How many days after exposure to get an HIV test?!


Question: How many days after exposure to get an HIV test.?
Last year I was worried about having HIV...for no good reason, actually. I had protected sex with someone who I know had multiple sex partners before. So I ended up getting an HIV test 6 months after...is this enough time between exposure for antibodies to show up.? I googled it and it said anywhere from 3-6 months is fine. I just wanted to double check and ask the question myself.

I'm sure I'm worrying for nothing, I can do that a lot (over worry). My doctor even told me I shouldn't worry and didn't even push for me to get the test in the first place. Health Question & Answer


Answers:
More than 98% of people who have HIV test positive within 3 months. In very rare cases, it could take up to 6 months for someone to test positive. If you tested negative 6 months after your possible exposure, you are fine.Health Question & Answer

3 month is considered conclusive for a 3rd generation anti-body test (used by NHS in the uk)

Recent testing guideline released in the uk suggest that 6 weeks can be considered near conclusive and a 4th Generation duo test (tests for antibodies and Antigen produced approx 10 days post exposure) can be considered >99% conclusive at 28 days.

Loads of info can be found regarding this at the sourced websites.

6 month window period is now outdated and relates to older less sensitive 1st and 2nd generation tests, you would have been okay testing at 3 month.Health Question & Answer

I've heard that if it hasn't showed up positive it could take six months for it to show up. It's possible to be a carrier but not test positive till six months. I'd go with the six months test to be sure after you have had previous test to check. After six months if it's still negative I would think that you are safe. I know it may be to late to say this but in order to stay safer either don't participate in the dangerous activity or wear a raincoat. I wouldn't go by what that particular dr. says just because someone says they're clean. How do they know it unless they've been tested.? HIV gets spread through sex, getting stuck with a needle, and in the past when it wasn't tested sometimes through blood transfusions. I'd go get another opinion from a different dr. if you don't trust this answer. There's no harm in being oversafe rather than not getting tested and then finding out years from now that you have HIV and you gave it to your wife and then your wife had a baby that also got the HIV virus. That happened to a patient my husband transported. It was the wife who lost her husband and 2 year old to AIDS after the husband cheated on her before or while she was pregnant. Sad to say but even being married isn't really safe if your partner goes and cheats on you.

Good luckHealth Question & Answer



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