Hi DR. Frascino:

I will make a donation. I am heterosexual male around 48.I had a possible exposure with a couple of CSW in canada a few weeks ago.It was vaginal and no oral. This is only exposure i ever had outside the committed relationship. There is lot of stress due to guilt. I had STD and HIV(antibody 3rd ge. EIA) test done at 4 weeks and then agian HIV(antibody 3rd gen. EIA) and Syphilis test done at 8 weeks after exposure.My question is how reliable are these tests at 8 weeks.The nurse at the clinic said it is greater than 99%. Is that true? Do I need further testing.

Thanks

Hi.

Canada has slightly different guidelines than the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The latter's guidelines recommend HIV screening at the three-month mark for a definitive result. That said, it is true that the vast majority of (but not all) HIVers will have detectable levels of specific anti-HIV antibody in their blood within four to six weeks after primary HIV infections and therefore test HIV-antibody positive.

I would advise:

1. Level with your "committed relationship" partner. It's not only the best way to deal with your guilt; it's also the right thing to do.

2. Repeat your HIV-antibody test at the three-month mark.

Thanks for your support of 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 will remain negative. The statistical odds are all in your favor.

Good luck!

Dr. Bob