I received a call from the mens clinic last night that I will need to come back in regarding my NAAT results. I took the NAAT two weeks ago and received a negative antibody test that same day (at the 5 month, 3 week mark). My counselor with AHF, prior to testing, told me that they could only deliver negatives over the phone and all other results, inconclusive or positives would be issued in person. As you can read in previous posts, I have tested negative out to 5 months and 3 weeksfor all STDS and HIVand then I developed what was prematurely diagnosed as a stomach ulcer (burning in stomach) at the 5 month markalong with a rash on my girlfriend and I. I am trying to put this behind me with negative antibody tests at 3 days, 1 month, 4 months, 5 months 2 weeks and 5 months 3 weeks (174 days post single exposure) .but now I am fearing the worst. Is this most likely a false positive? I am out of town at a wedding for my Girlfriends cousin and being surrounded by her family is SO difficult considering the call I received. I am trying to maintain a brave face, but I would really appreciate your professional opinion. I would never have taken the NAAT had I known that they could have such a high rate of false positives. My general practitioner is clueless (he had me tested 3 days post exposure, and I really just want expert opinion. I promise my ONLY exposure outside of my monogamous relationship was on 10/26early 10/27 2007. Please help Dr and know that I will have no further questions. I want this in my past and am scared of this most recent turn of events. My event was as follows: 1 stupid, drunken encounter in Las Vegas with CSW. Brief protected oral and protected vaginal with same condom. Do not recall condom breakingbut it could haveI was a mess obviously. CSW told me she was clean, but who knows. As noted above, I have tested negative out to 5 months and 3 weeks using Bayer chemoimmunoassay and oral rapid tests. My stomach issues and rash started at 5 month mark. Am I losing my mind? I do not get back to my hometown until Wednesday, wt which point I will be going to the clinicbut please help me prior to then. Please. I will donate. I promise. Just help me please let tell me where to donate.

Hello,

Yours is yet another case of getting way too many tests unnecessarily, which instead of calming your fears has only made them exponentially worse! You had a negative antibody test at five months following protected hooker-sex in Vegas. If the condom was used properly and didn't break, your HIV-acquisition risk would be essentially nonexistent. Your multiple negative HIV tests out to five months are definitive and conclusive. HIV is not your problem. No way. No how. I just can't put it any plainer than that! There was no reason to get a NAAT test. Whatever this test shows, ultimately you will be confirmed to be HIV negative.

Are you losing your mind? Perhaps. There is no doubt you are driving yourself crazy with irrational and totally unwarranted HIV fears. Psychological counseling may help you confront and conquer those fears.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob