My doctor told me that 3 months is the time period to wait for an hiv test. is this correct? So if i test negative after 3 months is it necessary to get tested again?
2006-10-17 11:11:05 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ STDs
3 months sounds about right but you will have to get tested every 6 months for the next 6 years. lol
2006-10-17 16:57:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your test at 3 weeks is too soon to detect antibodies. You need at least 6-8 weeks as almost all infected people test positive by this time. But even that has to be confirmed by 3 months conclusive test. Symptoms mean nothing. They could be related to other medical conditions or due to anxiety. Most infected people do not even have symptoms. Yes, I have seen people who had all the possible symptoms and ended up testing negative. Your chance of contracting HIV from the single episode that you described is slim. The chance of contracting HIV from unprotected vaginal sex is 1 to 1000 per single episode. This is considering that your partner is infected (and yours is probably not). So odds are on your favour but still you HAVE to get tested. That is the only way you can tell if you were infected or not. Good luck. Always use condoms when you dont know the status of your partner.
2016-03-28 13:24:03 · answer #2 · answered by Pamela 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The date of the last unprotected sexual encounter starts the 3 month period. Unprotected sex is a risk factor for acquiring HIV. Add multiple sex partners-another risk factor. I'll set this up with only sexual transmission as a risk factor although of course there's swapping blood through injecting drugs and mother to baby.
Scenario: If you had a negative HIV result this week, to be certain of the result,
1. you should either abstain from sex or practice "safer" sex by using condoms with every sexual encounter.
2. Re-test in 3 months-the Western blot and Elisa tests identify the HIV antibody not the virus itself (both tests are done routinely on each blood sample as a confirmation) The body develops these antibodies in approximately 3-6 months after being infected with HIV.
3. Continue the abstinence or safer sex and re-test again in 3 months.
4. Practice abstinence until you are in a monogomous relationship or "safer" sex thereafter.
There is no such thing as safe sex. "SAFER" sex is protecting yourself by using a barrier-the condom. Abstinence is the only 100% effective means of avoiding HIV via sexual transmission.
2006-10-17 14:27:06 · answer #3 · answered by gottaplaygirl 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wait 3 more months and get tested again.I heard it takes more than 3 months for HIV to show up in a blood test.
2006-10-17 11:19:52 · answer #4 · answered by LeighAnn D 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, you should get tested again because HIV is very tricky you may test negative for it this time but the next time you will be positive. You can never know when it will show in tests because its tricky like that. Go to MD.com to read about the testing.
2006-10-17 11:14:08 · answer #5 · answered by simeonxavia22 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It's actually 6 months.
And if you continue to have unprotected sex, you need to be tested at least every 6 months for the rest of your life.
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/
2006-10-17 11:14:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
if it has been three months since the last time of unprotected sex not to likely but it has happened before
2006-10-17 11:13:40 · answer #7 · answered by kat.blue 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I read that after 6 months you should be clear, but your doctor should know best.
2006-10-17 11:14:45 · answer #8 · answered by MsM 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
IF IT IS THE ONLY TEST THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN,I WOULD. THE TYPE OF JOB I HAVE I USE TO TAKE THE TEST 2X A YEAR. NOW ONLY ONCE.(I WORK AROUND A LOT OF BLOOD)
2006-10-17 15:48:53 · answer #9 · answered by lydia r 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Actually it's three to six months to build a detectable viral load.
2006-10-17 11:13:01 · answer #10 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