#10: That wouldn't make sense. Western Blot is only to be used for confirmation after a *positive* ELISA. It's not intended to be used for primary screening (which is essentially what you're suggesting). The reason has to do with the relative rates of false positives and false negatives on the two tests. #11: I'm not sure whether ALL home-based tests require sending in the sample; the one I'm aware of does, but there could be others I don't know about.
@navedzj: It's a question of at what confidence level you define "window period." Per CDC: “Ninety-seven percent of persons will develop antibodies in the first 3 months following the time of their infection .... In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months to develop antibodies to HIV.” So 97% of the time, people will seroconvert after 3 months (window period = up to 3 months for those people), but 3% of the time it takes longer.
@WinterNara: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. I don't really understand your question. Are you sure the liquid you're seeing is precum and not something else? Some STDs can cause fluid emissions if I'm not mistaken. But again, I'm not a doctor. See a doctor and be evaluated for whatever your concerns or symptoms are, and get tested for HIV and anything else the doctor recommends while you're there. Good luck!
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. The "rare cases" she's referring to are typically people whose immune system is compromised, which means it's slower to respond and develop antibodies. People who are on immunosuppression medication (e.g. after a transplant) are one example I recall. I believe that chemotherapy and radiation exposure are other possible causes of immunosuppression that could cause it to take longer for the test to show HIV+.
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor; this is not a doctor's opinion. Get tested just to be safe. Better to know than to wonder. Follow the doctor's instructions for any follow-up testing. Then you'll definitely not have to worry because you'll have done the right thing and made sure.
@mymegrg1: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Glad your test returned negative. I'm not sure what you read online. The data in this video was all believed to be accurate at the time we wrote the script and filmed it. Normally, ELISA is used for initial screening, not PCR. I don't know data on PCR accuracy and false positive/false negative rates for it when used for initial screening. Talk to your doctor and get their advice for any further screening.
i got tested for 60 days more after sex and the result is negative..(eliza test 1/2) then after 6 months i got tested again and the result was non reactive (rapid test) ..my question is...i dont have nothing to worried or i will b tested again???
In the video explained that in rare cases it can take up to 6 months to developed antibodies to hiv. What kind of "rare cases" does the doctor mean? Is there any conditions or other virus/dieases that can effect ELISA results, in this case longer window period?
@imamagnetum: Please do two things. (1) Take steps so you're at lower risk of being exposed to HIV. If you're sexually active, use a condom. If you inject drugs, don't share needles. (2) Get tested to find out your current status, and follow the doctor's instructions for any follow-up testing. If you're really being exposed to HIV daily, change your life so you aren't being exposed daily. Your quality of life and length of life matter!
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. If used correctly every time, condoms offer extremely good (thought not perfect) reduction of the risk of HIV transmission. See our video "The Importance of Condom Compliance" for details. Latex pores are not the issue. Condoms have multiple layers of latex so pores don't overlap, which is why condoms can hold water or air like a balloon, even though oxygen and water molecules are smaller than latex pores.
@AtrociousGabannaNYC: To finish the thought: as vid notes, for 97 out of every 100 people who become infected with HIV, ELISA will give a result of “HIV positive” within three months of being infected. In rare cases (such as immune-suppressed people on chemotherapy drugs) it can take six months to show HIV+ on ELISA.
Simple, well presented and clear. Thank you for explaining a window peroid. They used to say that it was up to 8 months. I hope this helps take away some myths from some crazy UA-camrs who claim that HIV is not AIDS. They are annoying and don't seem to change. Although, as usual, they tend to be from the west coast of the USA. That conspiracy theory never made it to Australia. Another video on my video player. Blessings +^+^+ The Saint
@muqadarsingh69: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor; I can't diagnose anything. Ask your doctor about your symptoms. Purple and red dots in your mouth could mean various things. Ask your doctor. You might ask whether you should be tested for syphilis, for example.
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. We know that HIV is present within breast milk and that people (typically children) who drink that milk can contract HIV from it. There's no reason to think that the risk of HIV transmission through breast milk should be exclusive to nursing infants only and not adults, so yes, for an adult to drink breast milk should be considered a risk factor for HIV. Know your partner's status and get tested yourself & follow your doctor's instructions.
Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System available for $59.99 at pharmacies like Walgreens in the U.S. is one example. Note that with these systems, you take a sample at home and mail it in to the lab and get your results anonymously using a code number in the kit.
@DidiT1979: From TheBody web site: "In the clinical studies by the manufacturer, the OraQuick oral fluid test correctly identified 99.3% of people who were infected with HIV-1 (sensitivity) and 99.9% of people who were not infected with HIV-1 (specificity). The Food and Drug Administration expects clinical laboratories to obtain similar results."
When donating blood they will test for HIV. But do not donate blood for the purpose of getting tested for HIV because of the small risk you might donate during the "window period" when you wouldn't test positive. Just get a free HIV test.
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Generally speaking, if you get a negative ELISA test 6 months after your last possible exposure to HIV, you are considered HIV-.
@fid78577: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. You appear to be asking what the false negative rate on a PCR Qualitative test would be after 11 weeks. I haven't researched that question and don't have the time to research it unfortunately. Please ask your doctor if you have questions about the meaning of your HIV test result and follow any instructions they give you for follow-up testing.
@bornthiswaylouislove: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. I can't tell you what test they performed. *Usually* an ELISA test is used for initial HIV screening. Ask your doctor what test they did and whether you need a follow-up test later. In the meantime, don't panic. You say your test returned HIV-, which is good news!
I was exposed to HIV in the first week of January 2010 and I went to get tested with and ELISA 11 weeks after my exposure it cam back negative. I wasn't satisfied with those results so I had the PCR Qualitative by DNA performed also 11 weeks after possible exposure. and that one came back negative fir HIV 1. My question to you is if the PCR
@TheKmanOfSmash: Learn more. Having antibodies to a virus doesn't mean that you are immune to the virus in the case of every virus. People with herpes have antibodies to herpes virus, but the virus is still inside them and they still may get outbreaks. People with HIV have antibodies to HIV, but the virus is still inside their nuclear DNA and circulating in their bloodstream. The presence of antibodies in the blood to a virus does not guarantee immunity in the case of every virus.
@Sahar736: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Ask your doctor for help interpreting your HIV/STD test results. Generally speaking, "negative" is always better than "positive." ;-) However remember that for HIV, for example, it can take as long as 6 months in some cases to turn positive on an HIV test.
@thepotatovagina: First test (ELISA) can often give you result within 15 minutes on-site. I believe that processing the Western Blog (second test) takes a while longer.
How accurate is latest generation rapid test after 3 month of possible exposer. If person had almost all the symptoms that you said in your video. By the way great video such an eye opener.
@AtrociousGabannaNYC: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Ask your doctor about what test follow-up is right for you. You're describing 4 separate possible exposures 14 days before you took the "rapid test," by which I assume you mean ELISA. As vid notes, on average, a person shows HIV+ on ELISA 25 days after contracting the virus. That means half take longer than 25 days to show HIV+. So yes, you should definitely repeat. Ask doctor for when.
@mymegrg1: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. It's difficult to say what's the SOONEST that primary HIV symptoms can occur. See a doctor, tell them your symptoms and risk factors for HIV exposure, get tested for HIV, and follow their instructions including follow-up testing. All adults should be tested for HIV anyway.
@mymegrg1: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Not all people who contract HIV get any symptoms during primary HIV infection at all. For those who do get symptoms, the symptoms vary, as do the time it takes after exposure for symptoms to begin. Therefore, it's impossible for a layperson (or a doctor for that matter) to say over the Internet what the cause of the symptoms you're experiencing there are. Ask a doctor about your symptoms.
thankyou that makes sense, i couldnt deside weather to believe the explanation of the false positive due to the facts stated in the video itself afterall if a test designed to only show results of HIV antibodies confuses pregnancy, influenza, lupus quite possible other vaccinations ie: polio, chicken pox &c what happens to our returning veterans with the battery of vaccinations they recieve will they come up with false positives too
Thank u so much AIDSvideos for uploading. I have a big concern hoping for the best answer. I work here in dubai. I used prostitute in between october 2011-february 2012. I had an ex girlfriend and we had an intercourse on july 2012 and another girlfriend on february 2013. I made 4 different hiv bloodtests in different times( april 2012, july 2012, april 2013, july 2013) in grace of God they were negative. They were not done in so called elisa, western blot or pcr.
is a 11 week antibody test reliable...how accurate is it...doctor say it is should be..however am still worried... test was done in Canada recently..i am a healthy male
window period is 3 months not 6 months.....
