May 2021: 

HIV antibody-only test result: negative. The lab report also stated a high level of leukocytes, a high absolute neutrophil count, a high absolute thrombocyte count, a high level of CRP and higher levels than normal of MCV and MCH. My doctor asked if I was sick, I wasn't sick that I know of. I didn't take a SARS-CoV-2 antigen selftest before I went to the doctor, so I don't know if I had SARS-CoV-2 /covid 19, without or with very few symptoms, at the time I got tested for HIV. I don't know which SARS-CoV-2 variant was dominant at the time in my country. 

May 23, 2022:

HIV antibody-only test result: negative. I don't know if this was an ELISA test. 2 weeks before this HIV ab test I tested positive on a SARS-CoV-2 antigen selftest. I had symptoms. I don't know which SARS-CoV-2 variant it was, and I don't know which SARS-CoV-2 variant was dominant in my country at the time. By the time I went to the doctor for my HIV ab test I had almost no more symptoms. I took a SARS-CoV-2 antigen self test right before I went to the doctor for my HIV ab test, SARS-CoV-2 antigen selftest was negative. The lab report said that I had a high level of leukocytes, a high absolute neutrophil count and a high level of neutrophils in %, a high absolute thrombocyte count, a high level of CRP and a higher levels than normal of ferritin, MCH and MCV. I had a lower than normal level of monocytes in % and a normal absolute monocyte count. I had a low number of eGFR. 

My worry is that having SARS-CoV-2/covid-19 whilst getting tested for HIV with a HIV ab test might interfere with the reliability of a HIV ab test?

 My questions:

1) With all the information I have shared in this post, are my two negative HIV antibody-only tests conclusively negative?

2) Can I relax and know that I don't have HIV?

3) Do I need to get tested for HIV again?

Thanks!

 

It is 100% certain you do not have HIV. Somewhere along the line, you apparently gained a belief that having COVID-19, or that having various abnormal blood tests -- especially those indicating systemic inflammation, like leukocyte (WBC) count and CRP -- could suggest HIV despite negative HIV tests themselves; or that there is interference between COVID and HIV test reliability. There are no such effects. There have been a few case reports, i.e. individual cases in which such interference was initially suspected, but none panned out on repeat testing or additional investigation.

The HIV blood tests are among the most accurate diagnostic tests ever developed in medical history, for any medical conditions. There is NO interference from any known medical condition or drugs. In the earliest HIV/AIDS days (1980s-90s) there were fears that serious immune deficiency or potent immune suppressing drugs (e.g. cancer chemotherapy, high dose corticosteroids) might interfere with development of HIV antibody, casting doubt on test reliability. However, even then, there were very few reports of such actual interference. Since then, with improved antibody tests and the addition of HIV antigen testing (i.e. the AgAb or "4th generation" HIV blood tests), there is even less concern and no reliably reported cases of interference with test reliability.

Those comments pretty well cover your specific questions, but to be explicit:  1) Yes, your two negative tests are conclusively negative. 2) You can relax:  for sure you do not have HIV. 3) From a strictly medical or risk perspective, you definitely do not need any more HIV tests. However, many anxious persons are more reassured by negative test results than by professional opinion, no matter how expert. (We don't take it personally!) If you would sleep better by having another negative test -- perhaps an AgAb rather than standalone antibody tests -- you certainly are free to do so.

I hope these comments are helpful. Please do not worry about HIV! But of course follow your doctor's advice if your various inflammatory markers remain abnormal or reappear in the future. But it won't be due to HIV.

Best wishes and stay safe--  HHH, MD

I'm finally starting a new relationship and want to start it right. 

i asked about having to do another hiv test. i asked this question because i really don't want to have another blood draw (it's very difficult because i get so nervous). In my country, for some reason, it isn't that easy to get an hiv AgAb test. The standard hiv test here is a hiv antibody-only test. i was under the impression that a hiv antibody-only test is as good as a hiv AgAb test, if the hiv antibody-only test was done 3 months past exposure. So the comment 'If you would sleep better by having another negative test -- perhaps an AgAb rather than standalone antibody tests -- you certainly are free to do so' got me a bit worried.  

I just have one more question, if you would be so kind, so i can put it out of my head.

1) Is it 100% certain that i don't have hiv? 

Thank you

 Hello dr. Handsfield, thanks for your reply. I had some trouble to log back in to my account. Thank you for addressing my concerns.

I'm finally starting a new relationship and want to start it right. 

i asked about having to do another hiv test. i asked this question because i really don't want to have another blood draw (it's very difficult because i get so nervous). But like you said, i definitely don't need any more hiv tests (i hope i understood that correctly).

I just have one more question, if you would be so kind, so i can put it out of my head.

1) Is it 100% certain that i don't have hiv? 

Thank you

Being vaccinated against COVID has no effect on HIV antibody testing or the reliability of the results. Please re-read the paragraph in my initial reply that starts with "The HIV blood tests...."

Thanks so much. 

Something unrelated to my question. I got locked out of my e-mailadress that i used for creating my account here. I got locked out of it right after i posted my first post here, so 27-28 days ago. It's no big deal, it had something to do with the password. I didn't use that e-mailadress much anyway and i changed the e-mail adress that i used to create my account here, to my other e-mail yesterday. I just wanted to let you know, in case you sent e-mails to the e-mailadress i used to create the account here. If you have sent me e-mails on the account i used to create my account here, can you please send them again to the e-mailadress that i have put in my account details yesterday?

Best wishes!

In any case, this thread is now due for closure. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe!