Testing - please any advice
I recently met a new partner, 3 weeks ago. After a condom broke he had symptoms of an STD. We both got tested and treated with antibiotics. I used a home test kit, he went to a clinic.
Other than the one std he said all of his results have come back clear.
I received a phone call to say my HIV test was inconclusive, the test was done ten days after the condom broke. I went to the clinic yesterday to have a repeat test done. They also did a rapid finger prick test that showed up negative, but said that only covers from post 6 weeks.
My home test was taken from my finger, and tested in the lab. The health care provider said it was tested ( I thought maybe I hadn’t taken enough blood as it was just below the 400 line )
I am terrified, I can’t eat, I can’t concentrate on anything else. I haven’t actually seen the man’s results I just have his word that they are negative. I’ve asked for a screenshot of the text message but he said he no longer has it.
How long do the results take to come back, what is the possibility that it will come back positive, why would my first test be inconclusive. I’m so worried, any advice would be gratefully received
Hi
. I can tell you are stressed and please know that people here understand. One thing I can tell you is that, even though your first test was sent to a lab, that does not mean that the window period opened for the type of test. As noted in this article from our editorial team on the different types of tests, the shortest window period is for the nucleic acid tests which "can typically detect the virus about 10 days to a month after exposure:" https://h-i-v.net/test-types. So, the window period is a distinct possibility for why the test would be inconclusive. Concerning the possibility of the follow-up test being positive, the window period could still be an issue. Also, I want to stress that we are not medical professionals and, for your safety, cannot assess your risk, but what I can offer is this article from our editorial team on transmission risks: https://h-i-v.net/transmission-risks. Your medical provider should be able to provide you information on the specific test and additional information on the window period. We know the waiting is terrible, but, unfortunately the proper diagnostics require it. I hope this information is helpful and please feel free, if you like, to keep us posted on how you are doing - this community is here for you. Best, Richard (Team Member) Thank you for replying Richard. I just wanted to update this post incase anyone in the same situation finds it in the future.
I called the clinic this morning but my results were not yet back, I then called THT advice line and spoke to a fantastic advisor who listened to my fears before giving me some lovely reassurance. He said the sample from the home test kit that I initially sent to the lab was very small, and given that I’d been unwell with a chest infection at the time of testing this is what was likely to have picked up. He said inconclusive results are fairly common.
This afternoon the nurse is spoken to at the clinic this morning gave me a call back, she said she’d been watching for my results and they’d just come through.My test results came back as negative.
Hi
. First, let me say it is great to hear your results came back negative. Second, thanks for keeping us posted with a follow-up and additional information. I had not thought of the potential impact of an infection on the test results, but there is plenty of research showing that an infection can not only lead to an inconclusive result, but also false-positive results (such as this article: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cause-of-false-positive-hiv-results). Wishing you the best. Richard (Team Member)
