Speedophobia - Fear of contracting AIDS

The list of deadly diseases that frighten many people is quite long.
These include cancer, tuberculosis and hepatitis C, but people are most afraid of AIDS, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This virus and the disease it causes are still considered incurable, although there are methods that can prolong the patient’s life by several decades. The fear of getting sick can be so strong that even the need to get tested for HIV can cause real panic. This condition can also develop in completely healthy people who fear that their tests may be positive. But quite often those who have real suspicions about the disease are afraid to donate blood for HIV. By postponing the examination, they only aggravate their condition, so the fear of taking tests in this case is not just a phobia that complicates life, but a real threat to life.

Fear of tests as a mental disorder

Patients who complain that they are afraid to take HIV tests or are afraid of the results of an HIV test suffer from a specific type of phobia - speedophobia. The fear of contracting HIV or developing AIDS is a normal reaction of any person, due to the instinct of self-preservation. But phobic fear is too exaggerated and irrational; it complicates a person’s life and leads to the development of depression and other mental disorders.

Experts distinguish two types of speedophobia:

1. The person is firmly convinced that he has AIDS, and constantly undergoes medical examinations and tests. He does not believe the negative test results, believing that the doctors simply made a mistake or that he has a special type of disease that the tests cannot detect.
2. The person assumes that he has contracted an infection, but he categorically refuses to see a doctor and undergo an examination.

In the first case, it will be very difficult to solve the problem without the help of specialists. But the second type of speedophobia can be overcome on your own, with the support of relatives.

Causes of speedophobia

Lack of basic knowledge about the disease - how it spreads and how to avoid it - can lead to a pathological fear of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Fear of AIDS belongs to a group of mental conditions that are collectively termed “hypochondriacal syndrome.” It is caused by a person’s constant worries about his or her health. People with such a mental disorder believe that they suffer from a disease that in reality does not exist.

Speedophobia affects people who are characterized by such personality traits as high suspiciousness and anxiety, impulsiveness and pliability to irritants.

Psychotherapists have learned to cope with hypochondriacal syndrome, which gives rise to a lot of phobic conditions. For their methods to work, the patient must independently want to cope with the pathology.

Experts have identified a number of reasons that can lead to fear of AIDS:

• The common belief is that this disease is incurable.
• The stereotype is that HIV patients die after a few years of illness.
• There are many unfounded myths regarding the development of AIDS.
• Lack of information about the disease and its prevention.
• Incorrect statistics on morbidity and mortality that relate to a pathological condition.
• Misinformation about AIDS in the media.
• The presence of nonspecific symptoms in the disease, which are also characteristic of more common pathologies.
• Wrong work of doctors.
• Social discrimination against patients who have received a disappointing diagnosis.
• Having a negative experience associated with the death of a loved one due to this disease.

Stressful situations can contribute to the development of speedophobia. With this disorder, certain symptoms of malaise occur. A suspicious person begins to perceive them as signs of the development of AIDS. Against this background, the experiences only begin to intensify, which is why the course of the mental disorder is greatly complicated.

The dangers of fear of tests and how to get rid of it

A person who has any phobia is almost always unhappy. He feels lonely because it seems to him that those around him do not understand him. A depressive state leads to the development of mental and psychosomatic disorders, which further aggravate the condition. Therefore, you should not ignore phobias, especially if the fear is associated with visiting a doctor and taking tests.

If you have discovered a number of symptoms characteristic of HIV infection, or someone close to you has said: “I am afraid that I have become infected with HIV,” then you need to immediately undergo testing. To overcome fear, you will need to do the following:

• turn to loved ones for help. Their support will help overcome uncertainty and fear. A person must understand that regardless of the test results, he will be loved and supported;
• make maximum volitional efforts to decide to visit specialists;
• get acquainted with the latest developments in the field of detecting HIV infection. When a person understands that he will get the result instantly, and he will not have to suffer waiting for several days, then the fear becomes less.

It will be useful to study information about the characteristics of the disease. People suffering from any form of speedophobia avoid contact with sick people in every possible way, considering them a potential threat. They do not trust information about the routes of transmission of infection, sincerely believing that they can become infected with HIV in other ways that doctors are silent about. If you cannot convince such patients of the irrationality of their fears through your own efforts, then you should consult a psychotherapist.

How to get rid of speedophobia yourself

Experts do not recommend self-medication. Speedophobia is a serious disease that requires complex psychotherapy (individual, group, family), and in some cases, medication (sedatives, antidepressants). To get rid of pathology forever, you need to see a psychotherapist. However, at an early stage of the disease, you can cope with anxiety on your own.

