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Getting retested

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by Aptiva, Jun 7, 2016.

  1. Aptiva

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    I had my first sexual encounter over 6 months ago. I got tested - twice - for chlamydia, ghonnorhea, syphilis and HIV. Both times the results for all four were negative. The first test occurred 10 days after the encounter, the second test occurred a month after the encounter. Since the encounter, I have had absolutely no symptoms of any of the mentioned diseases. I know you don't have to have symptoms to have it, but I thought I'd mention it anyways.

    Here's something important: I have been experiencing extreme anxiety after the encounter, thinking I had gotten something (I was and still am worried especially about HIV) but it calmed down a week and a half after the encounter, recurring again for many days at a time afterwards. Anxiety related to my thinking I had gotten HIV continues to this day, though it's minimal enough that it doesn't bother me, until now where I had a severe anxiety spike related to thinking about HIV.

    What happened was I saw something on the Internet related to HIV and out of impulse I searched it on Wikipedia. The severe spike only lasted a few minutes (which is good since before it would last for days). This happened about 35 minutes ago before typing out this post. As I type this post, my anxiety is a little higher but not serious. At the most severe points of my anxiety, I couldn't think of anything else, I was suffering mentally, I couldn't enjoy anything, I could barely eat, I would become physically sick and this would last for days.

    What concerns me are the early dates for my tests. The first one occurred 10 days after the encounter, the second was a month after. According to another user, a month after is pretty reasonable certainty that I don't have it. What I've read online, initial tests after the encounter are still pretty good but they recommend them at later dates as well; this makes me belive that my tests were pretty reliable. Also, the fact that my doctor gave me the green light to get tests done gives me some faith in the tests.

    I'm wondering if I should get tested for a third time. I was tested twice already and both times they were negative. I understand that my chances of actually getting HIV were very low (if not impossible, which they were most likely) and I'm pretty confident that if I did get tested a third time the results would still be negative, but I would like some advice. Regardless, I will be going to my doctor to discuss this. I discussed it once before with my doctor 3 months ago when I went about my ears being clogged (though we didn't go into specific details) and she suggested that a third test would not be necessary.

    What are your thoughts?
     
  2. smurf

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    Its not a medical question. You don't have anything, you know that logically. Now you have to find a way to control your anxiety over getting something.

    Do you have access to a psychologists or sexologist that can help you with the anxiety and how to cope with it?

    You can definitely get another test if you want. Get another result that is negative, but if it doesn't help your anxiety then its time to ask for help!
     
  3. Aptiva

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    But based on what I said (one test 10 days after the encounter, then one month after the encounter) should I get tested a third time?

    I did see a councillor for this before (under the recommendation from the doctor who gave me the green light to do the tests when I did) and it didn't help too much, my problem with anxiety mostly improved on its own. Maybe I will see a councillor again.
     
    #3 Aptiva, Jun 7, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2016
  4. Aptiva

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    I now have a doctor's appointment booked for today at 2:00. I'm going to get a trained professional's opinion on all this, but I would still like to get the opinions of others.
     
  5. smurf

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    You have very little chance to have gotten anything out of your experience. There is even less chance that you would have gotten something and wouldn't be experiencing symptoms.

    You don't need one. Nothing bad will happen if you don't get one.

    Now, realistically, it seems like you need one in order to get your anxiety down. So go get one. Its free in most cases, nothing bad will happen if you get another test, and you get your anxiety taken care of.

    I will say. Even if you did have an STI, it wouldn't be a major issue. You would simply take one single pill, and you are done. Much simpler than treating the flu.

    Breathe, you are fine :slight_smile:
     
  6. Aptiva

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    I think a lot of why I want to get a third test is because I think it would help curb my anxiety, after all, it was HIV I was anxious about in the first place.

    I know that my chances of getting it in the first place were very low. According to numerous Internet resources the chances I could have gotten it ranged from 0.03% to as high as 0.6%. There was only a 2% he had it himself (yes, I did do calculations a while back) and I tested negative, twice. I have reason to believe that both tests were reliable and could be trusted, but I also have reason to believe they weren't enough. That's why I feel like I need to get tested again. I only started trusting my test results in the past couple of weeks but looking at the Wikipedia article for HIV makes me not trust them so much anymore.
     
  7. Aptiva

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    I think a lot of why I want to get a third test is because I think it would help curb my anxiety, after all, it was HIV I was anxious about in the first place.

    I know that my chances of getting it in the first place were very low. According to numerous Internet resources the chances I could have gotten it ranged from 0.03% to as high as 0.6%. There was only a 2% he had it himself (yes, I did do calculations a while back) and I tested negative, twice. I have reason to believe that both tests were reliable and could be trusted, but I also have reason to believe they weren't enough. That's why I feel like I need to get tested again. I only started trusting my test results in the past couple of weeks but looking at the Wikipedia article for HIV makes me not trust them so much anymore.
     
  8. Aptiva

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    I will be redoing the tests under my doctor'said recommendation.