Saturday, November 10, 2012

When To Take the HIV Test?

People have been asking me as to when is the right time to take the HIV test and if one HIV test is enough. These questions have been repeated over and over so I might as well talk about it.

HIV tests diagnose HIV by the antibodies produced by the body's immune system in reaction to the virus itself. However it really takes sometime for the HIV test to detect the antibodies. The time it takes for enough antibodies to be detected varies from one person to another. It ranges from 2 to 8 weeks post exposure and may sometimes be longer. It may even reach up to 6 months for the antibodies to be detected.


So what does it mean then? If an HIV test is done immediately, like 1 week post exposure, it may produce a false negative result. This means that there is not enough antibodies present yet in the blood stream for them to be detected by the HIV test. This means a negative HIV test result at that time is not an indication that one really has no HIV. I have talked to people whose initial HIV test result was negative and then 6 months after, after taking the test again, the result came out positive.

What most doctors usually follow is the rule of 3's or the 3-6 Rule. Take the HIV test, 3 months post exposure. If it turns out negative, take the HIV test again 3 months after (6 months post exposure). This means that you are going to do 2 tests in 6 months time. If you have HIV this is enough time for the virus to have antibodies to be detected in your bloodstream by the HIV test.

Some clinics even recommend the 6-3-3 rule. This is taking the test 6 weeks post exposure. If it turns our negative, repeat the test 3 months post exposure. If again it turns out negative, take the test again 6 months post exposure.

THIS IS IMPORTANT!

 1. Don't assume that you don't have HIV after getting your first HIV test that turned out negative. It is possible that you still have the virus, however it just wasn't detected because there is not enough antibodies yet.

2. Repeat the HIV Test!

 Follow either these two Rules:

    a. Follow the Rule of 3-6:
        i. Take the test 3 months post exposure. If negative,
        ii. Take the test again 6 months post exposure.

    b. Follow the 6-3-3 Rule:
        i. Take the test 6 weeks post exposure. If negative,
        ii. Take the test again, 3 months post exposure. If negative,
        iii. Take the test again, 6 months post exposure.

3. Don't doubt the rapid test. You can do it as frequent as you want, from different testing sites but what is more important is the timing of the test.

Always remember that it is better to be proactive about knowing our HIV status now, than regret it later on.



"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-


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