Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. You all do a great job thanks for this forum.
My question is how do I know what generation test I took? It was
last month, 7 weeks post exposure [minor oral me giving for
5 seconds, no ejaculation] I took an Orasure Rapid test with NEG.
results. Would that test be a generation 1-2-3-4-? No one I ask
seems to know. I am hoping it is the more sensitive in order to
shorten the window period. Thank you.
Marty Markowitz, M. D.
Clinical Director
Staff Investigator, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center
Associate Professor, Rockefeller University
The Orasure test was approved by the FDA for use for screening the general population for evidence of HIV infection.
A negative test in a low risk population is very likely to be a true negative.
A negative test in a high risk population, that is unsafe sexual contact within 3 months of the test, is much less so.
in other words...
A negative orasure within 7 weeks of a potential exposure is not
adequate to definitively rule out HIV infection, independent of
the kit used. This said the liklihood of infection given the
exposure is very low.
You should have repeat testing done with a standard HIV test approximately 12 weeks after exposure...alternatively 2 negative rapid tests using 2 different kits performed simultaneously at least 3 months form the time of exposure is also good evidence for the lack of HIV infection.
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