Dr. Bob,

I really need your help. I am donating $50.00 on Friday when I get paid. I had a very high risk exposure in Feb of this year. I got tested at 5 weeks via the eia 1/2 it was negative I got tested again via the clearview or something at 3 months post exposure which this test is questionable as to being done correctly but it was negative. Here is my question if I am infected and did not know it and I am having unprotected sex with my current boyfriend me being a female and I know my current boyfriend was defintly negative prior to being with me... however what are the chances of him being infected by me then reinfecting me with some different strain? I had a rapid test done on 07/14 negative and then I had some weird test I never heard of called a chemiluminometric immunoassay done on 07/21 came back negative. What kind of test is this is it accurate? and do you think if I had hiv and some weird subtype these tests would of picked up antibodies by now? This would of been 5 1/2 months post exposure from feb. Or do I need to wait another couple of weeks and have another test because of my new boyfriend?? I am so confused and so scared please help. I wouldn't be freaking out so bad except I have never been so sick in my life and I just have no other explanation for this. I have eye floaters so bad I can't even do my job. I am dizzy and lightheaded and get severe headaches I never had any of this in my life. My tongue is the worst of all it is dry and ghostly white again never happened in my life! I have diarreah almost everyday and I have pain under both arms behind my knees and in my groin. I am very fatigued and really can't do my job feeling like this. Please please help me and advise as to what I should do. I promise I will send $50.00 this friday...

Hello,

So let me get this straight. You had a "very high risk exposure" in February and subsequently tested HIV-antibody negative at five weeks and three months. OK! Now you're wondering what the chances are that if you were infected (which you're not) with HIV and had unprotected sex with your HIV-negative boyfriend, you could infect him and then he, in turn, infect you with a different strain??? WOWZA! Lady, just how much crazy powder have you been adding to your protein shakes lately??? The brief answer to your somewhat bizarre question is no.

As for a "chemiluminometric immunoassay," this is a very legitimate way of testing for anti-HIV antibodies. It's a diagnostic test for qualitative determination of antibodies to HIV-1, HIV-2 and HIV group O. It can be run on either serum or plasma. In essence it's equivalent to an ELISA test. Considering you've had various types of HIV-antibody tests, all of which have been negative out to 5.5 months, I would consider you definitively HIV negative! No further testing is warranted.

Your symptom complex is most consistent with anxiety. I would suggest you talk to your doctor about an evaluation of and treatment for anxiety. Psychotherapy (counseling) and/or anti-anxiety medication may help.

Please remember HIV is not your problem! No way. No how.

Thank you for your donation to the Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org). It's warmly appreciated.

Be well. Stop worrying about an illness you could not possibly have!

Dr. Bob