#10: That wouldn't make sense. Western Blot is only to be used for confirmation after a *positive* ELISA. It's not intended to be used for primary screening (which is essentially what you're suggesting). The reason has to do with the relative rates of false positives and false negatives on the two tests. #11: I'm not sure whether ALL home-based tests require sending in the sample; the one I'm aware of does, but there could be others I don't know about.
@navedzj: It's a question of at what confidence level you define "window period." Per CDC: “Ninety-seven percent of persons will develop antibodies in the first 3 months following the time of their infection .... In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months to develop antibodies to HIV.” So 97% of the time, people will seroconvert after 3 months (window period = up to 3 months for those people), but 3% of the time it takes longer.
@WinterNara: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. I don't really understand your question. Are you sure the liquid you're seeing is precum and not something else? Some STDs can cause fluid emissions if I'm not mistaken. But again, I'm not a doctor. See a doctor and be evaluated for whatever your concerns or symptoms are, and get tested for HIV and anything else the doctor recommends while you're there. Good luck!
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. The "rare cases" she's referring to are typically people whose immune system is compromised, which means it's slower to respond and develop antibodies. People who are on immunosuppression medication (e.g. after a transplant) are one example I recall. I believe that chemotherapy and radiation exposure are other possible causes of immunosuppression that could cause it to take longer for the test to show HIV+.
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor; this is not a doctor's opinion. Get tested just to be safe. Better to know than to wonder. Follow the doctor's instructions for any follow-up testing. Then you'll definitely not have to worry because you'll have done the right thing and made sure.
I'm sorry you are absolutely right. My question is can the results be relied upon? How accurate are the results?
@mymegrg1: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Glad your test returned negative. I'm not sure what you read online. The data in this video was all believed to be accurate at the time we wrote the script and filmed it. Normally, ELISA is used for initial screening, not PCR. I don't know data on PCR accuracy and false positive/false negative rates for it when used for initial screening. Talk to your doctor and get their advice for any further screening.
i got tested for 60 days more after sex and the result is negative..(eliza test 1/2) then after 6 months i got tested again and the result was non reactive (rapid test) ..my question is...i dont have nothing to worried or i will b tested again???
@alosha22: You're welcome, and thanks for the kind words!
Sexual contact, with or without ejaculation, carries the risk of HIV transmission if either partner has been exposed to HIV.
Sorry I didn't finish my question the question was that if a PCR Qualitative by DNA after 11 weeks be assuring?
You can buy it over the counter at major pharmacies.
Very good vidéo, wish we could see more video like this one
In the video explained that in rare cases it can take up to 6 months to developed antibodies to hiv. What kind of "rare cases" does the doctor mean? Is there any conditions or other virus/dieases that can effect ELISA results, in this case longer window period?
@imamagnetum: Please do two things. (1) Take steps so you're at lower risk of being exposed to HIV. If you're sexually active, use a condom. If you inject drugs, don't share needles. (2) Get tested to find out your current status, and follow the doctor's instructions for any follow-up testing. If you're really being exposed to HIV daily, change your life so you aren't being exposed daily. Your quality of life and length of life matter!
Thank you, very interesting doctor.
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. If used correctly every time, condoms offer extremely good (thought not perfect) reduction of the risk of HIV transmission. See our video "The Importance of Condom Compliance" for details. Latex pores are not the issue. Condoms have multiple layers of latex so pores don't overlap, which is why condoms can hold water or air like a balloon, even though oxygen and water molecules are smaller than latex pores.
@DidiT1979: What is your question regarding rapid tests? "What about" is too vague for me to know what information you're seeking.
@AtrociousGabannaNYC: To finish the thought: as vid notes, for 97 out of every 100 people who become infected with HIV, ELISA will give a result of “HIV positive” within three months of being infected. In rare cases (such as immune-suppressed people on chemotherapy drugs) it can take six months to show HIV+ on ELISA.
