
Is A Negative Blood Test After 3 Days Conclusive?

STD testing
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic
I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your query.
Your concern about the timing of tests is absolutely genuine. Tests for STD's if done too soon, particularly blood tests can give a false negative result. Therefore sometimes they need to be repeated, particularly blood tests or performed serially over a period of time to rule out a false negative result.
Testing for STD's is all the more necessary because not all STD's present with symptoms e.g chlymydia and gonorrhea may be completely asymptomatic unless they cause complications like PID and infertility.
Treatment may be guided by symptoms suggestive of an STD e.g vaginal discharge, itching, burning micturation, erosions or ulcers etc
Do you have any symptoms?
Blood test rely on the detection of antibodies to the organism, the body may take weeks to produce antibodies and therefore blood test done immediately after a sexual act are unreliable or reveal a false negative result. Swab tests on the other hand are can be performed within a few days after a risky sexual encounter however to be on the safer side a repeat test at 2 weeks is considered more reliable if performed too early.
Basic blood test that should be performed after a risky sexual exposure with a person of unsure status are: testing for HSV (IgG and IgM ELISA) at 2 weeks, VDRL/RPR test at 1 month and the again after 3 months, Testing for HIV P24 antigen and antibodies(HIV DUO test) to be done at 1 month and then again at 3 months.
Regards


Candidal/yeast infection
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Yes, it is advisable to repeat the tests at 2 weeks, particularly the swab tests. For blood test you need to test at appropriate intervals I mentioned.
For vaginal itching I would treat you empirically for yeast even if you tested negative, previously. I would suggest an OTC antifungal e.g topical 1% clotrimazole cream twice daily for 7 days or clotrimazole vaginal tablets once at night for 7 days. Can't think of any other STD which presents with just itching!
A single dose of an oral antifungal e.g fluconazole 150 mg is also curative.
Regards


Yeast Infection
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
No, I think you are getting anxious. Itching and yeast infection is not a symptom suggestive of HIV.
I think you should just wait for Fluconazole to act. If it still does'nt get better over the next 2-3 days, you may add topical 1% clotrimazole cream or Clotrimazole vaginal tabs once daily at night.
I am not very sure if the redness over the belly button scar is due to a yeast/fungal infection. For better understanding, upload a picture of the area Or else you may empirically use topical clotrimazole 1% cream over the belly button preferably after mixing it with an equal proportion (1:1) with an OTC topical steroid e.g cortisone cream
An OTC oral antihistamine e.g cetrizine 10 mg would provide you symptomatic relief from itching.
Regards

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