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Question:
hello Georgan, can you please help me out?
if i had an hiv 1/2 (eia) antibdoy tests done at kaiser permenante on the 6 week, 11 week and 5 days, and 17 week and 2 days.....and all came back negative. do i need more testing? or can i move on with my life? thank you.
concern
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Answer:
by Georgan Gregg: ()
Hello. HIV testing for greatest accuracy should be done 3 to 6 months from the time you are concerned. You mentioned specific time frames, so I assume you can see that 17 weeks & 2 days is not 6 months. All the studies have found that most people seroconvert, the fancy word meaning produce antibodies against HIV, earlier than 6 months. But to be absolutely certain the 6 month time period assures an accurate test.
Do you understand the term “window period?” The blood test for HIV is not looking for the virus itself, it is looking for your body’s response to HIV which are specific antibodies against this specific virus. Our immune system amazingly can produce specialized cells that seek out each foreign invader & destroy them. The human body varies in how long it takes to produce antibodies to HIV, but studies clearly show that some people develop them within 2 weeks of HIV infection while others can take as long as 6 months. This is why truly accurate results are achieved only if one is tested 6 months after the last possibility of HIV infection.
Therefore, if someone tests negative for HIV antibodies we know that they were not infected 6 months ago. However, during those 6 months the person could have become infected with HIV but her/his body simply hasn’t made antibodies yet, therefore the test would still show negative. Please use safe(r) sex to protect yourself & others from all sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
Good luck & let us know if we can be of further help.Reviewed by: Patricia Fawver Ph.D. in Sexology
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