My boyfriend of 14 years has just found out he is postive. I have had HIV 1&2 /p24 Ag screen which is negative. My doctor thinks I should be fine even though I have been exposed to him in the last 4 weeks - how long should I wait to be tested again? What are the chances I could still test postive?

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your partner's recent diagnosis.

As a reminder to our readers, I should point out I've addressed questions similar to yours many times in the past. Consequently the information you desire was already waiting for you in the archives of this forum. Check it out!

Briefly, you will need additional HIV-antibody testing at three months. If that is negative, a confirmatory test at six months is recommended by The CDC, due to your significant exposure to a partner confirmed to be HIV positive.

What are your chances? That is impossible to estimate without knowing much more about your exposures, the viral strain, viral load, your immune integrity, presence of concurrent infections and a whole host of other factors that could play a role in HIV transmission. Suffice it to say that if you've had unsafe sex with a poz partner, you are indeed at risk and require testing.

Good luck!

Dr. Bob