[Question #9995] Test Accuracy - False Negative?

Avatar photo
26 months ago
Hi doctor, 30y male. 14 months ago I had protected sexual encounter with high risk CSW from south america (street pick up). About 5 days post exposure I started with high frequency urination and testicular discomfort. This took me to ER where doctor found high WBC and "turbid looks", positive nitrite & albumin in urine test. Urine culture that came back with no findings. Diagnosed UTI and prescribed Fosfomycin Tromethamine 3g on single dose.

2 months post exposure I got urethral swab for STIs - all negative
4 months post exposure had another urethral swab, this time doctor did a DRE to get prostatic fluid in the sample - all negative (Diagnosed with prostatitis by DRE at this time) Was prescribed Bactrim for 10 days.

Symptoms of urine frequency and testicular pain continue so I had:
7 months post encounter Urine STI test - all negative 

Symptoms started to get worse and spread pain to anus, legs, tip of penis, groing and started having some difficulty to start and maintain urine stream. Also very low force and quantity on ejaculation. Strong pain in perineum
11 months post exposure another Urine STI test - all negative.

I see in some questions Dr Handsfield stating that Chlamydia and Gono are often cured by the inmune system in a few months. Is this real? How long? Can the delay of testing (2 months) could cause the infection to spread to other areas of my body and not be found in urethral swab and urine testing?

My main concern is that I have an on going and undiagnosed infection because I have a regular partner and Id hate to bring some infection in. Up to this day (14 months post exposure) still have symptoms of testicular, groin, etc pain and urine issues like slow difficult and unsteady stream and sometimes high frequency
Avatar photo
26 months ago
Just to add some valuable information:
I was treated with antibiotics for other reasons between tests, so a few weeks before the 1st test I took 10 days of Cefixime.

3 weeks before 7month test I took azythro (1gram).

Could this also affect test results?
Avatar photo
Edward W. Hook M.D.
26 months ago
Welcome t our Forum. Thanks for your questions and your apparent confidence in our service. I'll be glad to comment.  

The exposure you describe, while relatively high risk, is unlikely to be related to your continuing symptoms.  Even most high risk commercial sex workers do not have STIs, when they do most single exposures do not result in infection and, in your case, you used a condom making the risk virtually zero as long as the condom was used throughout the encounter.  Further, your symptoms are not particularly suggestive of STI- urinary frequency is a sign off urinary tract infection (including prostatitis) and testicular discomfort in the absence of a urethral discharge is unlikely to be due to STI.   Finally, several of the drugs you have taken, including azithromycin and cefixime would likely to have cured the most common STIs- gonorrhea and chlamydia.  Finally, your subsequent multiple negative tests for STIs further make it most unlikely that your continuing symptoms are due to STI.  These tests are very sensitive and if an STI were causing your symptoms, the tests would be positive.  

In contacts, the symptoms you describe are quite typical of prostatitis. Consistent with your prior diagnosis of prostatitis, this may be what is going on.  It is not unusual for prostatitis to need 4-6 weeks of therapy to resolve.

If you have not seen a urologist, that is what I would suggest as a next step.  

I hope this perspective and the information I have provided is helpful. If any part of my answer is unclear, or there are further questions, please use your up to two follow-ups for clarification.  EWH
---
Avatar photo
26 months ago
Hi doctor, thanks for your answer. I do find it hard to be reassured by your comments because of the use of “likely” and “unlike”, to be honest doesnt sound very sure. 

Just to give some more information, I did go to an urologist, in fact Ive been to many urologists and infectious disease specialist and no one has been able to find the roote cause of my symptoms and the tests just keep comming back negative for STIs and none of my exams show anything abnormal with my prostate and testicles. thats why Im concern maybe is something infectous and undiagnosed rather than anatomical. 
I havent had any evident discharge, but I have felt every now and then like something is dribbling but when I look theres nothing there. 

1) What troubles me is that my partner has been experiencing some symptoms of her own like urinary frequency and really really painful menstrual periods as she says “never felt before”.  Is it possible that I may have infected her with something?

2) Why do STIs cause testicular pain? Can it be as fast as 5 days post encounter? Since that is when I started having the pain. You say testicular pain is unlikely to be due to STI, but can it be?

3) I took 10 days of 400mg daily Cefixime, would this kill Gono? I took 1g only dose of Azythro 6months post exposure, would this cure Chlamydia if present? Could 6 months Chlamydia infection cause permanent damage and thats what I have?

4) Should I continue having sex with my regular partner or should I stop and retest and maybe get her to test on her own? (Obviously this last part will end the relationship)

5) Dont the results of my first urine test, positive nitrite and albumin and high WBC, with negative urine culture, suggest STI and not UTI? Every single urine test after that has come as normal as it can be. 

Avatar photo
Edward W. Hook M.D.
26 months ago
Sigh.  I'm sorry you are feeling so insecure and mincing words.  Let me be more DIRECT.  NOTHING you have said above suggests that your symptoms are due to an STI and the information you have provided is PROOF that you are not infected.  Feel better?  As for your follow-ups

1.  I cannot comment on your partner.  I have no information about her.  She should seek evaluation with her GYN, is she has not.  If she has seen a GYN in the past year, the recommendations are that she would have been tested for STIs.

