A Question About HIV?

I took an HIV test last year in October (2006) 6 months after the last time I had sex. I never went abck for the results because they told me they only contact people who are positive and only if I really wanted to know should I call them.

Well I called a month after the test since I never heard from them, but I missed the nurses call back and they never contacted me again. I don't really want to go get tested again since I haven't had sex since before I got tested. Thinking about that clinic gives me the chills.

Can I be sure that I'm negative?

If you were positive, the state health department would be knocking down your door. But, its good to know your status. Go ahead and give them a call back.

Never can be sure, it is best to have the results told to you so you can have peace of mind.

just call em and ask

Call again? Also, HIV can sometimes take more than 6 months to show up (up to a year I believe, in rare cases), so it's probably best to get tested again anyways.

if they only contact people who are positive i dont think you have anything to worry about

I'd say you can be 99.9% youre negative for HIV. You're just worried that you are but youre not.

i would go check just in case...its better to catch it early...try not to be nervous

No, because there could be any number of reasons why someone doesn't get called back...say if they lost your number or misplaced your test.

NOPE.... if you have suspiscions for any reasons.. take it again... you'd rather kno then not kno... so yur scared of he hospital... you'd be more scared if you had it

First of all, no one can be sure they are negative. The test just tells you that you are not positive.

Secondly, the test does not give you AIDS. So don't be afraid to get tested. If you have it, which is statistically VERY unlikely, you'll be able to take care of yourself.

Oh, and- you don't have it. So go get tested.

Im sure that if it was positive then they would have contacted you and as an urgent case.
I wouldnt worry too much.

Not with out the results in your hot little hands, and then you may want a second opinion either way. If you have not changed any of your contact information than you are relatively safe as if you were positive they would call again and again.

PCR assays

Qualitative assays for proviral HIV-1 DNA. Although only a small fraction of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from infected individuals carry proviral HIV-1 DNA, they can usually be detected by PCR. Therefore, a diagnosis of HIV-1 infection can be made by demonstrating the presence of proviral DNA in PBMC. Assays for detecting proviral DNA employ the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify conserved sequences in the HIV-1 gag or pol gene. Experienced laboratories can achieve 100% sensitivity and specificity in PCR testing for HIV-1 DNA (37). The sensitivity of HIV-1 DNA PCR assays in clinical practice is only 96-99%, however (38-41). Strict attention to guard against contamination from the carry over of PCR products is essential to prevent false-positive results.

As with virus culture and p24 antigen detection, sensitivity is lower in individuals with higher CD4+ cell counts due to the lower titer of circulating infected PBMC. DNA PCR assays for HIV-1 are used most often in the early diagnosis of HIV-1 infection in neonates. Clinical applications of these tests are relatively limited in adults, but occasionally DNA PCR testing may be helpful in resolving indeterminate western blots in high-risk individuals.

4/15/01

Hello Meg, the only way to be sure is to do the test and then follow thru and check up on your results.

I would think you could call back and ask them to pull your fill and they would look and tell you if you need to come in and be seen or not.

Be safe and remember to protect yourself for the rest of your life and you will be around to help pay my social sec. payments. LOL
Thanks, and a good question

You should definitely call. Never rely on someone else to get back to you. Things (names, numbers, results...) get lost or forgotten about. Also, even if a test comes back negative, you should go back for a second test about six months later to confirm it was not a false negative.

I know you don't like going to the clinic but you need to be sure.I know there isn't a cure but, if you are positive they can help you.Since they didn't call you back the first time you probably are negative but you should make sure.

Wow I keep reading these posts- where are these doctors offices or clinics that call people? That is not how it should be done. No matter what, there should always be a follow up appointment, no matter what the results are. People rack their brains out while waiting for tests, and when they come negative counseling should still be done. But I would just get another test done. If you haven't had sex since the last test, then I'm sure you are fine if they haven't contacted you. I would think that if you were positive, they would call as much as they could to tell you. Overall there is no way to know without getting the results, You can't just go off of having "good health" for a year or not getting sick. The test is the only real way to know. Seek some counseling too, it really does help. Best wishes =)

O and it takes about 3 months for antibodies to show up in the standard HIV test. About 96/97% of people will have a postive test by month 3. The cases where it takes 6+ months are considered rare cases. (CDC website= go there. theres a lot of info that you may find handy)

wow...
that's quite simple. i wander why u are so shy about going there again, u just to get your results. and more importantly, i need to remind u that there exsits mistakes. i remember someone on positivesingles.com once told me she was misdiagnosed and knew her positive statu 2 yrs after the test.
so i strongly suggest u go to... okay?