How Long Does It Takes To Know If You Have HIV After Sex

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HIV and Safer Sex

Table of Contents What Safer Sex Is What Safer Sex Is Not Practicing Safer Sex No-Risk Safer Sex Activities Other Safer Sex Tips Thinking it Through What Safer Sex Is Most people know that serious, even life-threatening, infections like HIV,syphilis, and other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) can be passed from one person toanother through sex. Safer sex is sex that reduces the chances of spreading orgetting STDs. It...

Ask the Experts

HELP - very scared (concerning oral sex risk) (WHAT YOU DONT KNOW CAN KILL YOU, 2010) ( IS IT BETTER TO GET HIV TESTED OR NOT TO KNOW, 2010)

Hi Doctor, Thankyou for your help.If I were exposed, it would have been about 2 1/2 years ago, November/December of 2007. I am a heterosexual female and lost my virginity to someone with a very iffy past. We only had sex once, it was protected -...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hello,"I have literally become obsessed with finding out if I have HIV without actually being tested." WHAT? As Star Trek's Mr. Spock would say: "Captain, that is just not logical!" If you want to know if your HIV infected, there is only one way to... Read more »

pregnant and terrified hiv test taking too long

Dear DR Kull,I'm a 33 year old caucasian woman and am 11 weeks pregnant with my first child. My husband and I were estatic, but now I am absolutely terrified I am HIV positive. I took many blood tests including HIV 2 weeks ago and my doctors...

Response from Ryan M. Kull, C.S.W

Columbia University's Health & Related Services

First of all, I would encourage you to do your best to hold off on diagnosing yourself as being HIV infected. Unless you are at siginificant risk for infection (had unprotected sex with an HIV positive man or someone at high risk for infection)... Read more »

HIV test taking a long time to show positive result

I'm not sure this is the right forum, but I couldn't find any other that's more suitable. This is a bit long, so brace yourselves...I just tested positive for HIV on October 27 (with result on November 1 ...). The test was done as...

Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.

Stanford University, School of Medicine

1. It may relate to someone's underlying immune system and genetics, the amount of HIV received and the method (sexual vs. injection drug use).2. No.3. Because the look for antibodies and not the virus. The position of the US FDA has been up til... Read more »

How long are people living with HIV, IF DETECTED EARLY AND THEY ARE TAKING MEDS AS PRESCRIBED?

hi Dr.Sherer, how long does the average person live who is living with HIV if he /she was diagnosed early enough , take meds as prescribed, exercises, and easts health in these days of the disease? I am 22 and was diagnosed a few month , it is...

Response from Renslow Sherer, M.D.

University of Chicago Hospitals

In the current era of HIV treatment, 80-85% of people have a response to ART like yours, with full viral suppression and rising CD4 cells. The estimates for long term survival are highest for someone who 'gets it right' with the very first ART... Read more »

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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Florida: One Woman's Odyssey of Drugs, Sex and HIV Leads to a New Life on South Beach

Not long ago, Merle Soden was pimping women in Harlem, selling and smoking crack, and robbing other hustlers. After she ripped off some neighborhood drug dealers and heard her life was endangered, she figured she would be safer hiding in... Read more »

Lowering the Risk of HIV After Sex or Other Exposure

Post-exposure prophylaxis -- or PEP for short -- has long been used to minimize the chance of HIV infection among healthcare workers exposed to the virus (primarily through accidental needlestick injuries). 1-3 It is also generally available in... Read more »

Many People Who Know, Trust Sex Partners Assume Low Risk of HIV, Other STIs, Study Finds

Many people who know their sexual partners well consider themselves to be at a low risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, according to a study published in the June issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases , Reuters reports. For... Read more »

Newly Diagnosed or Long-Term Survivor -- What Everyone Should Know About HIV and Their Rights

Confidentiality Rights -- the AIDS Confidentiality Act First, your HIV status should not be disclosed by you to anyone except those people who absolutely need to know (doctors, health care providers, etc.), close friends, most-trusted confidants,... Read more »

Connect With Others

How long does the HIV test take?

Posted by missing, 1 Reply

It has been a week and I am still waiting for the result. I thought ELISA is a quick test? Does that means my blood has to go through Western Blot........... I know ELISA can produce false positive but that small 1% chance doesn't seems very... Read more »

sex HIV-woman HIV+ man

Posted by Anonymous, 4 Replies

I have met the most wonderful man almost a year ago. We met through a friend of mine that I work with. She does not know that he is positive. It took 2 months before he told me. We have not slept together. He told me from the beginning that he... Read more »

How long testing takes?

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

I had an HIV test last tuesday ..results came back negative on friday. this just seems like such a short time to get a result. Is it normal to take this amount of time ? How long testing takes? u are fine! results can take anywhere from 10... Read more »

HIV from one-time sex?

Posted by Anonymous, 2 Replies

I want to know how many women contract HIV from having sex with a + person only a few times. I know it is possible, but I've heard it usually takes repeated exposure to the virus to contract the disease (unless the couple engages in higher-risk... Read more »

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