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Reply: SHOULD WE SEE A DOCTOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN HIV?

Hi CJ, the VA can pay for an HIV doctor, or an Infectious Disease...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:SHOULD WE SEE A DOCTOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN HIV? Hi CJ, the VA can pay for an HIV doctor, or an Infectious Disease...

Reply: HIV negative at 9 weeks is it possible to test pos...

Hello, At this point, I think you should seek some counseling...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:HIV negative at 9 weeks is it possible to test positive at 13 Hello, At this point, I think you should seek some counseling...

Reply: 9 months pregnant - Please Answer -

I'm so sorry I missed your response! As you can imagine, my primary...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

17 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:9 months pregnant - Please Answer - I'm so sorry I missed your response! As you can imagine, my primary...

Reply: Testing after receiving oral sex

Hello, sorry I'm coming in late on this conversation. You don't have...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Testing after receiving oral sex Hello, sorry I'm coming in late on this conversation. You don't have...

Reply: HIV negative at 9 weeks is it possible to test pos...

Hello, We can't guarantee anything 100%, but obviously what Gail...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:HIV negative at 9 weeks is it possible to test positive at 13 Hello, We can't guarantee anything 100%, but obviously what Gail...

Reply: SHOULD WE SEE A DOCTOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN HIV?

Hello, what do you need to know? Let us know, I'm a physician who...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:SHOULD WE SEE A DOCTOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN HIV? Hello, what do you need to know? Let us know, I'm a physician who...

Reply: Just Found out husband had sex with male prostitut...

Hello, This sounds like a really difficult situation, both...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Just Found out husband had sex with male prostitute without protection then with me Hello, This sounds like a really difficult situation, both...

Reply: Can HIV Drugs rid the body of HIV?

Hello, one other thing I would add - many physicians who specialize...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

8 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Can HIV Drugs rid the body of HIV? Hello, one other thing I would add - many physicians who specialize...

Reply: 9 months pregnant - Please Answer -

Pregnancy can cause false positives just for the antibody test - this...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

17 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:9 months pregnant - Please Answer - Pregnancy can cause false positives just for the antibody test - this...

Reply: 9 months pregnant - Please Answer -

Hello, I'm sorry to hear you are going though this, it sounds very...

Posted by David J Malebranche, MD, MPH

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear you are going though this, it sounds very stressful. First of all, Dan is correct and I think you can ease your mind if your HIV test was negative at 3 months. It is EXTREMELY RARE that someone would seroconvert to positive after being negative at 3 months post exposure.

That said, however, you are about to have a baby so I would recommend you do this:

- go back to your OB/GYN and ask them to do what's called an HIV RNA PCR test, or a viral load - if the main issue is that you and your doctors are scared that the regular HIV antibody test won't be accurate until 6 months, the best way to put the question to bed is get a viral load, which will absolutely show virus if you were, in fact, exposed. Then you don't have to think about timing of how long it takes to make antibodies, etc - you'll have a direct test that looks for copies of the virus.

And you don't have to apologize about the questions - you wouldn't be human if you weren't worried about your health, and more importantly, the health of your soon to be newborn. But demand your doctors order the viral load test instead of just saying that the antibody test is not conclusive yet and letting you struggle with your anxiety. If they still put up blocks, ask to speak to the medical director of the clinic, and go higher and explain the situation til you are satisfied they are running the appropriate tests to rule out any infection that the HIV antibody test may miss if this is a "window period."

Like we've said, I don't think you have HIV, but your situation is unique, and the viral load results will give you MUCH more certainty that you aren't putting your baby in harm's way. And if the viral load comes back positive (which I don't think it will), you can take meds and give meds to your baby to prevent transmission during childbirth IF it comes to that. But I don't think it will.

Please keep us updated on what happens and good luck to you. Hope this helps.

DavidView Thread

Posted byDavid J Malebranche, MD, MPH

17 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:9 months pregnant - Please Answer - Hello, I'm sorry to hear you are going though this, it sounds very...

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