Waiting for HIV test results...

[karldc]

...was the most tense 20 minutes of my life. I haven't been in any dangerous (i.e. unprotected) activities in many many years, but I always had that nagging feeling that one of my partners from my fun filled promiscuous days could have given me HIV and I'd been carrying it for over a decade now.

Long story short, after sweating it out alone for 20 long minutes in front of a video-aquarium, the doc called me back in and declared me negative. A nervous but relieved smile broke out on my face. I wanted to slide down the stairs into the nearest bar and buy everyone drinks.

But I didn't. I walked home calmly. And thanked my stars for this new fear-free life. Whew.

 

[warrior queen]

I don't want to burst your happy bubble, but you do know those 'instant' tests have a much higher false-negative result than the test that takes 15 days, right?

 

[marshalt]

Some people put me down for my inability to score. But at least I don't have AIDS.

 

[John Doe]

I don't want to burst your happy bubble, but you do know those 'instant' tests have a much higher false-negative result than the test that takes 15 days, right?

And if you don't have it done again several months later you may still carry The Hivvie but it just wasn't detected the first time around.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Shit...VA does a full physical/blood work up on me urry year, army used to do them every 3 mo. so I got used to it. If you have something you have it, cancer, HIV, heart disease or any number of other diseases/defects/conditions that can be revealed by a full physical/blood work up. if you don't you don't...either way the point is to get early treatment and either way life will go on.

 

[Mike_Yates]

Cancer is much more worrisome than HIV.

At least HIV can be entirely avoided by not having sex or sharing needles.

 

[John Doe]

Shit...VA does a full physical/blood work up on me urry year, army used to do them every 3 mo. so I got used to it. If you have something you have it, cancer, HIV, heart disease or any number of other diseases/defects/conditions that can be revealed by a full physical/blood work up. if you don't you don't...either way the point is to get early treatment and either way life will go on.

Um...no. Just no.

 

[Mike_Yates]

Freddy Mercury died of AIDS.

 

[warrior queen]

And if you don't have it done again several months later you may still carry The Hivvie but it just wasn't detected the first time around.

I think we scared him off

 

[karldc]

I actually asked the doc about false negatives. He said the probability is very low. The test he used is called a 4th generation test. Googling it sort of reassured me. In any case, I can get retested again somewhere else. This time I won't be anxious, though.

From http://mobile.aidsmap.com/Accuracy/page/1323356

Health Protection Agency evaluation of ten fourth-generation tests found that all except one had a sensitivity of 100% – in other words, all HIV positive people tested were correctly diagnosed.

One test (Abbott Murex HIV Ag/Ab combination) did fail to identify a single HIV-positive sample (of 508 tested). This sample was of HIV-2, and this test was judged to have a sensitivity of 99.8%.

A WHO evaluation of five tests found that each had a sensitivity of 100%.

A French evaluation of twelve tests found that nine had a sensitivity of 100%. Two tests did fail to identify a single HIV-positive sample (of 669 tested), and were judged to have a sensitivity of 99.8%. These tests were the Vidas Duo and Enzygnost HIV Integral. The samples missed were of subtypes F and C.

 

[John Doe]

I actually asked the doc about false negatives. He said the probability is very low. The test he used is called a 4th generation test. Googling it sort of reassured me. In any case, I can get retested again somewhere else. This time I won't be anxious, though.

From http://mobile.aidsmap.com/Accuracy/page/1323356

Health Protection Agency evaluation of ten fourth-generation tests found that all except one had a sensitivity of 100% – in other words, all HIV positive people tested were correctly diagnosed.

One test (Abbott Murex HIV Ag/Ab combination) did fail to identify a single HIV-positive sample (of 508 tested). This sample was of HIV-2, and this test was judged to have a sensitivity of 99.8%.

A WHO evaluation of five tests found that each had a sensitivity of 100%.

A French evaluation of twelve tests found that nine had a sensitivity of 100%. Two tests did fail to identify a single HIV-positive sample (of 669 tested), and were judged to have a sensitivity of 99.8%. These tests were the Vidas Duo and Enzygnost HIV Integral. The samples missed were of subtypes F and C.

