POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: jamesman833 on September 19, 2013, 02:54:20 pm
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I am afraid i am infected. I had an high risk exposure with a sexworker 3 months ago. After 6 weeks i started getting muscle and vain pain, night sweats and trush in the mouth. It is still bad now, three months later. All tests so far tests negative. Both rapid test and combo test sendt to laboratory. I know the window periods for hiv testing, but of all the posts and sites on the net i cant find anone who really have tested positive "inside" the window period (before 3 months). It seems like every postivie man/woman really dont know when they were infected.
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Hi James , its difficult to tell from your post when you last tested so I will give you the facts .
The testing window period is 6 weeks past any possible exposure and again at 3 months to confirm the results . The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. Most who are infected will test positive by 6 weeks. For various reasons a small number will take longer and that is why we follow the CDC recommendation to test at 3 months for a conclusive negative result.
You didn't say what your risk was but the risk sexually for HIV are unprotected vaginal or anal sex ... what was your risk ?
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I know the window period, but every single post about hiv infected persons it seems like they dont know when they got hiv and how long they have been positive. Thats why i am nervous that i am a late seroconverser.
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What was your risk ?
How long after the last risk did you test ?
If you answer these questions I can can answer yours , thanks .
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The average time from exposure to seroconversion is 22 days.
As the latest testing guidelines specify a six week test to preliminarily confirm a status, that does fall within the first window period.
As the global gold standard remains three months, that 22 day average falls WELL within that window period.
Inthe ten years I have been given risk assessment on this forum, I have personally seen a few dozen unfortunate people come here for advice and then test positive. None of them did so between the six week test and the twelve week test.