Psychologist's advice

Psychologists recommend fighting phobias with the help of symbol drama.

How to get rid of speedophobia:

1. Close your eyes, mentally relax each muscle group in turn, take several deep breaths. Remember something pleasant, a situation in which you felt confident.
2. Imagine the disease (HIV, AIDS) in the form of some kind of image. What does the disease look like?
3. Talk to the image you have imagined. Tell him everything that has accumulated, ask exciting questions.
4. Analyze what feature or feature of the image you remember most.
5. Using paints, draw your thoughts, emotions, sensations.
6. Assess the severity of anxiety.
7. Repeat the exercise daily.

As a preventive measure, psychologists recommend following the following recommendations:

• avoid casual intimate contacts and unprotected sexual intercourse;
• objectively assess the risks of HIV infection;
• increase overall stress resistance, reduce the amount of stress in life.

It is important! An exhausted psyche is more suggestible. Phobias develop in people who are already in a state of chronic stress and neurosis.

Overcoming a phobia on your own

First of all, get to know your fear better. Sometimes anxiety is caused by ignorance of the differences between HIV and AIDS, and a lack of understanding of the routes of transmission of infection. Find out under what conditions the virus dies, how you can and cannot become infected, what the risks of infection are through different contacts. This will help overcome fear.

For example, did you know that AIDS is transmitted from mother to child (during pregnancy), through unprotected sexual contact, through blood (using the same syringe, blood transfusion, surgery using unsterile equipment). But a handshake, a hug, and even a mosquito bite are not dangerous. HIV is not transmitted by airborne droplets; it cannot be contracted through kissing, sharing utensils, or swimming in the same body of water.

Another method of self-relief from anxiety is physical therapy. In addition, the support of loved ones and laughter therapy (comedies, jokes, meetings with friends) are important. All three methods help distract from obsessive thoughts and reduce anxiety. While a person can control the manifestations of a phobia, one must try by all means to distract oneself and transfer energy in the right direction. It is also necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, get enough sleep, and rest.

This is interesting! We recommend reading David Adam's book "The Man Who Couldn't Stop". In his work, the author speaks without embellishment about his personal experience of struggling with speedophobia.

How fear arises before taking an HIV test

Speedophobia can develop in different people; the causes of this disorder are very different. However, there are a number of provoking factors that can lead to the development of fear before taking an HIV test:

1. The presence in the family of a seriously ill person with a similar diagnosis. Such a negative experience will inevitably affect a person’s mental state. This factor most often provokes the occurrence of speedophobia in the fairer sex, since they are more impressionable. If such a woman has been tested for HIV, then she will inevitably worry about the results, because she has already encountered this disease.
2. Speedophobia can occur in homosexual men who refuse to accept their orientation. After each sexual intercourse, such a man experiences a colossal feeling of guilt, and also thinks that an infection has occurred. He may say or think: “I'm afraid I have HIV ” but he will not get tested. The fear of illness in this case is enhanced by the fear of exposure. Due to feelings of guilt, speedophobia can also develop in heterosexual men who use paid sex services.
3. Constantly being in a stressful situation. In this state, people tend to become overly sensitive. They react to even the most minor changes in health, considering them manifestations of terrible diseases.

A person who has previously been misdiagnosed may be afraid to take an HIV test. A rapid test can show a positive result in an HIV-negative person with some other diseases. To confirm the diagnosis, you need to undergo a more accurate examination.

Phobia of contracting the deadly HIV. Epidemic of Fear

For advertising purposes:

There are two diseases that strike fear into everyone: cancer and AIDS. The fears are absolutely rational and understandable. But what to do when fear completely takes over your life? What to do if your world is collapsing due to fear of contracting HIV?

Are you filled with fear of a potential infection, or are you afraid that you are already infected, even though you have had more than one negative test? Most likely, you are really sick. Your diagnosis is a phobia of HIV infection.

“The fear of experiencing pain is greater than the pain itself.” Sir Philip Sidney

Despite the attention devoted to AIDS, the fear of contracting HIV has gone unnoticed. Fear is called differently: AIDSphobia, AIDSpanic, pseudoAIDS

Consists of unfounded fears focused on the disease and people's incorrect beliefs about how HIV is transmitted. This phobia causes a person to do strange things in an attempt to avoid infection.

American psychiatrists even proposed the acronym FRAIDS (fear of AIDS) or fear of AIDS.

