Kindly assess This situation......

[curlyshabab]

Hi...after a recent low risk exposure.....where i have a feeling that the vaginal fluids of a sex worker came in close proximity to a fresh cut on my body, i've been wondering whether i could have infected with HIV. I still am not completely sure coz during the incident i was under the influence of alcohol & the lights were pretty dim...anyways....

at 3 weeks i was prescribed a HIV DNA PCR test (Whole Blood) which i did from a very well accredited laboratory & the results were NOT DETECTED...hence negative.

At 6 weeks i underwent the Elisa antibody test (Blood)..which also returned negative.

I've been having some symptoms lately.....like you know acute cramping & tingling in the arms & legs which got me worried that's why i posted inspite of getting the 6 week negative....but symptoms don't mean much do they ??? yes i will test once again at 3 months!!!

Would you say my results are encouraging....??? i will be retesting at 12 - 13 weeks to validate these results but i could use some help on this..

Thanx!!!!

[curlyshabab]

Well i mentioned low risk coz i think this is low risk.....But please correct me if i'm wrong coz the more i think of it i feel that the vaginal fluids were around the moist fresh cut i had sustained & that would have posed some risk...

[FWK]

Hi Curly,

I am sorry but I can't help in this, ratehr wait for Teak or Lizzie...they know more.

Usually a 6 week negative is a good sign though...cheer up and relax.

Good luck,
FWK

[Teak]

You didn't have a risk of contracting HIV. PCR-DNA test is not an approved diagnostic test.

[curlyshabab]

well yeah i know The DNA PCR is not recommended for the costs & the rate of false positives it sometimes come up with......that's why i repeated the Elisa test at 6 weeks coz that's what my doc told me to do, since he said 6 weeks is a good time frame to analyse whether indeed any infection did occur.....ofcourse i've been asked to validate everything at the end of 12 weeks to make sure......

The only reason i was worrying was i was experiecing severe tingling , numbness & cramps in my feet & palms....now it's quite similar to peripheral neuropathy....i've heard PN does occur quite commonly with HIV infection....& that's got me worried...

My next appt with the Doctor is 2 weeks from now, so i'l have to wait till i go to him again with these symptoms....any idea whether these could be related to HIV, coz whatever i've read regards PN, it does say HIV is one of the conditions where it certainly occurs....please advise!!!

[Teak]

PN does not happen in primary HIV infection. LOOK up anxiety and take a look at the symptoms.