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Testing/Time
#19662 - 07/23/01 08:33 PM
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I recently had a low-risk exposure (receiving oral sex) and would like to find out as soon as possible my status. I know that receiving oral sex is a low risk, but until you are in that position, that is hard to say. I am a male and received the oral sex from a male whose status I did not know (my first and last experience with a male). When is the earliest I can take a test and what test can I take? How accurate would the result be? Please let me know. If it makes any difference, I live in Florida.
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Average time to show up is 25 days, but you have to wait for 12 weeks to be sure, most say between 95-99% by than. .
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Antibody Testing:
* 3rd gen ELISA has a 90 - 95% accuracy rating at 4 weeks. Some people post that they've seen better stats, I haven't seen them to date.
* Window for antibody testing is 12 weeks; 8 weeks is probably when you can really start breathing easy.
* Antibody testing is affordable and accurate. It carries an official testing window of 3 - 6 months, depending on who you read; 3 months is probably long enough.
PCR Testing:
* PCR DNA is reportedly conclusive at 4 weeks. This looks for the actual virus inside your blood cells. The FDA doesn't approve it for diagnostic testing, unless you're a blood bank (which should tell you something), because it's expensive, labor intensive, and antibody testing is extremely accurate at the end of the window.
* It is quite obvious here that the FDA has never had to wait out the flippin' window period (brief editorial comment by Oops)
* PCR DNA can throw false positives, which requires follow up testing. I am not aware of it throwing a false negative after the 4 week period, but you could probably dig one up if you looked hard enough. At any rate, it's pretty damned accurate.
* PCR RNA looks for a product of the virus, as opposed to the virus itself. I believe the time frame is very similar to the PCR DNA test.
* PCR RNA *can* throw false negatives, but this typically happens after someone has been on HIV meds for a while. It is a quantitative test for measuring viral load, while the DNA test is qualitative: the virus exists or it doesn't.
So I guess the answers (my unprofessional opinion) to your question are as follows:
* You can test whenever you want to.
* The longer you wait, up to a point, the more accurate the test.
* PCR DNA testing should give accurate results 28 or more days past exposure. (THIS IS EXPENSIVE, $400 in my case)
* Antibody testing can give promising results in 4 weeks. You will have a personal and moral obligation to test beyond the 4 week test, see your doctor for details.
Hope this helps.
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Oops, you are a Godsent. I always value your posts.
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