Question:

I recently tested for HIV using an HIV Rapid test (Trinity UniGold). I have some questions regarding what I have read on your site and what was told by the HIV counselor.

I notice on the website most of the doctors state to test at three months and, again, at six months following a potential exposure. My HIV counselor said as long as I had not had exposure in the previous three months then the test was accurate at three months. Additionally, my counselor referred me to the CDC website, for Rapid Testing Questions and, indeed, the website states three months is definitive if there has been no known or possible exposure in the prior three months.

So, here are my questions. Is HIV testing "accurate," "definitive," and "conclusive," after three months, if there has been no type of exposure in the preceding three months? Is the three month to six month window period for those with ongoing risk behavior? In my case, I was tested at forty weeks after unprotected, insertive-anal sex with a man of unknown status. My test result was non-reactive. However, could I have tested at three months, following the incident and having abstained, and gotten a definite answer at that point?

Answer provided by:

Mark H. Katz, M.D.
Regional HIV/AIDS Physician Coordinator
Kaiser Permanente of Southern California

Part of the confusion you have may arise from the fact that there are indeed so many places to turn to for HIV-related information, none of them "The Bible," so to speak. (However, most people would turn to the CDC as most definitive.) One of the things counselors and health care providers are taught to take into account is the degree of risk as well as the degree of anxiety on the part of the person being tested. For many people, a negative test at even two months is all they need to be satisfied they are not infected. For some, waiting for six months is necessary. Three months is the generally accepted "average"--that a negative test at that time means the person was not infected at the time of the original interaction.

Increasing the window to 6 months usually occurs, yes, with ongoing risk behavior, but also for people who tell you they read on some website that "some people" do not turn positive for up to 6 months. Even though those stories are scant and often unvalidated, most counselors at that point would opt for an additional test to provide additional reassurance.

In your specific case, indeed, you do not have HIV.

0600417
ASKD060408

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, John M. Lloyd Foundation, Roche and Trimeris, the National Library of Medicine, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.