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Mixed couple (hopefully)
Jan 1, 2002
My girlfriend tested + a month ago. We'd been having unprotected sex for 5 months before we got tested. I tested neg at the same time as her. I also found out that she has herpes. So, far, I've had no sign of that though. I read that HIV is usually apparent after a month on average, but can take up to 6 months to show up. Here are my questions:
I know I should get tested again, but is there a more accurate test I should ask for?
The herpes is definitly increasing my risk, isn't it?
Do have any links to lucky couple stories that I moght hopefully fit into?
Thank you,
Tam
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Response from Dr. Remien
The usual recommendation is to test again at approximately six months. It is very rare for someone to not develop antibodies by six months after infection with HIV. The normal test for HIV is an antibody test. Most people develop antibodies within three months, once infected. Some people like to follow-up a year later, just to be sure. You can speak to your doctor about doing a direct test for the virus, but this is rarely done and does not sound necessary in your situation, and is not necessarily more accurate. It is just a way for test for the presence of virus prior to the development of antibodies.
The presence of herpes and other "active" STDs does increase the risk for transmission of HIV because it can increase a person's viral load and also provide increased exposure to mucous membranes.
Read some of the stories of couples on this website and you may want to contact a local HIV service agency in your community to see if there are any groups or seminars for mixed status couples.
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