Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

CDC CHAT LOG-ABOUT WINDOW PERIOD

Please wait for a site operator to respond. You are number 1 in the queue of 1. The average wait time is 0 minutes and 30 seconds. Thanks for your patience.
Welcome to the CDC National Prevention Information Network. You are now chatting with 'Jack'. How may we help you?
you: Hello
you: What is the window period of hiv according to the CDC
Jack: Thank you for waiting. I'll be with you in just a moment.
Jack: Hello, I am sorry for the delay. According to the CDC, the window period is 6 months after exposure.
you: Is it same for 4th generation tests?
Jack: I'm sorry for the delay. I'll be right with you.
Jack: The reason it is 6 months is because 97% of people will develop antibodies to HIV at 3 months, but some rare cases 3% occur at 6 months.  This window period is for antibody testing.
you: Ok. I am talking about ag/ab tests.
you: Combo tests or duo tests
you: My doctor told me that the new window period is 3 months
Jack: But which kind of combo/duo tests?
you: p24 + hiv 1/2 antibodies
Jack: According to the CDC, it is 6 months.  I can not comment on your doctor's statement or his information.
Jack: Ok...if the tests are antibody tests...it is still 6 months.
you: I have learnt that CDC used to say 6 months since 2004
you: It was 6 months but
you: from 2004, it is 3 months.
you: right?
you: no?
Jack: Again, it is 6 months because there are rare cases that take this long...it is still 6 months...I can give you the website.
you: Ok. When is the last case who seroconvert after 3 months?
Jack: We do not have that kind of information here...you can contact CDC INFORMATION at 1-800-232-4636 or e-mail at ***@****.
you: ok
you: thank you
you: here is the last question
Jack: Have a good day.
Jack: ok
you: CDC says 6 months to include all people and people who use IV drugs or has severe immune system disorder produce antibodies after 3 months. Is that true? or Can healthy people produce antibodies after 3 months?
Jack: No. Healthy people can develop antibodies after 3 months...they are rare cases but anyone could be that rare case.  
you: You even did not ask my exposure.
you: What kind of consultancy is that
you: You know nothing about hiv
Jack: I do not need to know your exposure...that is your personal information.  
you: Oh really.
Jack: You asked me the window period.
you: But it depends
you: if it is oral sex
you: than, 6 weeks will be sufficient
you: if it is receptive anal sex
you: 13 weeks will be conclusive
Jack: That is not accurate information.  
Jack: You can contact CDC INFORMATION at 1-800-232-4636

-No comment.-
Teak will say, they know nothing. But, here is the official guide of CDC.
65 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Well, well, well..
I am very lucky. Look, there are many doctors in this forum!!!
Only stressed25 and regularjoey got the point.

mikeno says :"CDC clearly states 3 months is conclusive. it never says 6 months"
Are u crazy man? You do not understand what you read. Read my first post.
you: What is the window period of hiv?
Jack: Hello, I am sorry for the delay. According to the CDC, the window period is 6 months after exposure.
Clear? How can it be more clear?
Jack is the employee of CDC. CDC pays him money to give inf to people.

Believe what you want. But, now open the google. Write; "hiv window period" . Open the first 20 web pages. What do you see? 20 of them are focusing on 6 months. In conclusion, they say 3 months is almost conclusive but you shoul take the test at 6 months.


sunsforlife: "It says 97% by 3 months and the other 3% percent are people with the severe immunue problems or whatever."
Information --> aidsmeds to Teak --> Teak to medhelp visitors.
Where is the first source? There is no first source.
Teak told you that people who have severe immune problems bla bla should retested at 6 months. But, you never asked the source. Show me a single article that prove what he said. Noway. People; please do not believe everything before reading the source.

Now, let's discuss the most important issue that you cannot get.
6 weeks is good, 3 months is almost conclusive whatever...And you advocate that after 6 weeks there is no need for test etc..
1/ Hiv is not a virus that can be transferred easily. (Vaginal intercourse risk is 1/2000 if the partner is hiv positive)
2/ 6 weeks negative test is good indicator.
Now, what is the probability of seroconverting after 6 weeks; 1/50.000 or something like that. (Even the partner is 100% hiv positive)
You see, you win 49.999 times, I win 1 time. But, 1 time is something. Some people may say 1/50000 means nothing to me. Then it is ok for them. But, 1 says something to me, ok? There is a risk of 1 out of 50.000 and I do care it. If you do not care, move on. But, know that it is not conclusive. It is same for the 3 months mark.