2.  Five days are too soon and as I said before, "testicular discomfort in the absence of a urethral discharge is unlikely to be due to STI".  When combined with (multiple negative tests, this is not an STI and you should be looking for other causes.

3.  As I said above, " several of the drugs you have taken, including azithromycin and cefixime would likely to have cured the most common STIs- gonorrhea and chlamydia".  The cefixime would have killed gonorrhea, the azithromycin would have cured about half of gonococcal infections as well as curing chlamydia if present..

4.  I presume that in the 14 months since the encounter that you now regret, you have had sex,  Ceasing sexual activity at this time is not necessary. Further, you have proven that you do not have an STI.  Your partner should be having regular sexual health checks as recommended for women- this includes testing for chlamydia, particularly if she has symptoms.  Getting checked for symptoms she might have, which are likely unrelated to an STI is not a reason for ending a relationship, it is following recommendations for routine health care.

5.  You have it backward.  These urine test results are far more consistent with a UTI (prostatitis is a UTI) than an STI.

My recommendations are unchanged.  See a urologist- tell him/her your entire story and work with them to address your concerns.  EWH
---
Avatar photo
26 months ago
Thanks doctor.

The issue about my partner visiting her GYN is that in my country, doctors screen for Chlamydia using blood tests and not urine tests, the only reason you get this is if you ask for it yourselves, and I understand blood tests for Chlamydia are not accurate so we wouldnt know the true result when she sees her doctor. 
1)My question is, do any of this on her side could be caused by a STI? Really painful menstrual periods and urinary frequency? Could this be PID? I understand if thats the case, is mainly caused by STIs.

I ask about resuming sexual activities with her because after the encounter, I was so scared that I stopped having sex with her for 6 months. In this 6 months I test twice by urethral swab and one by urine test and nothing came out positive, in this period I also took 1g of azythro. 
2) Do you believe I could have actually a misdiagnosed infection? Even today after I "resumed" sexual intimacy with her, I limit myself for 1-2 times a month because Im so worried, and now shes having all these issues.

3) Is it true that the immune system cures Chlamydia and Gono by itself in few months? Because Ive seen a lot of answers from Dr Handsfield stating this, but theres also a lot of info online about the serious consequences of not treating this infection for months or years.

4) What can I do to definitely rule out any infection? 

5) How reliable would a 1g of azythro be to cure Chlamydia in my case? Because I took it approx. 6 months post exposure, before having sex with my partner again.


Avatar photo
26 months ago
Last questions:
6) Is it possible to test so late that infection is not found in the urethra  and transfered to other body parts and not found in urethral swab? Is there a time limit to test for infections?

7) If I took 1g of azythro 6 months after chlamydia, is it too late and already in need of stronger medication for longer period?

Thanks
Avatar photo
Edward W. Hook M.D.
26 months ago
I suspect you are misinformed.  There is no country on earth where a person cannot be tested for chlamydial infection with a urine or swab.  That you were tested proves that the test is available in your country.  You are correct however that blood tests for chlamydial are a waste of time and are not recommended.  This will be the final response to your questions which are somewhat repetitive.

1)My question is, do any of this on her side could be caused by a STI? Really painful menstrual periods and urinary frequency? Could this be PID? I understand if thats the case, is mainly caused by STIs.

Her symptoms are non-specific and could be caused by lots of things.  Not all PID is due to STIs and you have proven that you do not have an STI repeatedly.  
 
2) Do you believe I could have actually a misdiagnosed infection? Even today after I "resumed" sexual intimacy with her, I limit myself for 1-2 times a month because Im so worried, and now shes having all these issues.

No, I am confident that you do not have an STI.  You have been tested repeatedly with highly reliable tests and, despite negative test results, have taken antibiotics which would have cured infection if present.

3) Is it true that the immune system cures Chlamydia and Gono by itself in few months? Because Ive seen a lot of answers from Dr Handsfield stating this, but theres also a lot of info online about the serious consequences of not treating this infection for months or years.

Many but not all STIs (gonorrhea and chlamydial infections will cure themselves.  This however is irrelevant to your situation.  If you had an STI, your testes would have been positive.  

4) What can I do to definitely rule out any infection? 

You have already done it, as I have explained.

5) How reliable would a 1g of azythro be to cure Chlamydia in my case? Because I took it approx. 6 months post exposure, before having sex with my partner again.

Highly reliable

6) Is it possible to test so late that infection is not found in the urethra  and transfered to other body parts and not found in urethral swab? Is there a time limit to test for infections?
No, if your symptoms were due to an STI the tests would have been positive.

7) If I took 1g of azythro 6 months after chlamydia, is it too late and already in need of stronger medication for longer period?
As I have already said, if you had chlamydia,  the azithro would have cured it.  Stronger antibiotics are not needed.

This completes this thread.  You must be profoundly guilty.  You need to believe your test results and move on.  If you cannot do this yourself, you should seek professional mental health assistance and counseling to do so.  Take care.  EWH................
---