The response to such neurotic disorders may be the development of AIDS symptoms, such as weight loss, profuse night sweats, malaise, lethargy, loss of appetite and headaches.

These features reinforce a person's erroneous belief that he is infected.

AIDS phobia is a real disease, but it is also real that people can manage their fears.

HIV prevention – where is the line?

There is another aspect of AIDS phobia, sometimes called the silent epidemic.

Because of the overwhelming fear of contracting HIV, some people take dramatic steps to avoid infection.

A New York City postman refused to deliver mail to the office of a public health organization fighting AIDS. A woman is hesitant to donate blood for fear of getting infected. A young girl quit her piano lessons because she was convinced she saw contaminated blood on the keyboard. The fact is that her mentor’s wife worked in the blood transfusion service.

A young man soaks his feet and penis in undiluted bleach after every visit to a public toilet. Clergy ask AIDS patients to stay away from church for fear of contaminating the congregation. The man operates on all household items using special sterile tweezers. Another stopped eating and drinking altogether for fear of ingesting the HIV virus.

And these are real stories. In these examples, people are so afraid of getting HIV that they do irrational things in hopes of protecting themselves from the disease.

Research conducted among students at an American university showed that 23% of respondents believe that HIV can be contracted by using public toilet seats. 14% were convinced that you can become infected by trying on clothes in a store, while 10% believe that you can become a victim of the disease by holding contaminated money in your hands.

How to overcome fear?

HIV phobia can be avoided if you establish the cause of its occurrence and understand the general principle of transmission of HIV infection from person to person. Understanding these things will help you cope with the paralyzing fear of AIDS and get rid of the phobia.

You need to be aware that among people the immunodeficiency virus is transmitted exclusively through contact with infected blood, vaginal secretions or semen, as well as by consuming the breast milk of an infected woman.

Remember that the immunodeficiency virus cannot be transmitted through accidental touching, kissing, hugging and sharing household items.

Understand that today's HIV tests are highly accurate and provide results you can rely on.

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Misconceptions related to HIV and AIDS

The fear of getting tested is usually caused not by the procedure itself, but by the fear of contracting an incurable disease. Very often on specialized forums you can read the following statements: “... I’m terribly afraid to donate blood for HIV...”, “... I took an HIV test, and now I’m waiting and I’m terribly afraid of the result...”, “... I’m afraid I’ve become infected with HIV...”, “ ...I'm afraid that I have HIV...” Such thoughts arise because many myths have been created around the human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS. Among them, the most common are:

• HIV is an inevitable death. A person infected with the virus can live a long and happy life. To do this, you need to start treatment as quickly as possible and follow the prescribed antiretroviral therapy regimen;
• If the tests reveal HIV, then the person has AIDS. In fact, HIV and AIDS are not the same condition at all. The syndrome develops as the final stage of HIV in the absence of proper treatment for the infection;
• A pregnant woman with HIV will definitely give birth to a sick child. The risk of a baby becoming infected from the mother in the womb is reduced to 50%. But if the woman was under the supervision of a doctor and underwent treatment, then it becomes minimal;
• a person with HIV becomes an outcast because he is dangerous to others. It is impossible to become infected with this infection through everyday life or through communication with a sick person. As mentioned above, the virus can only enter the body through blood, semen or other biological fluid. But if a sick person receives proper treatment, then the risk of infection even during unprotected sex is reduced to 1%. Being in a large group is more dangerous for the patient himself than for the people around him, since his weakened immune system will be under great strain.

Recently, much attention has been paid to preventing the development of HIV infection. One of its directions is explanatory work with the population regarding the characteristics of the disease. If people are less afraid of HIV infection, then taking a test for it or an AIDS test will not be so scary.

Problems and recovery from speedophobia

› Living with HIV ›

Speedophobia is an obsessive fear of becoming infected with the HIV virus.

A person looks out for symptoms of AIDS in every possible way, associates the slightest deterioration in health with immunodeficiency, often takes tests for HIV and, if the results are negative, retakes the test again.

Such an anxious state interferes with a full life; a person becomes fixated on an imaginary illness and the fear of HIV comes to the fore, depriving him of mood, restful sleep, and sometimes even mental health.

Causes of fear of AIDS

Speedophobia is a type of hypochondriacal syndrome - constant worry about one’s health and the identification of all kinds of non-existent pathologies.

The syndrome is typical for suspicious and anxious people, susceptible to the slightest irritants, excitable and impulsive, especially if one of their relatives and friends is sick.

