Email 553: How Long to Wait?

Posted by Pozziepinoy on 8:50 AM

Hi sir i have a question about HIV... This month I got an HIV test, the result is negative but im still worrying because my friend told me na kaylnagan daw po is 6 months bago daw ako   Ako may pa test...  Kasi I had a unprotected sex yong nag training  po kami sa u.s. i think last week of may po ata ng may kami ng sex ng american co-worker ko . Then wala pa naman ako na experience na mga symptoms.. So napaparaniod parin ako kung ayos na ba yong 3months..   So my question is " How long to wait before testing for HIV ?" 

 TRANSLATION

 Hi Sir.

 I Have a question about HIV. This month I got an HIV test. The result was negative but I'm still worrying because my friend told me that it has to be 6 months before I get tested. I had unprotected sex when we had a training in the US. I think it was on the last week of May when I had sex with my american co-worker. However, I don't experience any symptoms. So I am getting paranoid if 3 months is enough. So my question is "how long to wait before testing for HIV"?
POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE


Hi there.

Thank you for your email.

To answer your question, the best HIV doctors in the Philippines advocate taking the HIV test at 3 and at 6 months, just to be sure. Some doctors say 3 months is enough. I advocate for 3, 6 and every year especially if the person is sexually active. The reason for this is some people tend to miscalculate and that their 3 months thus become inaccurate. Anyway, there is nothing wrong in taking the HIV test again at 6 months post exposure, as one, it will finally put all questions to rest and second, you tend to get at ease with the HIV test and the counselling that come with it will be a reminder of all the precautions that you need to take. The annual testing that I advocate is for you to be relaxed with the HIV test like most of your annual physical laboratory tests.

I hope I was able to answer your concerns. Feel free to email me again if you have other questions.


Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy







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

-Pozziepinoy-



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