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negative test question
#199350 - 07/09/06 02:37 PM
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If I tested negative for HIV at 9 months after a possible exposure is it at all possible that I still may be HIV+, even if the possible exposure involved sharing needles with someone who is HIV+ and I am a heroin user, not that that is the case exactly.
I want to get another test, but is this at all reasonable, or am I completely irrational?
What is the latest anyone has ever seroconverted?
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You are being completely irrational, but hey, it's your life you're wasting being overly worried about a disease YOU DON'T HAVE.
Test until kindom come for all I care. The results won't change. It's your money and all this time from your life you've spent obessing that you are throwing away, no one elses. Go ahead. Be irrational. Who cares.
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MiamiLat
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Guardian
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Reged: 12/30/05
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Posts: 396
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Loc: Miami, FL
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6 mos is conclusive for IV drug users. You tested NEG at 9 mos, you're home free! Congrats!
The best thing to do now is seek help for your addiction. You have been given a 2nd chance, make the best of it...
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"Education, prevention, awareness, research, and support"
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thanks for the responses. i'm not actually an IV drug user, but I did IV drugs once 15 months ago, which was when I could have been infected. i also didn't share a needle with anyone, but the package that the needle came in was a little bit open, so it could have been used without me knowing, and later i heard that the person i got it from was HIV+. i just wanted to hear responses for the worst case scenario, so that that might help put my fears to rest. since the incident i've turned my life around. i even quit smoking and started exercising regularly, but the fear that i contracted HIV still haunts me. i can't shake it. i'm in therapy too. i've tested at 3, 6, 8, and 10 months, and i just can't stop. i know i have a problem. i had health anxiety before the incident, and am just naturally paranoid. i'm on medication and in therapy, so it's not like i'm not doing anything about it.
what is the longest it has ever taken a person to seroconvert.
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also, why do occupational exposures take longer to seroconvert? wouldn't my incident resemble an occupational exposure in that i used a needle that may have had a small amount of blood in the needle.
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MiamiLat
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Guardian
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Reged: 12/30/05
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Posts: 396
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Loc: Miami, FL
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Regarding occupational exposures, it's not that they take longer to seroconvert. It's just since it's "occupational", then there are certain rules or protocols to follow.
For example, if you get hurt on the job, there are specific steps to follow if you wish to file a claim for Worker's Comp. They are guidelines, that's all.
It's been 15 mos since your "exposure" and you have tested NEG out to 10 mos, you are REALLY NEG! Believe it...
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"Education, prevention, awareness, research, and support"
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I don't think it was implied that occupational exposures tak longer to seroconvert, but as I read it IV drug users have a longer window. I understand this to be true because their immune system can be supressed due to their drug addiction.
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THe 3 month window is very reliable for the vast majority of people, but some do take longer:
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=ask-01-07-32
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