In modern medicine, hypochondria refers to reversible mental disorders, accompanied by changes in the functioning of somatic mechanisms. That is, there are no organic disorders, the cause of the disorder is feelings and emotions.

For a hypochondriac to develop speedophobia, it is enough to hear about the incurability of HIV and, for example, the first symptoms of the disease. In addition, there are many similar reasons for fear of AIDS:

• stereotype about the doom of HIV patients to suffering and quick death;
• a widespread prejudice that there is no cure for HIV;
• a large number of myths and fictions regarding AIDS;
• illiteracy and poor awareness of the population about the methods of transmission and prevention of HIV;
• exaggerated and distorted statistical data (HIV incidence, AIDS mortality);
• unreliable information from the media and the Internet about new methods of infection, a general epidemic, the creation of new strains of HIV in the laboratory and other fabrications of journalists that people with speedophobia perceive as truth;
• nonspecific signs of immunodeficiency - any cold or allergic rash is perceived as a manifestation of AIDS;
• incorrect work of doctors and lack of educational work;
• social aspect - discrimination against HIV patients and negative labeling - only drug addicts, homeless people and people who are promiscuous are affected;
• negative experience - someone close to you had HIV or died of AIDS.

Symptoms of speedophobia

A person with speedophobia is usually so sure that he has HIV that negative test results from one medical institution are not quoted. And the patient donates blood for HIV in each hospital in turn.

When hospitals at their place of residence run out, such people go to other cities and try to finally find a medical institution where the test will still be positive.

In addition to tests, speedophobia forces imaginary patients to undergo numerous expensive procedures, look for a competent doctor and undergo endless examinations to make a known diagnosis.

To justify their actions, patients with speedophobia invent unique cases: their test results are falsified; doctors don’t tell them the diagnosis so as not to upset them; their HIV is a new variety that they have not yet learned to detect.

People become obsessed with the thought of the disease, stop communicating with relatives (suddenly they were the ones who infected them), eventually stop going to doctors (after all, they are all unprofessional since they cannot detect HIV), look for symptoms and get information from the Internet, trying to prove to themselves the certainty of infection.

Speedophobia is a mental disorder; naturally, in addition to the fear of HIV, a person develops symptoms of mental disorders:

• depression, anxiety, irritability, inability to relax, aggressiveness;
• feeling of tension and stiffness;
• inability to concentrate, decreased ability to work, fatigue;
• sleep disturbance, loss of appetite;
• memory impairment.

Against the background of such symptoms, a deterioration in physical health is possible and a person with an imaginary pathology actually becomes sick - headaches, digestive disorders, malfunctions of the cardiovascular system.

How to get rid of AIDSphobia

Speedophobia is a disease and it certainly requires treatment. A person will not be able to cope with the problem on his own, and without treatment the prognosis is disappointing - the patient may, due to obsessive fears, lose his mind or acquire a more severe mental disorder.

What is HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus was first isolated from the lymphocytes of a patient in 1983. Almost simultaneously this was done by an American laboratory and a group of scientists led by Luc Montagnier. The virus received its familiar name for HIV infection a little later.

This infection is a systemic human disease, which results in a rapid decline in immunity. As HIV infection progresses, it reduces the body's defenses so much that it ceases to resist pathogenic microorganisms and the patient is diagnosed with AIDS. Its symptoms:

• the appearance of a rash on the mucous membranes and skin;
• rapid weight loss;
• enlarged lymph nodes, their pain;
• fever;
• frequent diarrhea;
• the spleen and liver become larger;
• pharyngitis, cough and other catarrhal manifestations;
• the appearance of permanent secondary diseases - herpes, pneumonia, intestinal and other infections, cancer, fungi, etc.

HIV is an incurable disease because the virus constantly mutates after entering the body. Once the immune system begins to produce antibodies, the virus changes at the genetic level. This same circumstance explains the fact that so far no one has been able to create a vaccine against HIV infection.

HIV infection is transmitted through blood and other biological fluids (sperm, breast milk, vaginal secretions). It is impossible to become infected with the virus by other means, such as airborne droplets or touch.

WHAT ARE THERE ARE HIV TESTS?

For screening

(i.e. rapid and mass testing) the ELISA or ICLA method is used.
to confirm the diagnosis
.

To detect HIV in some

situations
, qualitative
(i.e., is there or is there not, without answering the question
“how much?”
) PCR of RNA or proviral DNA of HIV is used, but this method is currently
auxiliary
and
should not be used for screening for
HIV infection.

