Hi Dr. Frascino, how are you doing? I told you my story of my sexuell intercours in Vietnam now nearly 8 weeks ago. You were asking of my kind of intercourse, I honestly don't know. I cant realy remember because of my high alcohol consumption. But if there was a unprotected contact (I probably think there was) than it would be a vaginal intercourse. I follwed up my 13 & 23 days PCR RNA and my 29 Antibody/Antigen with an Ab/Ag at 7 weeks. I also had a checkup for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and other bactrial infections.

1.) Do you think I need some further STD checks?

2.) Here in Germany many people say that a new antibody antigen test would pick up a HIV infection within 6 weeks and at the latest at 8 weeks. Is that true? 2.) Do you know if there is a difference in the window period because of diffrent HIV strains? Because in SEA the common strain is AE ?! 3.) Does commercial PCR RNA kits pick up the viral load for the above mentioned strain?

Hopefully I dont bother you too much?! :)

Thanks in advance.

P.S: The 100 donation will come after my 12 mark test. Promised !!!

Hi,

1. I'd also check for syphilis in a basic STD screen.

2. The published guidelines continue to recommend waiting for the three-month mark for a definitive result.

3. The window period remains the same.

4. Yes, however, I do not recommend PCR testing for routine HIV screening, due to the rate of false-positives, other technical considerations and cost.

Thanks in advance for your donation to The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org). It's warmly appreciated. In return I'm sending you my good-luck karma that your definitive three-month HIV-antibody test remains negative. (Your negative seven-week Ab/Ag test is extremely encouraging.) I'm very confident you will continue to test HIV negative.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob