HIV testing

[Spock447]

Dear Doc

This has been posted several times here.

I am swiss.

I had a risk contact 6,5 weeks ago (nonprotected sex with a woman of unknown HIV status).

30 days after his I suddenly had fever, headache, neck acke, diarrhoe for 4 days.

46 days after the risky behaviour (17 days after the onset of those symptoms) I did an HIV test (4th generation, abott combo architect) which came out to be negative.

According to you docs here and several websites the test is definite after 6 weeks. In France the authorities also back this. In Switzerland and Germany the refer to the old agenda and say a test at this stage is only 80 percent reliable.

But I also read information that Antigene 24 is not always present and therefore this test could miss an acute HIV-infection what is also backed by this study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21983253

Questions:

- Would you expect to have Antigenes 24 or Antibodies in the test after ARS symptoms?

- What do you reply to the study above which detected only a bit more than 80 percent during the acute infection?

- What do you reply to those who say that Antigene is not always there in enough high quantities to be detected (and antibodies take time being produced)?

Thanks for you help.

Best wishes

[Spock447]

wanted to post a question in the docs forum. The question seems not to get through:(

[Vance2335]

The post in the Expert forum, there is a fee.

[Spock447]

As i said, not everywhere. The docs here on this forum always say it is conclusive after 6 weeks so I would like to get their opinion on my questions.

[Teak]

We can't help what France does, the guidelines is 3 months post exposure.

[Spock447]

thanks Teak. Yes according to most national guidelines, I know. However not in France where the labs, docs and the Aids Organisation gives you a conclusive result after 6 weeks. They told me I was negative and don't need do further testings, unless I had another unsafe event since. The french have discovered the virus, so they seem to have good science on HIV/Aids there.

[Teak]

3 months post exposure is when you can obtain your conclusive test result.