Well, it's up to you obviously and maybe my info is out of date but if I were you I'd get tested again in several months just to be sure.

 

[warrior queen]

If you're happy with the accuracy.... good

I don't really understand why you'd go for a test 10+ yrs later, but each to their own.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Um...no. Just no.

Why no?

Do your physicals not include a full blood work up?

If not you might want to change providers homie.....even a lame ass physical should do a basic blood screening for indications of the biggies (HIV, Hepatitis, Heart disease, Cancer).

 

[warrior queen]

Why no?

Do your physicals not include a full blood work up?

If not you might want to change providers homie.....even a lame ass physical should do a basic blood screening for indications of the biggies (HIV, Hepatitis, Heart disease, Cancer).

Most don't believe a standard blood work includes a cancer marker test.
Here, I know I have to specifically ask for it to be included.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Most don't believe a standard blood work includes a cancer marker test.
Here, I know I have to specifically ask for it to be included.

Hmm...maybe it's just the VA, and I have never had a private sector physical so that could very well be the case. But my physicals usually take all god damn day and include several appointments. They take a bunch of blood, scan, poke, stab, ask a million questions and stick fingers/machines/scopes all up in my everything. Not much diff from the Army...like I said if I have anything wrong on any given year they will find it. The report I get comes in a manila folder and is usually 35/40 pages so I'm fairly confident in their thoroughness and have little reason to doubt the "HIV:NEG HEP/C:NEG" etc. reported by the lab.

 

[warrior queen]

Hmm...maybe it's just the VA, and I have never had a private sector physical so that could very well be the case. But my physicals usually take all god damn day and include several appointments. They take a bunch of blood, scan, poke, stab, ask a million questions and stick fingers/machines/scopes all up in my everything. Not much diff from the Army...like I said if I have anything wrong on any given year they will find it. The report I get comes in a manila folder and is usually 35/40 pages so I'm fairly confident in their thoroughness and have little reason to doubt the "HIV:NEG HEP/C:NEG" etc. reported by the lab.

Being in AU, I have no idea how your system works.
But here you have to ask.

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

i'm clean, took it not too long ago last yr.

 

[karldc]

If you're happy with the accuracy.... good

I don't really understand why you'd go for a test 10+ yrs later, but each to their own.

Because 10 years ago it hadn't occurred to me that some of my partners were high-risk. HIV incidence was low in my country back then. Bottom line, better late than never, and am glad it turned out okay.

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

I don't want to burst your happy bubble, but you do know those 'instant' tests have a much higher false-negative result than the test that takes 15 days, right?

^ what she said

 

[Beco]

...was the most tense 20 minutes of my life. I haven't been in any dangerous (i.e. unprotected) activities in many many years, but I always had that nagging feeling that one of my partners from my fun filled promiscuous days could have given me HIV and I'd been carrying it for over a decade now.

Long story short, after sweating it out alone for 20 long minutes in front of a video-aquarium, the doc called me back in and declared me negative. A nervous but relieved smile broke out on my face. I wanted to slide down the stairs into the nearest bar and buy everyone drinks.

But I didn't. I walked home calmly. And thanked my stars for this new fear-free life. Whew.

Its not a death sentence.....but why worry? Unless you have done gay sex or shared needles

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

Its not a death sentence.....but why worry? Unless you have done gay sex or shared needles

blobfish has it.

 

[Porkwarrior]

Its not a death sentence.....but why worry? Unless you have done gay sex or shared needles

That was true 20yrs ago, but hasn't been since.
The quickest rising population of HIV infection in North America has been in retirees. You'd be amazed what happens in those Arizona RV parks!

 

[Beco]

That was true 20yrs ago, but hasn't been since.
The quickest rising population of HIV infection in North America has been in retirees. You'd be amazed what happens in those Arizona RV parks!

I knew the elderly had issues with SDT's, but not AIDS.....yikes

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

I knew the elderly had issues with SDT's, but not AIDS.....yikes

*std..

 

[Beco]

*std..

STP? or is that an oil?