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What Causes Severe Upper Back Pain?

Posted on Fri, 8 Dec 2017

Question: Hello doctors, i seem to have developed hiv based anxiety.

Im having upper back pain and feeling feverish.

Ive had a 4tg gen test done at 28 days before and it came back negative, im a scheduled for another 28th day test in a week's time.

Im mostly afraid of the 4th gen tests giving out false negatives. Can anyone tell me more about the test and rates of failure?

*came accross a person on a forum, tested neg 4th week post exposure, then went ahead to test poz on the 8th week post exposure

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
HIV 1 infection ruled out. Symptoms unlikely be due to HIV infection

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to HCM.
Thanks for posting your query.
4th generation HIV test done 4 weeks after the risky contact is highly reliable as far as the P24 antigen part of the test. Negative report 4 weeks after exposure ruled out the possibility of HIV 1 infection. Feverish feeling can occur to anybody at any point of time as well as the upper back pain. Not necessarily be due to HIV infection.
Dr S Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (17 hours later)

Thanks for the expertise doctor. Another question, what are the chances of a false negative due to low viral load?

I will be retesting next wed due to a recent exposure, even though doctors say no risk, its for a piece of mind as usual

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
False positive result is unlikely

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
P24 antigen test part of the 4th generation HIV test at 4 weeks after the risky contact is 99% reliable. False negative is rarest possibility. Low viral load would not affect the result of this test.
Dr S Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (15 hours later)

Thanks for the reply. You were saying that it is reliable after risky encounters, would it act tge same for non risky/low risk encounters?

Like i said im testing for a piece of mind (and probably sanity as well)

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (57 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
4th generation HIV test is highly reliable at all situations

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
Yes, 4th generation HIV test is highly reliable at all situations including high risk or low risk sexual activities and other types of occupational exposures.
Dr S Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (42 minutes later)

So doctor, just another question regarding my latest risk

Can vaginal fluids from wet underwear on cuts cause infection?

Ive been through tons of articles but no proper awnser and explanation was given. If you dont mind, can you tell me more?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (27 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
HIV transmission risk is negligible through handling inner wear.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
HIV is a highly fragile organism. It cannot survive outside the body fluids not more than few seconds. There is no such HIV transmission has occurred with handling wet and contaminated inner wears even with abrasions over the hands nor reported.
Practically it is not happening though theocratical possibilities are there.
Dr S Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (17 minutes later)

If you dont mind can i tell you more, the was contact of my shin with her vagina. But she was wearing her underwear. I immediately excused myself to go to the toilet and soaped the area and rinse it off. When i came home i saw 2 cuts? not bleeding, but still red around the edges. Can you tell me more?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (12 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Your HIV risk is negligible only.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
When that girl was on her inner clothes, whatever contact you had with her, your HIV risk is negligible only.
Dr S Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (7 hours later)

"Negligible risk" is lower then "low risk" am i right? And can it be equated to no risk?

As hiv cannot survive on wet underwear?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (51 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Negligible risk is far less than low risk for HIV transmission.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Negligible risk is definitely lower than the low risk. Remote possibility. Near nil risk.
Transmission of HIV through wt underwear is quite unlikely.
Dr S.Murugan

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D