In persons with diagnosed HIV infection, quantitative

The PCR method for HIV RNA allows you to answer the question of
how much
virus is in the blood.
It should also not be used for diagnostic purposes
.

WHEN SHOULD YOU TAKE AN HIV TEST AFTER A RISK?

It is optimal to do two tests: after 6 weeks and after 12 weeks (3 months, if rounded to whole months) after the risk - the reliability of a negative result will be extremely close to 99.9%. A test after any longer period will also be reliable.

At any time from a potentially dangerous situation after 6-12 weeks, ELISA does not increase or lose its reliability, remaining an accurate diagnostic method after a year, two years, and beyond. In very rare cases, diagnostic problems can arise in very severe, virtually terminal patients with a full-blown picture of AIDS. You can read more about this here, and answers to questions about the so-called are also given there. late seroconversion.

WHERE CAN I TEST FOR HIV?

There are many places where you can get an HIV test: at a health center, a private doctor's office, hospitals, family planning clinics, and places specifically designated for HIV testing.

Always try to get tested where counseling is offered. Some locations offer in-home counseling and testing services, which may include counseling and support for couples to safely disclose results after testing.

WHAT TEST SHOULD BE DONE?

ELISA or IHLA test for HIV. This is the name of the technology

test. The specific name of the equipment will be written on the test packaging, for example, Abbot ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo.

WHY DO THE TEST AFTER 6 WEEKS IF YOU STILL HAVE TO DO IT AFTER 12? CAN YOU GET WITH JUST ONE TEST AFTER 12 WEEKS?

Yes, you can. The first test will already give a very high preliminary reliability, which is important for diagnosis, and, in addition, if the result is negative, it makes it easier to wait until the final test in 3 months.

WHAT IS THE (SERONEGATIVE) WINDOW PERIOD?

This is the period between infection with HIV and the appearance of detectable antibodies to the virus.

During the window period, there are no antibodies in the blood of HIV-infected people that can be detected by an HIV test. HIV test negative

. However, human body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk may already have high levels of HIV.

HIV can be transmitted

other people during your window period, even if an HIV test does not show that you have HIV infection.

WHAT IS THE RELIABILITY OF THE TEST 6 WEEKS AFTER RISK?

For tests that detect both antibodies and antigens - almost complete, for tests only for antibodies - approximately at the level of 95%.

IF ELISA IS POSITIVE, DOES THIS MEAN A DIAGNOSIS OF HIV INFECTION?

No, confirmation by another method is required. The confirmatory method for diagnosing HIV infection today is indirect immunofluorescence (IRIF, immunoblot, Western blot). Immunoblot demonstrates high sensitivity (99.3 - 99.7%) and specificity (99.7%), but since the method determines class G immunoglobulins, the result can be false negative for up to three weeks from the moment of infection.

MY FIRST (SECOND THIRD, FORTY-SIXTH) ELISA TEST FOR HIV IS POSITIVE, AND IMMUNOBLOT IS NEGATIVE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

This means that you do not have HIV.

MY IMMUNOBLOT IS DOUBTABLE (UNCERTAIN). WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

You need to repeat the immunoblot 2-3 months after the first one. If it is negative or remains indeterminate, then HIV can be ruled out. The immunoblot may be negative or equivocal immediately after infection within 4-8 weeks, which is why it needs to be repeated.

THE TESTING IMMUNOBLOT WAS POSITIVE. DO I HAVE HIV? CAN'T THERE BE A MISTAKE?

Yes, unfortunately, you have HIV. Can not.

I TEST NEGATIVE AFTER 3 MONTHS BUT I CONTINUE HAVING UNKNOWN SYMPTOMS, DO I HAVE HIV?

You don't have HIV. Your symptoms have nothing to do with HIV. Any incomprehensible symptoms should be addressed to doctors in person.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF HIV EARLIER?

Yes, it's possible. The first ELISA (EIA) At+Ag test can be done already 3 weeks after the risk, its reliability will be high. If you have extra money, you can do a high-quality DNA PCR test for HIV 2 weeks after the risk, its result will also give high preliminary reliability.

I TOOK THE TEST 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 MONTHS AFTER THE RISK. THEY ARE ALL NEGATIVE. BUT I FEEL BAD, MY LEFT HEEL ITCHES AND UNDER MY LEFT ARMMIT ITCHES. I DEFINITELY HAVE HIV, I'M SURE, THE TESTS JUST DON'T SHOW IT!

