Good Morning.. Nov. 2009 I was at a bath house in LA. Had just jerked off a guy and had his cum over my hand and fingers. Without even thinking, STUPID I KNOW, i shoved same fingers my butt adn proceeded to jerk off. I didn't even think any thing about it. then 2 weeks later... i have the flu and a migrain. I go to the Dr. for the migrain....and he said ride the flu out. 4 days later i still feel terrible and go to the ER with my partner. The ER Dr, seeing 2 gay men, suggests an HIV test. They did a rapid blood and it came back Positive. They drew blood for confirmation...My partner tested neg, and continues to be. we were devasted and went to the HIV Center across from the hospital. There they did a quick oral swab. That test came back Neg. So I had a rapid blood that was Pos. and a rapid oral, neg. Blood work waiting on the confirmation. Week later, it was confirmed Positive. I then went to my own Doctor and he redid the blood work. Positive.

Thank god my partner is still negative after 7 months! My Dr. had me entered in a trial at Rockefellar with the Diamond AIDS Research. They have been GREAT!

i entered the program trial day 1 12/9/09.

CD4 341, 16% 657,000 copies.

By 3.10.09 CD4 762, 39% and undetectable <50 4.7.09 CD4 792, 41% adn still undetectbable <50

Just had a test last week and waiting on even better numbers!

so... what's my question!!!! Why do we allow Oral Rapid Test when they can give false NEG!!! what if that had been the test the hospital had used? Scarey to think i could have passed it on.

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis; however, I'm delighted to hear you are doing so well on treatment. I'm a strong advocate for early treatment intervention for HIV.

Regarding rapid tests, it's important to note that none of these tests claims to be definitive or conclusive when performed inside the window period (first three months). Had you taken the oral rapid HIV test at the three-month mark, I'm quite confident it would have been positive. At the time you had the test performed you were obviously in the midst of your seroconversion and were experiencing symptoms related to acute retroviral syndrome (ARS). You were also well within your window period! HIV-antibody tests (blood or oral fluid) can be unreliable during this period. An HIV plasma viral load (PCR RNA) or qualitative PCR DNA, but not necessarily an HIV-antibody assay, would be positive.

So to directly answer your question, the tests used to screen for HIV have limitations but when used as directed are remarkably accurate and reliable.

Be well!

Dr. Bob