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Is HIV Test Result Nine Years After Exposure,conclusive?
Question: Dear Doctors, Please help me and guide me. I had an unprotected sex with my girl friend in Nov, 2005. At that time I didn?t thought about HIV and didn?t went for testing. And I even don?t remember now whether I got any primary acute symptoms. Later after two years I developed whole severe skin irritation, seborrheic dermatitis, arthralgia, myalgia and red-pus filled blisters on my trunk and my nails are detached from nail bed, where all these symptoms persist till today. This year I lost 10 pounds weight and had persistent diarrhoea. I am going into a new relation and have family, for the first time I went for antibody testing, In January 2014 my first HIV1/2 (ICMA) western blot was non-reactive, and I took HIV-1 RNA (Qualitative, detection limit 2000 copies) Non-reactive. And then in July, 2014, I took HIV1/2 rapid antibody test, which was non-reactive. And in August, 2014, I took 4th generation HIV screen which was non-reactive. My absolute CD4 count was 690 and CD4% was 29. Please suggest me whether am I free from HIV. Can I proceed for making family? Is any further specific testing is required. I check for autoimmune disorders also, and all were negative. Why these symptoms. Please help me. If any specific testing is required please advise me. Am i under clinical latency or end stage of HIV. Does during these stages antibody tests give negative.
Brief Answer:
No HIV risk
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question .I am Dr Matin and will be answering your queries
1. Stop worrying unnecessarily .You are a HIV Negative person for sure. Your all tests are negative plus your exposure was some 9 years ago. It is simply not possible to have an HIV after so long years.
2. Naturally you can proceed to make your family
3.No further HIV testing required.
4.I guess your symptoms need an attention of a Skin specialist .
5.No clinical latency ,
6. No , HIV positivity or negativity does not depend upon any of these symptoms.
Hope this helps.
Regards
No HIV risk
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question .I am Dr Matin and will be answering your queries
1. Stop worrying unnecessarily .You are a HIV Negative person for sure. Your all tests are negative plus your exposure was some 9 years ago. It is simply not possible to have an HIV after so long years.
2. Naturally you can proceed to make your family
3.No further HIV testing required.
4.I guess your symptoms need an attention of a Skin specialist .
5.No clinical latency ,
6. No , HIV positivity or negativity does not depend upon any of these symptoms.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Dear Dr. Matin,
Thank you for replying my question. Whenever I visit dermatologist the first question would be were your HIV positive. As they say all my skin symptoms look like that. And i got some infection besides gorin in 2007 and he treated with me on Fluconazole. This year I lost 10 pounds in 3 months and had persistent diarrhea. And I request you to keep my question and reports as confidential.
Thank you for replying my question. Whenever I visit dermatologist the first question would be were your HIV positive. As they say all my skin symptoms look like that. And i got some infection besides gorin in 2007 and he treated with me on Fluconazole. This year I lost 10 pounds in 3 months and had persistent diarrhea. And I request you to keep my question and reports as confidential.
Brief Answer:
Confidentiality is our religion
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your kind response.
Rest assured, confidentiality is our religion. Probably you are not visiting the correct person. The best place would be-- a multi-specialty hospital where along with a dermatologist , the internal medicine specialist would be able to see you.
The problem here is that no body is able to diagnose correctly and are thinking only on one track--HIV Even tertiary care hospitals like Medical College hospitals will serve your purpose. Chronic diarrhea can lead to reduction in weight and there could be host of causes, which is beyond the scope of discussion. So get ready for a work up for the diagnosis.
Hope this helps.
http://bit.ly/askdrmatinahmedkhan
Confidentiality is our religion
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your kind response.
Rest assured, confidentiality is our religion. Probably you are not visiting the correct person. The best place would be-- a multi-specialty hospital where along with a dermatologist , the internal medicine specialist would be able to see you.
The problem here is that no body is able to diagnose correctly and are thinking only on one track--HIV Even tertiary care hospitals like Medical College hospitals will serve your purpose. Chronic diarrhea can lead to reduction in weight and there could be host of causes, which is beyond the scope of discussion. So get ready for a work up for the diagnosis.
