confused students

Hi everyone! I am currently in Nursing school and yesterday my professor who is also a nurse, (an older nurse) got into a discussion about HIV testing. I was stating that after six months after you think you were exposed and you test negtive you are virtually 99% that it is a correct test. She informed that I was wrong and that HIV could actually take up to seven years to show up! This thru me into a wicked Panic Attack because a year or so ago I had unprotected sex with a few times with a boyfriend who I never asked his hiv status...after breaking up and waiting 5 months I got tested..tested negative and moved on with my life...now the nursing teacher is telling me I could show up years from now with HIV from something I did when I was 18!!! Is this ridiculus or is there any truth to it?? THANKS FOR ANY HELP!

[question9849283]

She doesn't know what she is talking about.  The U.S. CDC states that 6 months is the maximum window period and this is a very conservative estimate.  For all intents and purposes, with modern testing, three months is absolutely definitive.

[inadepression]

what is that? is that a joke?
we are talking about %100 reliability after 6 weeks.
7 years!! Come on.
My opinion; your teacher tried to scare you and let you use condoms.

[confused student]

thanks everyone! I was pretty sure that she was wrong but she is a Nurse for crying outloud! But I talked again with her today and she cleared things up a bit....she still claims that it you get infected by someone who is not that infected that it would take years for it to show up in your blood...i still dont understand that. I thought a virus is a virus it doesnt matter if it comes a a numerous amount or a small amount your body is going to build antibodies correct? anywho thanks again!

[regularjoey]

The nurse is wrong.  Once the infection begins the immune system mounts an immune response to it.  It is true that with a lower dose it might take a little bit longer for the infection to get going, but we are generally talking a difference in weeks here, certainly not years.