Hiv testing and window period

Dear Ask The Doctor: Had unprotected sex one time took a hiv test at my gp blood had unprotected sex one time took a hiv test at my gp blood taken from arm 28 days after exposure with negative results also the woman i had sex with also took a rapid test with negative results how accurate are these tests .

Dear Alvin:  It is not a matter of test accuracy is a matter of timeframe until the results of the tests become reliable. A person may get infected with HIV very fast (within a day or two), but you have to wait a while before an HIV test will produce an accurate result. The period of time you should wait before taking an HIV test will depend on the type of test that you are taking. In the majority of cases, the standard test that will be offered at an HIV testing center will be an HIV antibody Test. The HIV antibody Test detects antibodies to the virus in your blood. For most of the people these antibodies take 6 weeks to 3 months to develop, sometimes, in very rare cases, may take up to 6 months. For this reason, getting tested before 3 months have passed may result in an unclear test result, as the infected person may not yet have developed antibodies to HIV. These 3 – 6 months are known as the 'window period'. Many people do not show symptoms after they first get infected with HIV. Others have a flu-like illness within several days to weeks after exposure to the virus. They complain of: fever, headache, tiredness, and swollen nodes in the neck. These symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks. After that, the person feels normal and has no symptoms. The development of the disease is different among individuals. This asymptomatic state may last from a few months to more than 10 years. Even though the person has no symptoms, is contagious and can pass HIV to others.  So, I recommend you to wait for at least 3 months after the last time you consider you were at risk before taking the test. Some test centers may recommend re testing again at 6 months, just to be extra sure, though in most cases this is not necessary.