HIV 1-Month Window Period

[ptgary]

Can any knowledgeable bros shed some light on the efficacy and reliability of the 1-month window period for HIV? Thanks

[AfA_hmor]

what is ur real question?

[Max80]

what is ur real question?

Erm... i think, he is trying to ask "How effective will the results of a HIV test be, 1 month after the last sexual encounter?"..

Its just my wild guess.. Hopefully TS will rephrase his question.

cheers

[massageboy666]

Can any knowledgeable bros shed some light on the efficacy and reliability of the 1-month window period for HIV? Thanks

0% reliability

3 months / 6 months after 1st possible exposure

[Redoxan]

DSC (http://www.dsc-sexualhealth.com.sg/showpage.asp?id=22)

Check this out for more information.

[HCKing]

blood test and oral test which 1 is better and faster?

[samfan]

There appear to be a local clinic that advocates HIV PCR testing within one week post-exposure and also to commerce HIV PEP immediately based upon PCR testing.

They make bold claims that PCR testing is accurate immediately post-exposure and that it is more reliable than even a third generation HIV Antibody test.

Please understand that HIV PCR tests are not designed to be used as a first-line of diagnosis. Reason being there are high chances of receiving false-negative results from these tests. Many other factors may cause a PCR test to return positive other than HIV.

So it is and will never be recommended as a first-line for all forms of diagnosis.

PEP is absolutely beneficial and recent studies have shown that early PEP intervention may have a deciding factor in the future course of the HIV infection.

However, it is only recommended if there is an absolutely certain risks for HIV infection. Examples include cases like job-related exposures (doctors, nurses, etc.) and unprotected sexual intercourse with a confirmed HIV positive individual.

Stay informed and be safe.

[hum_coyote]

I think you could get more information from Singapore HIV Aids screening testing clinic (http://www.hiv.sg).

I heard there is a clinic in balestier specialised in doing rapid hiv testing... you can get the number from the website...

The bloodtest at DSC is very fast tooo... half hr can know result liao...


Lastly, can anyone tell me if capped sexual encounter has very low chance of getting hiv...?? I've been very paranoid these few days about it... maybe watch too much ch8 show liao lol...

[AfA_hmor]

The clinic you posted is the one which does PCR testing, not rapid testing. The one that Samfan is refering to, if I'm not wrong. It charges a few hundred dollars for it, $600 for 1 test.

[samfan]

The clinic you posted is the one which does PCR testing, not rapid testing. The one that Samfan is refering to, if I'm not wrong. It charges a few hundred dollars for it, $600 for 1 test.

Yes, I'm referring to this clinic, but I'm not aware of the $600 price tag. With that kind of money, it could last a HIV patient a few month's of generic HAART medication!

And to answer a specific question, HIV Antibodies tests whether through oral or blood are all at least 99% accurate.

The rapid oral test is known by its brand name OralQuick. I believe this is the one used by AfA and 2 private clinics here (Anteh & Cambridge). Results generally can be seen in 20 minutes.

The standard blood test is known as an ELISA test. Duration for results usually depends on where the blood sample is sent to for analysis. Private clinics typically takes a few days, while government labs take about 2 weeks.

There is generally no need to worry about its accuracy if the test is conducted 6-8 weeks after the exposure in question.

Don't forget, even if the antibody test returns a positive result, it will still need to be confirmed by a Western Blot Test. If that too is positive, then you are confirmed to have been infected by HIV.

That is why sometimes having the ELISA method is good, since the second confirmatory test will usually be done immediately at the lab if you are positive for ELISA, even before any result is returned to you.