I took an oraquick in home oral swab test about a year back.  The result was negative.  There had not been any exposures or possible exposures for at least a year before i took it.  I remember having some chewing tobbacco and coffee not long before the test.  It could just be my anxiety but my question is.  If i got a negative result at least a  year after a one time possible exposure is this test conclusive .  Also if i had anything to eat or drink or chew tobbaco right before the test would it affect the result? The control line was reactive. Thanks 

I'll be glad to address your question. The short answer is to believe your test results.  Since your Oraquick test was taken more (much more) than 8 weeks after the low risk event that you describe above, you should believe the result.  Neither the chewing of tobacco nor having had a cup of coffee shortly before the test should change the reliability of the result in any meaningful way.  Your results are conclusive and there is no reason for further testing.  EWH
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So what your saying that if there were no exposures during that one year period then at the time of testing i was hiv negative? How would chewing tobacco, food, or mouthwash affect the test if it was too soon before testing?  Also did the control line indicate that it had enough human antibodies for the test to be accurate? 

Your follow-up question is a bit repetitive. As I said above, neither chewing tobacco nor eating nor for that matter mouthwash would affect your test results as long as the control line indicated that sufficient material was there to test. Believe your test results.  EWH ---

Last one .  The line was pretty faint by the c line. Does that matter?  Thank you for your responses.

No, if the control (C) line is visible, the test has worked and the results should be believed.  You are in the clear.  EWH

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I am a bit confused as to whether my one test would be conclusive.  Some things i read say an oral test is not as reliable as a blood test.  Some say its just as reliable after a window period.  Some things ive read said mouthwash can kill things in the sample.  Its all just very confusing to me.  

I cannot assess what sort of risk you are at for HIV but I can comment with assurance on the performance of the Oraquick tests for HIV.  These tests are evaluated in the same way and held to the same performance standards by the FDA as blood-based tests.  Some of the early evaluations of the oral fluid tests suggested that soon (6-12) weeks after infection the Oraquick tests might be SLIGHTLY less sensitive than blood based tests but that this difference was no longer apparent later following exposure.  You should believe your test results.

I am not sure why you are testing at this late date or why you are having trouble believing your results.  If you are searching for answers on the internet, it is more likely that you will be misled by statements taken out of context, that are out of date, or that are not relevant to you.  If you feel the need to re-test, do so but commit to yourself to only do so once.  I am confident that your result will be the same.

Our forum guidelines call for three responses to questions- this is my fourth and therefore final reply to this thread.  If you have further questions, you will need to start a new question. this thread will be closed in a few hours.  Take care.  EWH

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