HIV Testing

[Chrisjam00]

Dear doctors,

Once you've been through the early symptoms of HIV. As in fever, rash etc that approx. 70% of people get within 2 to 6 weeks after infection. Will the duo test or the test you can have after 90 days be reliable?

Many thanks

[Dr Sean Cummings]

No Chris, you can't draw that conclusion I'm afraid. The only conclusion you can draw from a negative DUO at 23 days is that the virus was not detected. It does you some reassurance but for a conclusion you need to wait until 28 days.

Best wishes, sean

[Chrisjam00]

Dear Sean,

To tell you the whole story I had a possible exposure to the virus and a couple of weeks after this developed the symptoms of early infection (flu/cold, chest infection) I'm no longer ill with cold/chest infection. It's now been 23 days since the possible exposure and I would like to go and get the duo test today as I'm very worried and am finding it hard to keep my composure at work.

If I did get the duo test and it came back negative, would it mean that the cold/chest infection was not related to the virus?

I understand that because it's not 28 days there could still be a chance the test was inaccourate. However would it at least mean that the cold/chest infection i had was not related? as that is what I'm worried about (I would also get another test after 28 days)

[Dr Sean Cummings]

Hello Chris,

If you have a defnite exposure to HIV - then acquire the virus, then the HIV tests including HIV DUO at 28 days and the HIV third generation antibody only test at 6 to 12 weeks will give you a greater than 99% accurate result.

best wishes, Sean