You don't have HIV. If you have AIDS phobia, you need to see a psychiatrist in person.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IFA AND IHLA? WHAT IS MORE INFORMATIVE?

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and chemiluminescent immunosorbent assay (CLIA) are two ways to hammer a nail using a large red hammer or a medium green hammer. The result is the same - the interaction of the antigen with the antibody or the absence thereof. Those. the information—a hammered nail—is ultimately the same.

Typically, indications of IHLA in relation to HIV diagnosis are in the nature of an artifact, and in fact we are talking about ELISA. Those. on the one hand, there is no difference, on the other, it is more correct to use the name of the test system rather than the name of the method.

HOW TO FIND OUT THE GENERATION OF A TEST AND WHETHER IT DETERMINES AN ANTIGEN?

The antigen is determined if it is known that this is a 4th generation test, if the name of the test contains the words or letters: antigen, antigen, ag, ag.

WHAT GENERATIONS OF TESTS ARE CURRENTLY USED? COULD THIS BE THE OLD 2ND GENERATION TESTS?

All modern tests are 3rd (without antigen) or 4th (with antigen) tests. Older test systems have not been produced or used for at least five years. All modern tests give full reliability 12 weeks after risk, regardless of their designation and generation.

WHAT ARE 4TH GENERATION TESTS? WHAT DIFFERENCES DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF IFA?

Tests of the 4th generation detect HIV infection earlier, since they “see” not only antibodies, like tests of the 3rd and earlier generations, but also the HIV antigen. Antibodies are produced by the body in response to HIV infection and take time to develop. p24 antigen

, this is a protein of the viral capsid, namely a piece of the virus itself. It is clear that it begins to be detected in the blood earlier than antibodies - proteins of the human immune system that are produced in response to HIV infection. Those. The “window period” for the 4th generation test is very small. When antibodies against HIV begin to be detected in large quantities, the p24 antigen is often no longer detectable, most likely as a result of the formation of a complex between the antigen and antibodies in the blood. When detected, p24 antigen is a highly specific indicator of infection.

WHAT GENERATION WAS MY TEST?

For the Russian Federation - quarter, others are not imported or used. The test name usually contains one of the following: "Combo", "At/Ag", "AT/AG" or "p24".

DOES THE ELISA TEST DETECT 4TH GENERATION HIV-2?

Yes, all modern specialized ELISA systems detect HIV-1 and HIV-2.

WHAT IS THE “WINDOW” PERIOD FOR GENERATION 4 TESTS (AG/AT COMBO)?

4th generation test systems are capable of detecting not only antibodies to HIV, which the body produces in response to infection, but also HIV itself, by detecting the viral protein p24. The p24 protein can be detected very early, but its level in the blood gradually decreases during the period after infection, but simultaneously with this decrease the level of antibodies increases. All people are different, therefore it is impossible to give an exact 100% minimum period when there is no longer any reason to doubt the test. However, today there is a sufficient number of studies that give us very definite guidelines; here are just a few of them:

• 14 days;
• 17-18 days (2.5 weeks);
• 3-4 weeks;
• One month.

So, we have enough data to believe that 4th generation laboratory ELISA systems are very likely to “not miss” HIV infection within a month.

SO, SINCE WHEN DOES THE 4TH GENERATION ELISA RELIABLY EXCLUDE HIV?

The 4th generation test can, in some cases, detect HIV infection within a week after infection, but this still cannot be relied upon, because this is rather an exception. As you saw above, a month is quite a reliable period for modern laboratory test systems.

I HAVE BEEN TESTED AT DIFFERENT TIMES, INCLUDING AFTER 6-8 WEEKS AND 12 WEEKS (3 MONTHS AFTER POSSIBLE CONTACT) AND I CAN’T CALM AWAY BECAUSE I OBSERVE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS, AND SOME TEST RESULTS ARE OFF ONENIA ETC. AND SO ON. WHAT TO DO? WHAT ELSE SHOULD I HAVE?

Nothing, in this case you are dealing with some other disease, and most likely with anxiety or anxiety-depressive disorder. Get advice from a qualified infectious disease specialist, and then, if an infectious or other nature is excluded, then seek help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

WHAT ARE SPECIFICITY AND SENSITIVITY?

Specificity

of a diagnostic test is the proportion of samples that are correctly identified by the test as obviously negative.

In other words, to determine the specificity of a test, it is necessary to take several thousand obviously healthy people and test them with the test. If for every 1000 samples 10 false positive results are obtained, then the specificity of the test will be: (1000-10)/1000*100%=99%. If the number of false positives is higher, then the specificity becomes less (i.e. worse). Thus, a test specificity of 99% means approximately 10 false positive results per 1000 healthy people tested.

