how long before you test positive for hiv?
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One recommended strategy is to get tested 2-4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after a risky exposure. Using a sensitive antigen/antibody HIV test, of those who are infected, most will test positive at 1 month; almost all will test positive at 3 months; and the rest will test positive at 6 months.
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These signs and symptoms of acute HIV infection can begin a few days after you are exposed to HIV and usually last for about 14 days. They could last for just a few days, or they could last for several months. You might not realize your illness is acute HIV infection.
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Persons with HIV can develop signs of infection anywhere from months to years after being infected. About half of the people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years, but the time between infection with HIV and the onset of AIDS can vary greatly.
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How long does it take to develop signs of HIV? Persons with HIV can develop signs of infection anywhere from months to years after being infected. About half of the people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years, but the time between infection with HIV and the onset of AIDS can vary greatly.
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The test may be negative because it typically takes 1–3 weeks after infection for your body to make antibodies.
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The immune system begins to develop antibodies to attack the virus. This production of HIV antibodies is called seroconversion. Before seroconversion, there may not be detectable levels of HIV antibodies in a person's blood. Before seroconversion, an HIV blood test could produce a false negative result.
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But some tests take a few days or weeks to come back from a lab. Many clinics can do rapid testing for HIV — you'll get your result in about 20 minutes. If you don't hear back from your doctor after your STD test, don't assume everything's okay. Call them to find out for sure what your results are.
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Rapid HIV tests Most test for HIV antibodies by taking a prick of blood from your finger. These tests are only accurate three months after exposure. If you get a positive result, the healthcare professional will double-check this with a second test.
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There will still be rare cases where someone is HIV positive and not picked up. However, HIV tests are one of the more accurate tests for any medical infection. Tests showing a negative result are 'interpreted' as negative. If the result is negative three months after exposure your result is interpreted as negative.
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HIV RNA test ("viral load") is positive in patients with acute HIV infection. Lower-than-normal CD4 (white blood cell) count may be a sign of a suppressed immune system. The CD4 count usually improves 1 - 2 months after acute infection.
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The only way to tell if a person has HIV is through the HIV Antibody Test, which detects the presence of antibodies produced by the body in response to the HIV virus. It can take up to three months for antibodies to be developed.
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It can take up to three to 12 weeks for your body to make enough antibodies for an antibody test to detect HIV infection. It usually takes a few days to a few weeks to get results of an HIV test, although rapid HIV tests can produce results in about 20 minutes.
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If the results from a second test are positive, a person is considered to be HIV-positive. It's also possible to receive a false-negative result. This means the result is negative when in reality the virus is present. This generally happens if a person recently contracted HIV and gets tested during the window period.
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If you are still unsure of your result, you should wait at least 3 days before testing again, taking care to follow instructions. For your result to be 'Pregnant' (positive) there must be a blue line in the control window and a '+' symbol in the result window within 10 minutes of performing the test.
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Incubation period of HIV The interval from HIV infection to the diagnosis of AIDS ranges from about 9 months to 20 years or longer, with a median of 12 years.
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Within 2 to 4 weeks after infection with HIV, about two-thirds of people will have a flu-like illness. This is the body's natural response to HIV infection.
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If taken at the recommended window period, the HIV RNA test is highly accurate, so you can have confidence in your results. The HIV RNA test is around 95-99% accurate starting around 9-11 days post exposure and will stand at about 99% accuracy around 28 days post exposure.