Hello Drs. I have a couple of questions because this is really confusing to me, and please be very honest, it is true that the RNA QUALITITIVE Test could miss the virus in the blood if the virus is undetectable to very low copies  ? and as per that, that test is more accurate at couple of weeks after infection? A lot of websites like CDC and etc, described that after the initials weeks the viral load goes down to really low levels and this could cause a fail for the test to detect the virus? let's say that the person only has 1 copies/ml in the blood, could the RNA QUALIT.  still be able to detect the virus or not? I would like to ask also what's the difference between the PCR RNA and the RNA QUALT. As  per what I been reading they both look for the same but one give you results in #s and the Qualt. just tells you either detected or not detected? if the virus is to low they both will miss the virus or the Qual test its able to detected even at 1 copies/ ml? Another question what's the difference between the RNA QUAL and the DNA PCR test? thank you in advise,,,

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.---

Im going true a really difficult moment in my life Dr. I had a relationship for over a year we both were neg. We had a fight and we were separted for over 1.month in that midtime I unfortunelly decided to accept going out with an ex of mine, we gad unprotected sex( I know big mistake) still I never through such a thing as HIV, well the thing is that after that my boyfriend and I had a talk and we came back together, well I started having a rash on my torso and he started having some kind of little ulcers on his penis( not herpes) which he never had before I knew at the time that the other guy gave my something ,we went to doctor and he was ok for all std's and dr said wasn't herpes, on the otherside my rash increased on my back, they were red with little red dots around my torso also had it on my legs, well one  day I wake up with nauseas and loss of appetite for a entire week, I remember having a lot of chills at work, joint pain, my menstrual cicle came really short and its been like that for the last months, its been 1 symptom to another symptom, I been having a lot if tingling in my hands and feets more than normal, really cols hands, and the little red dots come and go in my legs and arms, I had 1 ulcer in my lip inside and right now Im having 1 in my upper gums,( I nevee had that before) I know something is wrong, obviously I had to ended up telling the true to my partner because its about a health issue and he could also have it , Im always been healthy,  I been having this flu symptoms with sore throats and feeling my body sleepy all time and with not energy , nothing like before, I expalined all this to you because I need someone to understand my worried instead of telling me is anxiety and etc because believe me its NOT. well at 3 months I did a PCR RNA & Rna qual. Came neg, obviously as you know the virus goes down afte couple of weeks, I didn't know at the begginig anything about hiv testing otherwise I had it done those test while my strongs sympyoms were there, I also did a 4th generation test at 3 months came neg. I know it could take up to 6 months,  I been reading Dr. Bob forum he always recommended a 6 month test for risk exposure, and I think he knew a lot about it, The reason Im mentoning Dr. Bob is becauase he wouldn't never puted no one on risk, today's date all persons believe in a 3 month test, I can't.  I have a lot of evidence to believe I got it, I have to believe on my dody reactions Im the onr going thru all symptoms, No other std's causes such specific symptoms and I went to regular Dr. And everything else is ok with ny health. My ex partner is been having headaches frequently, we keep in touch till all this takes a way, all Drs say the same if viral load is down is due to antibodies fighting the infection, but we know hiv still a mystery no even a cure its been found in over 30 yrs , its not like a switch ,viral load down and antibodies will show up right away in much quantities to show up on a test, it takes time for the body to produce enough i

I want to add that my symptoms started exactly at 2 weeks post exp.I had the rash it was 1 simple red patch on my low back then after another circular red like uunder my arm, then more appeared till I got my whole torso covered with it and then the littlw dots ahowed up on my right side of the torso and on my legs, and then with the full rash I had the others symptoms like loss of apetite ans etc , I also remembering waking up with really dry mouth, extremely dry, and I couldn't sleep well that week, it was like I was sleepy but my body was  really weird  inside  and felt  lock of energy all I wanted was be on bed. Then stymptoms went away for 2 weeks and my flu symptoms started and the mouth ulcers, still my period is coming really short . I hope this is enough info for you to help me out. Thanks 

There's an awful lot of information there -- but only a few things are important. First, Dr. Bob Frascino, a lovely person and respected HIV/AIDS expert. But he died several years ago, before the 4th generation tests came into wide use. They are 100% reliable 6 weeks (usually 4 weeks) after the last possible exposure. Your negative result at 3 months proves you do not have HIV and that something else is causing your symptoms, perhaps more than one thing. No further HIV testing is needed, at 6 months or any other time. ---

On my point of view and sorry for what I'm about to say, It's seems really disrespectful for me that a person outside of the situation juts tell you that your symptoms are caused by anxiety and etc , that's like the perfect answer for all people out here going through differents situations, too bad I can't post any photos here and you will tell me if those symptoms were caused by anxiety when I was not even thinking on hiv( you never think on something like that) so impossible for me that I was anxious about something I never thinked was possible and happening to me just because no-one never think on it, Dr Bob died 2011, by then 4th gen tests was already there and he still recommending the 6 months follow up,, also like you said in a forum I read your opinions are based on odds and probabilities, and Dr. Bob worked directly with patients, right? What it means that if he never changed his mind about the re-testing at 6 months is because of something, I don't feel good. Im a young woman and before this risk encounter I had never felt this way, and you seemed not to read properly it WASN'T a regular encounter with my partner at the time.  Persons come to this site looking for answer and you tell them what they want to hear,  : oh no you good 4 weeks is good you don't have HIV, in my case I want the thruth and not based on odds and probabilities,  why are you so sure Im Hiv neg, when I had gave you details of being having all hiv symptoms?  Why CDC still saying some people could take longer than 3 months to show antibodies? If 99% of population test poz at 3 months and 1% at 6 months, I don't know about you but 1% in all population is a lot of people.  I really hope you stop treating my case like an anxiety case because believe me you are way to wrong, and I will come back here if my results at 6 months turns back poz you can be 100% sure of that. My feelings right now are really disappointment regarding to your answer, I want real answers based on facts and not on probabilities, probabilities and my symptoms just don't go together,  thank you for your time and Im really sorry if my answer it's not appropiate on your point of view, but I really expected a little bit more of common sense on understanding my symptoms are real instead of telling me is just anxiety, I think that's a good way to answer and clean your hands. Pls do you work properly because a person could be on really risk and pass the virus to other persons just based on your advised of testing. Thank you that's all I wanted to say.

i'm sorry, but you're splitting hairs, and this isn't a debate.The HIV blood tests, collectively, are the most accurate diagnostic tests ever developed, and in particular that includes the 4th generation HIV tests. (I didn't remember the exact date we lost Dr. Bob, but my comment about it was accurate:  the 4th generation tests were available but not in what I would call wide use in 2011.) The point is that HIV test test results like yours override all other considerations:  no matter how high the risk of HIV might have been at the time of exposure, and no matter how typical the symptoms might seem, the test results rule. Your results prove HIV is not a possible or plasible cause of your symptoms.---