Carefully study the instructions and materials of tests offered on the market, find information about how the specificity was tested. As a rule, this is data from tests of several thousand samples obtained from different geographical regions.

Sensitivity

of a diagnostic test is the proportion of obviously positive samples correctly identified by the test.

In other words, if we take 100 reliably HIV-infected people, test them with a test and get 100 positive results, then the sensitivity of the test will be 100%. Almost all tests on the market have a sensitivity of 100%.

The concepts of accuracy in identifying positive and negative samples should not be confused. The accuracy of detecting positive samples is the sensitivity of the test, and the accuracy of identifying negative samples is the specificity.

A sensitive test often gives a positive result when a disease is present (detects it). However, it is especially informative when it gives a negative result, because rarely misses patients with the disease. An example is ELISA.

A specific test rarely gives a positive result in the absence of disease. It is especially informative if the result is positive, confirming the (suspected) diagnosis. An example is an immunoblot.

It is logical to use the most sensitive type of tests for screening (quick and cheap testing of a large number of patients), but the most specific methods for establishing a diagnosis. That is why ELISA has historically been a screening test, and immunoblotting confirms HIV infection.

It is important to understand that false positive results exist with all tests; no test can be 100% specific! The results of rapid tests are subject to special verification and re-checking in the laboratory using other methods. The results of laboratory ELISA tests are subject to double-checking by immunoblotting.

CAN THE TEST BE A FALSE POSITIVE?

Yes maybe. In this case, it is imperative to do an immunoblot screening test, which will accurately show whether a person has HIV or not.

WHY CAN AN HIV TEST BE FALSE POSITIVE?

There are many reasons and all of them are unknown. The most common cause is pregnancy; recent vaccinations with certain immunotherapy drugs also slightly increase this likelihood.

CAN THE TEST BE A FALSE NEGATIVE?

Maybe if it is done during the window period, which lasts up to 3 months after the risk of infection.

WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR A FALSE NEGATIVE RESULT IN AN HIV TEST?

A false negative result, or rather a significant extension of the “window period”

, can be caused by antiretroviral therapy or post-exposure prophylaxis started very early after infection, taking drugs that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants, for example, after organ transplantation, etc.), as well as some severe diseases of the immune system.

But, you need to understand that 4th generation tests determine not only antibodies, but also p24

, which is a viral envelope protein, i.e. these tests will detect HIV infection even if antibodies are delayed for some reason.

Alcohol, other psychoactive substances, any food, dietary supplements, immunostimulants, immunomodulators, antibiotics and any other drugs, stress, the full moon, contemplation of a white horse, fatigue, general illness and weakened immunity, flu, sore throat and other diseases - all this does not affect

significant impact on the risks of a false negative HIV test result.

The sensitivity of HIV tests has been studied and confirmed in real conditions and in large samples, where people drink alcohol, are nervous, take a variety of medications, suffer from various diseases, and have a variety of laboratory parameter deviations.

I HAVE TAKEN A GENERAL BLOOD TEST (LIVER BIOCHEMISTRY, IMMUNOGRAM, LIPID PROFILE), THE TESTS ARE NORMAL. DOES THIS MEAN THAT I DON'T HAVE HIV INFECTION?

No, it doesn't mean that. No test other than an HIV test can either exclude or confirm HIV infection.

I TAKE ANTIBIOTICS (ANTIDEPRESSANTS, TRANQUILIZERS, MOUSE TAIL INDUCTION), WILL THE TEST BE RELIABLE?

Will. No drugs other than ART drugs used as post-exposure prophylaxis affect the reliability of the HIV test.

BEFORE TAKING THE TEST I DRINKED A GLASS OF BEER (A BOTTLE OF VODKA, EATED TWO CAKES, SMOKED 5 PACKS OF CIGARETTES, A JOINT OF MARIJUANA), WILL THIS INFLUENCE THE TEST RESULT?

It won't affect.

MAY IT BE THAT THE ANTIGEN IS ALREADY BOUND BY ANTIBODIES, AND THE ANTIBODIES ARE STILL FEW FOR THE TEST?

