Riddle Me This

[Guest hodannyboi]

You test positive for HIV antibodies.

Your viral load off meds comes back undetectable.

Your viral load on meds comes back undetectable.

You've never not had an undetectable viral load.

If not one single copy of the virus can be found...

are you HIV Positive?

[ErosWired]

Two observations:

1. Undetectable does not mean that not one single copy of the virus can be found. It means that the count is below the threshold for a significant positive test result. Just because the tests come back Undetectable doesn’t mean they found absolutely nothing. Undetectable <> Negative.

2. There is such a thing as a false positive test result. My nephew had one. A subsequent test came back negative. There are also false negatives - a series of false negatives (and extraordinarily bad luck) is why I ended up with AIDS before I even knew I was infected. The best way to confirm a dubious test result is to test again, with the aid of a professional.

[ejaculaTe]

The virus “hides” in “latent reservoirs” in places like your brain, your lymph glands, certain types of immune system cells. (A Google search for “hiv hides in body” will give you a list of articles on the subject.) “Undetectable” only means that the blood test didn’t detect more than 20 copies of the virus in a microliter of blood (I think that’s the correct volume). 

[Guest hodannyboi]

On 6/23/2019 at 5:31 PM, ErosWired said:

2. There is such a thing as a false positive test result. My nephew had one. A subsequent test came back negative. There are also false negatives - a series of false negatives (and extraordinarily bad luck) is why I ended up with AIDS before I even knew I was infected. The best way to confirm a dubious test result is to test again, with the aid of a professional.

Interesting.  How long did he go believing he was positive before learning it was a false positive?  What was his reaction upon learning that he was, in fact, still negative?  What initiated the process of re-doing the test in the first place?

[rawsatyr]

I wonder if those of us who are UNDETECTABLE, even extremely so, if we took a simple HIV test, would it come up positive??? Enquiring minds want to know? Well fuck, I should google it or ask my specialist doctor...

[Guest hodannyboi]

Well yeah, cause antibodies.

I get all the explanations.  I accept all the explanations.  I accept that I am HIV Positive.  I mean what the fuck else am I supposed to do.

Yet still, with all the tests, none have shown the definitive existence of even just one copy of HIV virus in my body.

It nags at my thoughts and finding an answer has proven maddeningly difficult.

Also want to point out that "under 20" does not necessarily equal "1-19."  Under 20 equals "0-19."  If 'undetectable' meant the former (1-19), then the question would definitively be put to rest.  But 'undetectable' means the latter (0-19).

Which is just enough doubt to keep this pesky flame burning.

[ErosWired]

2 hours ago, hodannyboi said:

Interesting.  How long did he go believing he was positive before learning it was a false positive?  What was his reaction upon learning that he was, in fact, still negative?  What initiated the process of re-doing the test in the first place?

As I recall he fretted over it for 2-3 weeks before we persuaded him that he should probably see a professional and get a definitive result to confirm that he did indeed have HIV and get started on treatment. His reaction was enormous relief. Mine too - I don’t want to see anyone else in my family besides me have to deal with this illness.