Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.I would like to know how many days [after an exposure] can I get a PCR HIV test?
Mark H. Katz, M.D.
Regional HIV/AIDS Physician Coordinator
Kaiser Permanente of Southern California
I assume you are speaking not of the regularly used HIV antibody test used to diagnose the presence or absence of HIV, but the quantitative or qualitative one which indicates if there is HIV present. (This test is not normally used to diagnose infection because of the potential for false positives.)
That said, the test may be positive in as little as a few days, but is usually taken in 1-2 weeks. The good news is that if it is negative, you can be reasonably assured you do not have HIV infection...But, all that said, the standard HIV antibody test is the recommended one.
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