Had Unprotected Sex. HIV Test Negative. Prescribed With Truvada. Mouth Swab Test Negative. Should I Worry?

Posted on Fri, 8 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 8 Nov 2013 Answered on

Fri, 29 Nov 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My question is about HIV and ive had so much anxiety and worry but im just to scared to go to my family doctor. Last april i had unprotected sex with a female sex worker it was a drunken mistake. Within the next hour i had went to the ER and they wanted to put me on PEP. They tested me for HIV I came up negative so they prescribed my TRUVADA for a month I took it as prescribed. Within the last month i have taken 5 oraquick "mouth swab" test and they all came up as negative. Can I stop worrying? And trust those results?

Answered by Dr. Roopa Hiremath (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: HIV Elisa test.. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for choosing health care magic. I have gone through your query and I understand your concern regarding your HIV status. Unprotected sex with a female sex worker is definitely considered as potential exposure and you have been correctly put on effective post exposure prophylaxis. Coming to HIV testing, blood is the best sample to be tested. "Oraquick" tests the oral fluid for HIV 1 and 2 antibodies, but please remember this is a screening test and always has to be confirmed by a confirmatory test. I would suggest a ELISA test for HIV 1 and 2 antibodies to confirm your negative status. Please get a ELISA test for HIV 1 and 2 antibodies and if it turns up negative, you can stop worrying about that episode. I hope I have cleared your doubts. Let me know if you need clarifications. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Roopa Hiremath (26 minutes later)

Are the oral swab tests accurate?

Answered by Dr. Roopa Hiremath (33 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Oral swab tests Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome back. "Oraquick" is one of the tests recently approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to be used as an In Home HIV testing kit. There are chances of this test showing false negative if within window period which can range up to 3 months after exposure. Studies have shown that it is more reliable for use after 3 months of exposure. Moreover, if the test is not done according to given instructions then there are chances of it giving a false positive or negative result. It is always better to get a confirmatory test done in a medical setting. These tests can be used as screening tests and any result obtained has to be confirmed by a confirmatory test in a good laboratory. I hope I have cleared your doubts. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E