Dr. Penchilaprasad Kandikattu
Internal Medicine
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
I am a 25-year-old male. I had some risky sexual encounters three years back and recently been worried if I may have got an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). I did two home tests last year. Both came negative. As I was still worried, I did two more tests. They also came negative for HIV. I have read that sometimes if it has progressed far enough, you can get false negatives. Is that possible in my case, or are these tests conclusive? Sorry, I cannot get it out of my head. Please help.
Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern. I have gone through your lab reports (attachment removed to protect the patient’s identity). There is no chance of the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) virus in your body. Usually, the virus antigen is detectable within three to six weeks after infection. Viral RNA (ribonucleic acid) can be detectable ten days after infection. Antibodies can be detectable after eight weeks. But in your condition all are negative so do not worry.
I hope this helps.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thanks for your reply.
I know this is a dumb question, but if I did have it, it would not be possible for it to have progressed far enough that all the tests would show negative, right?
Hi, Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern. Yes, so do not worry. If you still want to clear your mind, I suggest you get HIV RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test. This is 99 to 100 % accurate.
I hope this helps.
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Internal Medicine
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