The other issue is; HIV DNA PCR test. Teak can not understand what we live. He lived them 23 years ago. Teak, can you imagine how we suffer now? No. We can not sleep, eat, talk, work, study etc..Therefore, I am supporting HIV DNA PCR test  for people to turn back their lives. If it is negative at 10~15 days, you are not infected with hiv. If it is positive, do not panic. There are some false positives. Before taking the test; know that, there are false positives. Know that and do not care positives. But if it is negative, move on at 15 days. Period. You say, it is expensive. Who cares money teak? That shows how you can not understand our anxiety. By the way, PCR inventor won the NOBEL PRIZE.

Anyway, I am not expert. I am nothing. These were my ideas. I am not a doctor. I am reading hiv only for 5 months. You may not care me. No problem. Good luck all.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I don't understand why you're so hung up on what the CDC says. All over the world, the standard is either three months or lower. In Britain it's three months and in ten years of having their guidelines, not ONCE have they seen someone test negative at three months and positive at six. In Australia it's six weeks and in Israel its two months. And one more thing; I visited a HIV specialist - a world renowned one - last week who said that a negative test at 6 weeks, with the accuracy of tests nowadays, is as good as gold and he hasn't seen any evidence to the contrary in the last five years.

I'm not saying don't test at six months, but don't be surprised when you test negative and look back on all this as madness:)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
While I accept the 3 month conclusive thing, I think inadepression's point is that there doesn't seem to be any document where the CDC says 'HIV testing is definitive at three months'. Even the link that Teak provided only makes reference to the infamous  '97% by three months' figure, but mention nothing of immune suppression as the reason that the other 3% take longer. Back this up with an extended conversation with a CDC representative that stuck rigidly to the six month testing window, and I can sort of understand where he's coming from.

Like pretty much all of us that use this forum, inadepression is simply looking for complete assurance that he's ok. In fairness he did have a high risk and is probably suffering from severe depression/anxiety. He's trying to fix that anxiety by finding CONCRETE evidence that three months is indeed the definitive testing time, and so far no one has provided it to him, apart from saying that 'it's three months, just accept it'. By this logic, we need to start believing every statement made by everyone that has ever posted here, which would mean that blowjobs are a risk for HIV, that people regulary test positive after six weeks etc.


I think you guys do a great job on here, and I'm extremely grateful for your support, but this time, while I don't think inadepression has anything to worry about and is focussing on the wrong issue - outdated testing advice rather than anxiety - I can see the point he is trying to make.
Helpful - 0
188761 tn?1584567620
COMMUNITY LEADER
I can only understand two things from reading your posts

A. Either you can't read
B. You can't understand what you're reading

CDC clearly states 3 months is conclusive. it never says 6 months. No one adheres to 6 months window period any more.

6 month's for people with compromised immune system and practically an individual having cancer in his last stage of the disease is the only one who will have to wait till 6 months for his conclusive.

It's okay for us if you want to go with that 6 months window period or maybe believe that you are HIV infected deliberately however please don't misinform others here, they don't deserve to be a jacka$$.

You can take your self and your beloved 6 months to some other place and do the propaganda but this is not the place.

Yes, I'm rude to you because you are not accepting the help instead you are attacking on one who's trying to help you.

ALL - 3 month's conclusive because there is a logical reason and that is;
After an individual getting infected the seroconversion process takes place at approx. three weeks from the time of infection and two weeks following the seroconversion process the detectable amount of anti bodies are almost always present. Hence, a test at the 6th week is more or less conclusive but to avoid any kind of disconnect/discrepancy it's the 3 months which is considered to be definitive.
Helpful - 0
219662 tn?1223858560
I'm not aware of that hemophilia data.  To my knowledge, the longest documented time to seroconversion is 9 months - and that was 10 years ago, so it's probably irrelevant today.

You can't have an immune disorder and "stay healthy".  Immunodeficiencies are serious medical conditions.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi regularjoey,
                      Thanks for the comment. What do you say about it?

People who take longer than 6 months are immunocompressed like chemo, organ transplantetc.   Are there any hidden immune diseases which a person will not know by staying healthy.This is true that immune disorders can delay seroconversion even by 1-2 years because there are datas where people seroconverted after 2 years like a patient of haemophilia.

Thanks.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the HIV Prevention Community

Top HIV Answerers
366749 tn?1544695265
Karachi, Pakistan
370181 tn?1595629445
Arlington, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.