Hope this helps.
http://bit.ly/askdrmatinahmedkhan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Dear Dr. Matin,
Thank you for reply. I visited to multi specility hospitals only, there they have conducted all the tests to role out auto immune disorders, which came negative, they have carried our Rheumatoid arthritis tests, which were negative. I always has body ach, fatigue, joint swelling, knee pain when climbing strairs and breathlessness. Please advise me what i should do. As all my tests showing negative, where i missing something especially in relation to HIV.
Thank you for reply. I visited to multi specility hospitals only, there they have conducted all the tests to role out auto immune disorders, which came negative, they have carried our Rheumatoid arthritis tests, which were negative. I always has body ach, fatigue, joint swelling, knee pain when climbing strairs and breathlessness. Please advise me what i should do. As all my tests showing negative, where i missing something especially in relation to HIV.
Brief Answer:
You are on right track
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your response.
As I am not an endocrinologist or Rheumatologist, so I can't comment much on it, but what I understand that with the set up of symptoms you have they are on perfectly right track. The thyroid profile has to be checked too.
My suggestion is to consult an 'endocrinologist' too (one who deals with hormonal issues) as this angle needs to be investigated as well.
From my side, you are an HIV negative person and it must very assuring for you too.
Hope this helps.
Regards
You are on right track
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your response.
As I am not an endocrinologist or Rheumatologist, so I can't comment much on it, but what I understand that with the set up of symptoms you have they are on perfectly right track. The thyroid profile has to be checked too.
My suggestion is to consult an 'endocrinologist' too (one who deals with hormonal issues) as this angle needs to be investigated as well.
From my side, you are an HIV negative person and it must very assuring for you too.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Dear Dr. Matin,
Thank you very much quick reply. My last question. As you said, I am HIV-negative, but I was going through some articles, where HIV-infected people continuously showed negative antibody test. Why I am asking this is all the symptoms I am having were similar to those members. I am sorry to disturb you.
Thank you very much quick reply. My last question. As you said, I am HIV-negative, but I was going through some articles, where HIV-infected people continuously showed negative antibody test. Why I am asking this is all the symptoms I am having were similar to those members. I am sorry to disturb you.
Brief Answer:
You are talking about 'false negative cases'
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your kind response.
Certainly I will like to help my patients whichever way. No problems there.
You are talking about 'false negative cases(the one who are HIV + but tests are not picking up) and yes the following could the reasons:
1.Window period -if a person is within this period obviously he /she will test negative-which you have crossed
2. Sero-conversion -rare , found in infants, (* you are not an infant)
3.Unexplained or atypical response -very rare
4.Atypical hoist response very rare
5.Failure to mount an immunological response-very rare
6.Type N or O strains or HIV 2-which you are not , as confirmed by your tests
7.Technical error/clerical error --may be due to human error in
reporting/methodology.
Taking all these,into consideration, I guess , you don't fall into any of these categories and so you are HIV negative.
Still ,you have doubts, just to buy peace of mind, you may go for another set of tests .
And final words, not every thing which appears in net, is a gospel truth and the ones stated are studies ,it takes years to understand them and arrive at a generalization conclusion.
I understand we have had a wonderful discussion and at this point of time there is nothing much to continue, so I wind up here.
Regards
You are talking about 'false negative cases'
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your kind response.
Certainly I will like to help my patients whichever way. No problems there.
You are talking about 'false negative cases(the one who are HIV + but tests are not picking up) and yes the following could the reasons:
1.Window period -if a person is within this period obviously he /she will test negative-which you have crossed
2. Sero-conversion -rare , found in infants, (* you are not an infant)
3.Unexplained or atypical response -very rare
4.Atypical hoist response very rare
5.Failure to mount an immunological response-very rare
6.Type N or O strains or HIV 2-which you are not , as confirmed by your tests
7.Technical error/clerical error --may be due to human error in
reporting/methodology.
Taking all these,into consideration, I guess , you don't fall into any of these categories and so you are HIV negative.
Still ,you have doubts, just to buy peace of mind, you may go for another set of tests .
And final words, not every thing which appears in net, is a gospel truth and the ones stated are studies ,it takes years to understand them and arrive at a generalization conclusion.
I understand we have had a wonderful discussion and at this point of time there is nothing much to continue, so I wind up here.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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