I have a question about a result. (back story: Haven't had ANY TYPE of sex for over a year) I went to the clinic to get tested for HIV (I know I should do a general test but I haven't had sex in sooo long HIV was the only one that concerned me). The lady explained me that the thirty-minute blood test wasn't as accurate than the Eliza one which is dead on the spot except for 0.01% of the results. However my question is, how accurate a thirty-minute blood test can be? By the way, it said I am negative
If you haven't had sex in over a year, the quick result test is, for all intents and purposes, all you need. There's less than a 1 in 10,000 chance of a false result, and the quick tests are more likely to return a false positive than a false negative, so if it comes back negative, you really don't need to worry. The ELISA is actually not very accurate for people who have been recently exposed; it, too, is looking for antibodies which can take from 21 to 90 days, sometimes more, to develop. If you are recently exposed, and want an accurate result, the PCR is, as far as I know, the most accurate test because it detects the presence of the virus itself. But it's pricey and so not used except in those cases. Hope that helps.
Obviously, this is the part of my newfound sexuality that scares the hell out of me. I haven't had to think about STDs in over 15 years and those weren't life-threatening. Use a condom, they say. Well, yeah, but I'm not entirely sure I want to bet my life on a piece of latex. Frankly, I'm not even sure I'm ready for this discussion. The idea of actually having sex is still pretty far away in my mind. So far away I can't see it. Still, I can't be the only one who's ever had this concern, so if anyone has any wisdom to share, that would be great. Thanks.
Well, as long as you use a condom, the chances of getting any STD/STI are greatly reduced. That means that whether you're with a man or a woman, in any sex encounter, there's a chance for you to get any STD/STI your partner has. That doesn't mean you have to be in paranoia mode, only make sure you have protected sex with people you know. Using a condom doesn't mean you're free of exposure. I know it's crazy and scary, but really, if you make the right choices on the right times, sex turns out to be a great GREAT thing. So if you don't feel ready for it, or to even talk about it, don't. You'll get there soon.
These screening tests are designed to be overly sensitive, so they are more likely to generate false-positives (a positive result in someone who doesn't actually have HIV antibodies). That is why any positive result from a screening test is sent to the lab for additional testing and confirmation. You're not the first person to say this but something to think about- when viewed as a global epidemic, HIV affects more straight people than gay or bisexual people. Even in North America, heterosexual women of color are the fastest expanding population of HIV infected people. And with anal sex becoming more popular with heterosexual couples, we expect that HIV will become an increasingly "heterosexual" disease in North America.
To clarify, I've been in a monogamous hetero marriage for 15 years. I would be as scared if I all of a sudden was thinking about the prospect of sex with women. The worst thing I worried about growing up in the late 80s and early 90s before I got married was chlamydia. Obviously, the gay community has been dealing with this for a long time, but it's crazy for everyone now. At any rate, I'm not 19 anymore. If/when I do decide to engage in sex, it's probably not going to be of the casual/anonymous variety anyway. I responded to a few personal ads but, ultimately, I just couldn't do it. I'm not wired that way anymore, I guess. ---------- Post added 16th Jun 2011 at 07:55 AM ---------- Yeah, I'm taking it *really* easy here. Talking about these things is necessary, obviously, but mentally/emotionally, I'm still at the "holy $hit, I like guys?!" phase.
