I shook hands with my friend who did fingering with his partner. Will I get HIV?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The probability of getting HIV is low. However, it is better to get tested to be sure. It would help if you got a combo test done, which includes antibodies and antigens. An antigen test or PCR is more helpful for the initial few weeks when antibodies are yet to be formed, while after a few weeks, antibody tests are more reliable. After nine months, the antibodies test is more reliable in ruling out HIV. So get a combo test. Even with autoimmune disease or cancer, antibodies will form, and tests will be positive.

As viruses do not survive long outside (which is variable based on temperature, humidity, etc.), they usually become inactive on drying. Also, intact skin does not allow the virus to pass inside. So unlikely mode of transmission. So, in a nutshell, it is doubtful scenario for transmission but better to get tested once.

I hope this helps.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I have seen the CBC report (attachment removed to protect patient identity).

These slight toxic granules may be related to autoimmune arthritis, bacterial infection at that time, or maybe an error during reporting. It is not associated with HIV. So it is probably not a significant finding. It will not affect the HIV test.

Autoimmune arthritis or thyroid will not affect HIV testing, so if your tests are negative, then these rule out the possibility of HIV. Irrespective of the number of exposures, the tests remain the same, and a combo test is enough. When one wants to detect or rule out HIV early after exposure to a few weeks (usually 3-4 weeks), antigen or PCR tests are more reliable. While after that period, antibody tests are more reliable. Antigen tests may be negative during this period. So if combo tests are negative after six weeks or a few months, then the probability of having HIV is very low and maybe less than 1 percent. It is extremely rare for someone to turn positive after six months. So after six months with negative tests, you may consider yourself free from HIV.

And once an HIV test turns positive, it remains positive subsequently. Such off and on things do not happen in HIV reports. If antibodies are not there, then antigen or PCR may be positive. A window period of two years is again an improbable scenario.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

PCR detects the direct virus, but as I mentioned earlier, antibodies are more reliable. Rarely, if virus concentration is too low, then it may not be detected. But antibodies will always be present at this time period. Combining both PCR and antibody tests will be more reliable than either alone. If you are getting PCR, then antigen is not required. PCR is better than antigen. The antigen is unlikely to be present at this time. And antigen will go down with antibody production.

You are not the kind of person who wont be producing antibodies because one would be so susceptible to many infections. So antibody test will be positive in you if you are truly HIV positive. Corona will not affect HIV test.

So, in a nutshell, if your PCR plus antibody test is negative after 8 to 9 months of exposure, then you are free of HIV irrespective of your exposures before that.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Usually, new lancet is used for each individual. So if new lancet was used then there are no chances of HIV, unless she gets a cut and her blood is attached to the lancet and it is not too long after her blood came in contact with lancet. So it is an unlikely scenario again.

Even if we consider that lancet is reused then the chance of transmission is around 0.3 percent. If we consider there was a significant exposure then we have to wait for at least three to four weeks to show it on combo test.