[Question #7809] Fourth generation HIV test
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52 months ago
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How conclusive is a negative fourth generation HIV test after 53 days after a possible exposure?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
52 months ago
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Welcome to our Forum. I'll be glad to comment. FYI, I happened to be on the site when your question arrived so you are getting a response far more quickly than is usual.
Fourth generation, combination antigen/antibody tests for HIV provide completely conclusive results for infection at all times more than 6 weeks (42 days) after exposure unless the person took medications specifically used to treat HIV at some time in the interval between exposure and testing.
I hope this helps. EWH
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52 months ago
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I had unprotected sex with a male on February 20 and took a fourth generation text on April 15 which is negative. Do I need to repeat it after 3 months? I'm having a lot of anxiety and depression because I have been reading that a negative result can change at 3 months. Can you please help?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
52 months ago
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Thank you for the additional information. Any single unprotected encounter is a low risk event. A single episode of vaginal sex, if your partner happened to be infected, results in transmission of HIV less than once in 1000 episodes. In other words 99.9% of the time that a person has sex with someone who has untreated HIV they do not become infected. In addition, unless you know otherwise, it’s unlikely that your partner had HIV. Most people do not have HIV.
In your case your recent HIV test proves that you were not infected. The information that test results are not conclusive is out of date. With modern fourth generation tests results are entirely reliable six weeks or 42 days after exposure. My advice to you is to believe your test results and to know that you were not infected by the sexual encounter in February that you described. I hope this information is helpful to you. EWH
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52 months ago
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Thank you for the information. The February encounter was the last time I had unprotected sex with him. Before that we had unprotected sex on January 25 and on February 1. But February 20 was the last time.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
52 months ago
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Thanks for the additional information. It sounds like this is an ongoing relationship. If that is the case, I would advise you to ask your partner to be tested and share those results with you. This would give you a degree of comfort regarding future sexual encounters and be the foundation of a mutually respectful sexual relationship. EWH---
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52 months ago
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The relationship ended. This is why I explained that February 20 was the last unprotected encounter. I just want to know if the last fourth generation HIV test that I got negative result can be considered conclusive since it was done 53 days after last encounter or if there is need to test again.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
52 months ago
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Thank you for the clarification. As I said above, your results at day 53 following year last encounter are conclusive. There is no need for further testing. Be confident that you do not have HIV.
As I suspect that you know, we provide up to three replies to each clients questions. This is my fourth reply. Thus this thread will be closed shortly without further responses. I hope the information I have provided has been helpful. Take care. Please don’t worry.
EWH
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