HIV and AIDS Forum - HIV test after 3 months

Conditions and Diseases > HIV and AIDS Forum > HIV test after 3 months

TOPICS DOCTOR QUESTIONS

HIV virus

Do you know what causes HIV? Get started by learning the facts on HIV and AIDS here....

Q: HIV test after 3 months

asked by: unknown88 on August 31st, 2008

Supporter

The last time I had sex was over 6 months ago and during vaginal intercourse my condom broke. I didn't think much of it at the time as the girl reassured me she was clean, however she wasn't! About a month after that I began showing signs of chlamydia and I got tested for all STD's including, HIV, and they all came back negative accept for chlamydia. That was treated with a round of antibiotics and I tried to get in contact with that woman, who was an escort, but the name she told me and I gave the company didn't match so they were not able to help me out. I got tested for HIV again 3 and a half months after that night with the ELISA test, which came back negative. I know its recommended by most people to get retested again at 6 months, which I plan on, but do you know what some of the reason are it would take that long for it to show up on an antibody test? I take a multi-vitamin and a B vitamin complex daily, could that effect test results?

Replies(6)

sinandoru

replied on August 31st, 2008

New User

No, 3.mounth is conclusive.

unknown88

replied on September 2nd, 2008

Supporter

Thanks sinandoru, I really appreciate your help.

glamaddict

replied on September 10th, 2008

New User

Though it is rare it can take some people 6 months to show positive HIV results. This is why sperm banks and blood banks quarantine human fluids to make sure these rare people do not fall through the cracks. So I would retest at 6 months to be sure.

Users who thank glamaddict for this post: homerx

homerx

replied on September 10th, 2008

Moderator

glamaddict wrote:

True...good advise ,glamaddict. 6 months is ideal and HIV can avoid detection when first transmitted.. peace

sinandoru

replied on September 11th, 2008

New User

3.mounth

there is no case till 2004 3.mounth will turn ? in USA?
if you dont use drugs, dont cure cancer or lenfoma illness or immnugine sick.
3.mounth is conclusive. written on FDA.
Generally antibody grown on 6.week for normal people.
lately some people 3.mounth.
if you dont use drugs, dont cure cancer or lenfoma illness or immnugine sick.
3.mount is enough.

glamaddict

replied on November 25th, 2008

New User

Re: 3.mounth

sinandoru wrote:

This is from the Centers of Disease Control Website: (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/res ources/qa/be_tested.htm#wait)

How long after a possible exposure should I wait to get tested for HIV?

Most HIV tests are antibody tests that measure the antibodies your body makes against HIV. It can take some time for the immune system to produce enough antibodies for the antibody test to detect, and this time period can vary from person to person. This time period is commonly referred to as the “window period.” Most people will develop detectable antibodies within 2 to 8 weeks (the average is 25 days). Even so, there is a chance that some individuals will take longer to develop detectable antibodies. Therefore, if the initial negative HIV test was conducted within the first 3 months after possible exposure, repeat testing should be considered >3 months after the exposure occurred to account for the possibility of a false-negative result. Ninety-seven percent of persons will develop antibodies in the first 3 months following the time of their infection. In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months to develop antibodies to HIV.

Another type of test is an RNA test, which detects the HIV virus directly. The time between HIV infection and RNA detection is 9–11 days. These tests, which are more costly and used less often than antibody tests, are used in some parts of the United States.

For information on HIV testing, you can talk to your health care provider or you can find the location of the HIV testing site nearest to you by visiting the National HIV Testing Resources Web site at http://www.hivtest.org or call CDC-INFO 24 Hours/Day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636), 1-888-232-6348 (TTY), in English, en Español. Both of these resources are confidential.

If you would like more information or have personal concerns, call CDC-INFO 24 Hours/Day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636), 1-888-232-6348 (TTY), in English, en Español.

Users who thank glamaddict for this post: homerx

Learn About Us

Get Help

Join In

Do More

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.

The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made. Schizophrenia health sitemap.
This page was last updated on January 1, 2009.
© 2008 eForums, Inc