Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I have a few questions,
Please advise.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
There is a window period of three months after an exposure in which the HIV antibody test may come negative, but six months is a good enough time for the test to become reliable. Ashwagandha does not affect the test. Even if you have an autoimmune disease, it means you have antibodies to your own body tissues.
However, HIV is an external antigen, and specific antibodies are formed for a specific antigen. So your autoantibodies will be different from the HIV antibody. The test will detect HIV antibody only.
Kind regards.
Patient's Query
Thank you, doctor, for the reply.
I have done an HIV test on six months with HIV fourth-generation antigen/antibody. So, would this p24 antigen be detectable in high amounts on the p24 portion of the fourth-generation test in rare cases of someone who never produces antibodies for HIV? Here is my HIV report.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I have seen the report (attachment removed to protect patient identity).
Your report is negative for both antigen and antibody, so you are not infected. This test is very reliable if done after one month of exposure to possible HIV. You have done it in six months, so it is reliable. If you have an antigen, you will produce antibodies. If you do not produce antibodies and are infected, it is not possible, yet suppose it is, then you would be severely sick by this time.
Kind regards.
Patient's Query
Thank you, doctor, for the reply.
Do I need more tests? Have you seen or heard of anyone who is negative on a six-month test and turns positive later on? Can I trust my test?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
You can trust your test. I have not seen anyone turning positive after being negative at six months. For disease purposes, you are negative if you have had no further exposure in between. It would be good to know what type of exposure you had and when and if there was any more exposure, or the time of last exposure, or if you had multiple exposures?
Patient's Query
Thank you, doctor, for the reply.
I had three encounters. One was last year with a sex worker, but I used a condom. The second was after three months with a random girl whose HIV status is not known, but I used a condom. The third exposure was also with a random girl whom I met at the gym, and it was also in the same month, but this time I was without a condom.
Then I tested on the same month end with a fourth-generation HIV test, and it came out negative. I waited again and retested after three months with HIV 1 and -2 with fourth generation, it is negative. Again, I tested it after a month with the same fourth generation, and again, after a month. It came out negative, and the latest test after three months with antigen/antibodies was non-reactive.
I am just scared. Do I need more tests? I heard that it would take six more months to be accurate. Is that true?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
There is nothing to be scared of, just relax and chill. You are not infected, two tests are enough to confirm. It is six months since the last exposure, and fourth generation tests become positive by one month. After so many tests it is negative so you are negative just relax.
Patient's Query
Thank you, doctor, for the reply.
After a few weeks, I heard that the P24 antigen would stop being produced and decrease, and it would not show in the test, and the antibodies produced are low and undetectable in the test. Is this possible? I heard that HIV is hard to get from females to males. Is that true? I am worried about it.
Do you do an HIV test? What kind of test do you do? You have never seen patients turn positive later after three months of a negative test, right?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
There are two tests: antigen and antibody. Antigen enters the body with the virus, and an antibody is formed in the body to fight the antigen. Hence, the antigen test becomes positive earlier than the antibody test. When the antibody starts to rise, it neutralizes the antigen, which gradually comes down. The advantage of the fourth-generation test is that it detects both antigen and antibody. If one is low, the other is high. In either case, if you are infected, the test would be positive.
Even if the female is positive, you may not get infected. Male to female transmission is more because man deposits 2 to 5 ml of semen in the vagina. We do both antigen and antibody tests. At three months, if someone is negative, we repeat the antibody test only at six months, but we have never seen anyone turn positive after being tested negative at three months.
Patient's Query
Thank you, doctor, for the reply.
Is it possible that the p24 antigen and antibodies are both undetected because of some weird things? So six months is final for all people, I mean people who are suffering from cancer, immune deficiency, or pre-existing conditions? Is six months the final for all patients? I heard that HCV also delays the test.
Why is it hard for females to get HIV from males? Can you look at my CBC and see if I have any immune deficiency or anything that may delay? Please do I need more test or not this are my final question that most scared me is that I went to see prostitution but it was nine and half months, I use a condom and I cum inside but I was wearing it I pull out and throw away without looking maybe it was broken or torn.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
It is not possible for both to be undetectable if you are infected; of course, they will be undetectable if you are not infected. Six months is final for all groups of people. Those who are on immunosuppressive treatment may develop delayed antibodies, but their antigen test will not be affected.
Females do not get much fluid transfer. Their CBC (complete blood count) (attachment removed to protect patient identity) is normal. 9.5 months is a good enough time for the test to become positive if they are infected, so relax and take care.
Kind regards.
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Answered byDr. Purushottam Sah
Medically reviewed byDr. Vinodhini J.
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