions:

1) Not talking about my case, but usually when will the ARS symptoms occurred after a risk? 

2) This is my major concern, is a Ultrasensitive RNA test in around the 12th days be able to rule out HIV? (Not talking about my case)

3) If the test is not concluded, how many percent of accuracy is it? Testing a RNA test on the 12th day, how reliable is it?

4) If not, what is the best time for me to get tested by a Combo HIV test to rule out everything? 

5) I’ve injected the BionTech or called Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine around 2 weeks ago. Will this affect my test results?

Please help again, many thanks to all. 

To your new questions:

1) ARS symptoms typically start 8-14 days after exposure, occasionally up to 3 weeks.

2-4) These are the same question in different words. That test would detect about 90% of new HIV infections at 12 days, 100% by 3 weeks. However, many experts believe a negative HIV RNA test by itself is never quite conclusive, and would advise that you also have an antigen-antibody (AgAb, "combo") blood test at 4 weeks

5) Congratulations on having the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID is a far higher potential risk to your health than HIV or any other STI from the massage experience not long ago.

No vaccine (indeed no medication or treatment of any kind) has any effect on reliability and timing of the HIV blood tests. The only exception is when anti-HIV drugs are taken to prevent infection (PEP, PrEP). If such treatment doesn't work, it can delay the time to positive testing. Of course this is irrelevant to your situation. Anyway, you definitely need not worry about your COVID-19 vaccination. 

HHH, MD

Below will be some additional follow up questions. 

1) Have you even seen anyone with a negative RNA test results (testing within 2 weeks) came out later with a positive results on HIV Combo test?

2) How long will ARS symptoms lasts normally if someone has caught HIV?

3) Again, just for reassuring, are Dr. Handsfield you confident that my results will came out negative just base on the exposure I told you in my last thread? It’s basically the masseuse giving me a handjob with massage oil (no gloves on this hand) and also fingering my anal (with around 1/3 on her finger inside) with a gloves on. My concern that I told you were what if she finger herself before giving me any handjobs or fingering, what if there’re some body fluids on her hand which she had create friction against my top of the penis or inside my anal.  (I’ve been tested many times for any of my past exposure, so I’m 100% sure that this is my only “risk” exposure within these 3 months). 

4) due to what I know about HIV now and after consulting experts like you and my local HIV organisations, I actually put down a lot already. But just because I experienced a severe diarrhoea and a low grade fever yesterday it just freaks me out, keep thinking am I really that extreme unlucky to be the first case. But my diarrhoea is quite better now and my temperature is back to normal (without taking any medical pills), what I want to ask is that can Dr. Handsfield you be confident that my diarrhoea or the short low-grade fever has totally no connection with HIV?

Touchwood if a person caught the COVID-19, Will this affect the HIV RNA test to be positive? Since both virus are also RNA virus. 

2) 2-6 weeks.

3) I understood your exposure and your questions about it. Yes, I am 100% confident your HIV test results will remain negative.

4) These symptoms are irrelevant; diarrhea is almost never the main symptom of ARS. Believe it and move on!

5) There are NO medical conditions that have any effect on HIV test timing or reliability, including COVID-19.

Perhaps it will also interest you to know that in the 15 years of this and our preceding forum, with thousands of questions from people worried about catching HIV, not one person reported that they were infected or that a later test became positive. Not one. You will not be the first. If and when that happens, undoubtedly it will be from someone with a real risk of infection, not a trivial, non-risky event like you had.

Please do your best to move on without worry. 

Just want to make a short conclusion to sum everything up, correct me if I’m wrong. (Also some last short questions before the thread closed). 

1) No matter if a person uses body fluids (semen, secretions, etc. ) as lubricant, fingering in my anal and handjob is still a total risk free event. (A question also rises again, although isn’t my case, but how about anal fingering or handjob with bleeding open wounds on the person’s hands)?

2) There has never been a case that a person got infected HIV from fingering or handjob no matter how rough the act is or body fluids involved. 

3) Fingering (giving or receiving), mutual masturbation (hand-genital contact), body massage is always a risk free and safest act. 

4) ARS symptoms lasts for 2-6 weeks, anything that ends in a few days has a bigger chance that it’s not the ARS symptoms.  (Btw, just want to have a better understanding, during the ARS, will it be a low-grade fever or high fever like above 38-38.5)?

5) Lastly, although an early RNA test can’t be conclusive, but it gives a big picture that a person is safe or not. A conclusive test will need to be a Combo HIV test on the 4th week (28days). 

 

1) Nobody can guarantee truly her risk, but it's low enough that... 

2) ...it is correct that no cases are known to have been transmitted by fingering.

3) Same question using different words; same reply.

4) Usually 2-6 weeks, but it could be a day or two; and around half of newly infected people have no symptoms at all.

5) Wrong. A negative test says nothing about how safe a person's sexual choices and practices have been. Most totally unsafe practices do not result in HIV transmission (the highest risk sexual exposures, with known infected partners, carry average transmission risks mostly around 1 in a thousand.) But the test results you cite are reassuring in making infection far less likely than otherwise.

That concludes this thread. Note that repeat questions are outside forum policy. This needs to be your last on these topics. Thanks for your understanding. I hope the discussions have been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.