Is this test result meaningful or not?

[hopeyoucanhelpme]

I had a low risk interaction with another male.  I panicked about it because I was having a minor sore throat, a fever at it's highest point to 99.4 that only lasted duringteh late morning into the early evening, ear ache, and phlegm so I decided to get a qualitative DNA PCR test ten days after exposure, and it came back non-detected.  I have read everything from 48 hours to 8 days to two weeks to a month regarding how long you should wait post an exposure.  Can you all provide me your thoughts, please, regarding this test, and if ten days is a reasonable time period?  Your help is very much appreciated.  

[freak_2007]

Yes, if you are having symptoms and IF at all you are infected, DNA PCR would pick the presence of the virus. The reasoning is simple...Someone infected is having symptoms because there is virus in the lymphatic system and lot of virus in the plasma, which the body has detected and started fighting the infection and therefore you see fever, swollen glands and the whole nine yards....which also means that a test like PCR done during these symptoms (sometimes even before the symptoms start) should be able to pick that up because these tests are sensitive to very small amounts of virus (PCR DNA is 10 copies/reaction or 80 copies/ml and PCR-RNA is 50 copies/ml). So, your negative PCR at 10 days, during symptoms, atleast indicates that your symptoms are NOT due to HIV.However, as teak mentioned, you should back it up with an anti-body testing after 6-8 weeks and confirm it with a 12-13 week testing.
Try to stay away from the internet till then..
God bless

[hopeyoucanhelpme]

Thanks for the feedback.  It's truly appreciated.  I have a related question.  If the symptoms I described were related to seroconversion, and I took the pcr test, it would certanily have come back detected/positive, correct?

Thanks a miilion.  You are all angels.

[Teak]

http://www.avert.org/testing.htm.

It is possible to get tested using PCR DNA within a week of infection. Then it must be confirmed with an antibody test. Which can take up to 3 months to be conclusive.  A P24 test must be done within the first three weeks, but as with the PCR DNA test it must be followed up with an antibody test.

[mike_no]

"DNA PCR test ten days after exposure, and it came back non-detected"

It is very encouraging and very unlikely that your negative result would change however a DNA PCR at the 28th day is considered to be conclusive.

I would suggests back you DNA PCR result with an antibody test at the 6-8 weeks and move on.

Good luck

Mike