[Question #9252] Worried about conclusiveness

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34 months ago
I am a heterosexual male. I received an HIV 4th gen test at 6 weeks as well as Syphilis RPR at 6 weeks both negative. I have been reading a few posts and Dr. Handsfield has said that a Syphilis test at 6 weeks is conclusive and some posts he has said that 6 weeks is not conclusive so I am a bit confused. I then waited till the 85th day after exposure. I had another RPR test at 85 days after exposure and it came back negative. I also received an HIV 4th gen at 85 days after exposure and that came back negative. Also I had a chlamydia and gonnorhea throat swab and those also came back negative. The one im worried about the most though is the Syphilis and HIV. I really dont want to take another test and just want to move on with my life but I also want to be sure. Im also very anxious about the situation so be careful with what you say lol.

At 85 days were both the Syphilis RPR and HIV 4th gen conclusive?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
34 months ago
Welcome to the Forum and thanks for your question.   Your tests are all conclusive and need not be repeated. I can understand the confusion about the syphilis test and will be glad to comment.  Syphilis is an ancient disease and testing for syphilis has steadily become more and more relivable over the past 50 years.  Long ago, there was concern that persons might take as long as 90 days to develop a positive blood test for syphilis when infected.  While this time window is somethings referred to it is out of date.  The lesion of primary syphilis, the chancre takes, on average three weeks to develop following infection and a few days after the chancre appears, blood tests are reliably positive.  On occasion development of a chancre (and a positive blood test) may take somewhat longer but for all practical purposes, blood tests which are negative at 30 days will stay negative and blood tests negative at 60 days is conclusive.  I can assure you that you r test is conclusively negative and need not be repeated.  

I hope this information is helpful.  EWH
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