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Hiv window period



What is it ? 13 weeks to take THE test or 6 months?????
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Avatar universal


My result is now in as I tested last Friday.

It's negative ... Thanks fir support
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
3 months is the current guideline.

The only people (a very small percentage) who could theoretically take up to 6 months to produce antibodies are people who are severely immunocompromised.  That would include people on chemo, people taking anti rejection meds post an organ transplant, people with advanced terminal cancers.

The majority of the population can obtain a conclusive result 3 months after the potential exposure.
Helpful - 0
1699033 tn?1514113133
Here is what I found on the CDC website.

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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.

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If you test negative 3 months after what you think could be an exposure, then in all likelihood you are negative.  I'm sure it is a very small percentage of people who take up to 6 months.  However, if you feel that this would bother you, then I would take it at 3 and then again at 6 and then you can put it to rest for good.  Just make sure you don't take any chances in the future :)

Hopefully this has helped you.  

Helpful - 0

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