PCR accurecy and 6 month window period

[veryscared0226]

Dear Doctor, i have tested with PCR for HIV1 and the result "RNA not detected" at 130 days.

1) can PCR give false negative at such periode due to low viral loads even if the person is not going under HIV treatments? or should it continue to be positive start from 2 weeks?

2) i got confused when i read CDC recomendation to people to retest for Antibodies after 6 months? is this still valid? is it for special type of people?the most important from your experince, have you ever come accross anyone whoes status changed after 3 months negative Antibody test?

3) is there a possible risk for HIV+ person to transmit it to his kids other than brest feeding? have you come accross any case?

Many thanks for helping me with my dylama.

[veryscared0226]

Dear Doctor, thank you for your help and answering my several questions. i just would like to tell you that by this forum you are doing a great help for people like me who are living in countries with a very low HIV rate. Doctors in my country are excelent for handeleing a lot deaseases but when it comes to HIV they have less experince because of low exposure to real cases and this is not their fault. Hence, there are lot of people like me who are in real need to your experience as we can't find it arround. I'm gratful for your and Dr.Handsfield guidance.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

We ask clients to post no more than two questions on our two Forums in any six month period in order to be able to have time and room to answer questions for others.  This is your 4th question of us this month and in addition I see you have one other question in the International HIV Forum.  All of the answers are the same, you did not acquire HIV form your exposure of concern.  You are not following the rules and wasting your time and ours by repetitively asking the same questions related to your NO RISK exposure again and again.  You will receive a single answer to this question and no more.  Period.  If you persist in asking this question or new questions they will be deleted without comment.

You have been told repeatedly that the exposure you ask about was no risk.  You have been reassured that your test results are accurate and that they have not missed unusual strains.  This is still the case.  PCR is not recommended for HIV diagnosis, another example of how you choose to waste your time and money with unneeded testing.  If you did have HIV however, at 130 days the test would be positive.

2.  You do not need to re-test at 6 months. This is an old recommendation that is out of date.  I have never seen a person who did not test positive for HIV well before 3 months after exposure.

3.  No, this is not possible.

This concludes this response and this post. As I said above, if you post further, the question will be deleted.  You do not need more testing.  If you cannot stop worrying, what you do need is mental health assistance in working through your inappropriate fears.  EWH