This phenomenon has been described, but it is a very short-lived phenomenon, essentially it is the point of intersection of two conditional curves, no one will tell you whether it is hours or tens of minutes, but definitely not many days, rather it should be assumed as a maximum (assumption, there is not enough data for a statement) 1-2 days. And in any case, this phenomenon, if it occurs, is located where, out of caution, we do not talk about the complete reliability of testing, i.e. within the first 4-6 weeks, and with a very high degree of probability this period is within an even shorter period - within the first two weeks, i.e. we kind of stack both windows one inside the other. Plus, apparently, there are some conditions that make at least somewhat significant the likelihood of “catching” this very second window - initial immunodeficiency states, for example, those associated with age.

If the dominant ELISA systems separately showed the activation of the At or Ag line, then we would know (i.e., we already know this, but we would have statistics on this) that, with rare exceptions, HIV is detected by the At line, and if we somehow magically knew the date of infection, then we would know that, with rare exceptions, we detect it quite late, many months and years later. In certain risk groups, under the influence of active actions, the situation may shift slightly towards earlier detection, but this does not change the weather by and large. Those. The phenomenon of the second window does not carry any real practical risks - any doctor will recommend and take into account testing at those times when there is a very high probability that there will be antibodies in quantities sufficient for detection.

WHAT SUBTYPES DOES ELISA DETECT? WHAT IF I'M INFECTED WITH A RARE SUBTYPE AND THE TEST DOESN'T SEE IT?

No, that doesn't happen. Modern screening ELISA systems will detect any subtype from the M and O groups. A single number of representatives of groups N and P has been registered; they are very difficult to find even in Cameroon, where their number is slightly more than zero, and is measured in units. As soon as, from the point of view of the epidemiological process, the prevalence of the group exceeds at least hundredths of a percent, and at least a few patients are found outside the African wilderness, then the test systems will officially catch up, following the needs - extensive research will be carried out and groups and subtypes in the technical characteristics of systems, the fact that they are not there today only means that they are not officially there. At the moment, there is no point in considering such scenarios.

IN 2006 THERE WERE KNOWN TEN CAMEROONIANS WITH GROUP N, BUT 5 YEARS LATER, AFTER CAREFUL SIFTING OF THOUSANDS OF CAMEROONIANS, FOUR MORE WERE FOUND.

According to various estimates, from 400 to 800 thousand Cameroonians are living with HIV, and we know that perhaps up to 0.1% are carriers of the N group. from 400 to 800 people on the planet.

Important: all rare groups and subtypes of HIV were initially identified using the conventional ELISA method. The fact that these subtypes are not indicated in the technical characteristics of the systems indicates only one thing: the number of patients is too small to allow standard studies, which require not just a few cases, but hundreds, to be carried out, and for the regulator to officially approve new lines in the instructions.

I HEARD THAT HIV-2 IS DETECTED LATER BY ELISA, IS THIS TRUE?

In this case, this does not matter, the antibodies reach a level sufficient for detection within approximately the same time frame, the general safety period of 6-8 weeks from dangerous contact “covers” both the situation with HIV-1 and HIV-2.

ARE PHARMACY ELISA EXPRESS TESTS RELIABLE ENOUGH?

Rapid tests for HIV antibodies have been approved in the United States since 2002, including ultra-fast tests, the sensitivity of such tests is from 93% and specificity from 99%. The Alere Determine HIV ½ Ag/Ab Combo rapid test, approved and available in the Russian Federation, is significantly inferior in its ability to detect the HIV p24 antigen compared to 4th generation commercial laboratory systems.

It should be borne in mind that rapid tests are much more likely than laboratory tests to give a false positive result. The positive prognostic result for the Russian Federation for rapid tests will be approximately 50 to 50, i.e. if the rapid test gives a positive result, then on average, i.e. for low-risk groups, the probability in this case of having HIV infection is only 50%, and any positive result necessarily requires double-checking by ELISA in a laboratory.

CAN I USE HIV RNA OR DNA PCR FOR HIV SCREENING?

Yes, you can. but not not recommended. Although over the last decade the method has become much cheaper and more accurate, it is still expensive, more time-consuming, and technically complex, which implies a high risk of errors. In Russia, as well as in the USA, the quantitative PCR method is not recommended for screening and diagnosing HIV infection in ordinary cases.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE between DNA PCR and HIV RNA PCR?

RNA is commonly used in quantitative tests to assess viral load in diagnosed individuals, for example to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy. DNA - in mononuclear cells, for example, for diagnostics in children, where maternal antibodies to HIV prevent the use of the ELISA method. Both tests can be quantitative or qualitative. Both of them can be used in narrow cases as diagnostic, taking into account the specific limitations imposed by the technical parameters of the system.

Material from the site: https://coinfection.net/