Simple, well presented and clear. Thank you for explaining a window peroid. They used to say that it was up to 8 months. I hope this helps take away some myths from some crazy UA-camrs who claim that HIV is not AIDS. They are annoying and don't seem to change. Although, as usual, they tend to be from the west coast of the USA. That conspiracy theory never made it to Australia. Another video on my video player. Blessings +^+^+ The Saint
Thanks so much am waiting another one
@muqadarsingh69: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor; I can't diagnose anything. Ask your doctor about your symptoms. Purple and red dots in your mouth could mean various things. Ask your doctor. You might ask whether you should be tested for syphilis, for example.
Ask your doctor what HIV testing schedule is right for you.
Thank you for this video. Great information.
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. We know that HIV is present within breast milk and that people (typically children) who drink that milk can contract HIV from it. There's no reason to think that the risk of HIV transmission through breast milk should be exclusive to nursing infants only and not adults, so yes, for an adult to drink breast milk should be considered a risk factor for HIV. Know your partner's status and get tested yourself & follow your doctor's instructions.
Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System available for $59.99 at pharmacies like Walgreens in the U.S. is one example. Note that with these systems, you take a sample at home and mail it in to the lab and get your results anonymously using a code number in the kit.
@DidiT1979: From TheBody web site: "In the clinical studies by the manufacturer, the OraQuick oral fluid test correctly identified 99.3% of people who were infected with HIV-1 (sensitivity) and 99.9% of people who were not infected with HIV-1 (specificity). The Food and Drug Administration expects clinical laboratories to obtain similar results."
Since your account appears to be in your real name, you may wish to delete your comment to protect yourself from possible legal action.
@TheJayJay023: Great job on having the courage to get tested!
So when giving plasma do they test for hiv and will they let you know you have it ?
When donating blood they will test for HIV. But do not donate blood for the purpose of getting tested for HIV because of the small risk you might donate during the "window period" when you wouldn't test positive. Just get a free HIV test.
This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Generally speaking, if you get a negative ELISA test 6 months after your last possible exposure to HIV, you are considered HIV-.
@fid78577: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. You appear to be asking what the false negative rate on a PCR Qualitative test would be after 11 weeks. I haven't researched that question and don't have the time to research it unfortunately. Please ask your doctor if you have questions about the meaning of your HIV test result and follow any instructions they give you for follow-up testing.
@bornthiswaylouislove: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. I can't tell you what test they performed. *Usually* an ELISA test is used for initial HIV screening. Ask your doctor what test they did and whether you need a follow-up test later. In the meantime, don't panic. You say your test returned HIV-, which is good news!
I was exposed to HIV in the first week of January 2010 and I went to get tested with and ELISA 11 weeks after my exposure it cam back negative. I wasn't satisfied with those results so I had the PCR Qualitative by DNA performed also 11 weeks after possible exposure. and that one came back negative fir HIV 1. My question to you is if the PCR
@TheKmanOfSmash: Learn more. Having antibodies to a virus doesn't mean that you are immune to the virus in the case of every virus. People with herpes have antibodies to herpes virus, but the virus is still inside them and they still may get outbreaks. People with HIV have antibodies to HIV, but the virus is still inside their nuclear DNA and circulating in their bloodstream. The presence of antibodies in the blood to a virus does not guarantee immunity in the case of every virus.
so, i would never take the test, i get exposed everyday.
@Sahar736: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Ask your doctor for help interpreting your HIV/STD test results. Generally speaking, "negative" is always better than "positive." ;-) However remember that for HIV, for example, it can take as long as 6 months in some cases to turn positive on an HIV test.
what about rapid tests?
@ahsan8720: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Get tested; ask your questions to a staff person at the clinic where you get tested.
@thepotatovagina: First test (ELISA) can often give you result within 15 minutes on-site. I believe that processing the Western Blog (second test) takes a while longer.
very clear thank you
How accurate is latest generation rapid test after 3 month of possible exposer.
If person had almost all the symptoms that you said in your video.
By the way great video such an eye opener.
@AtrociousGabannaNYC: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Ask your doctor about what test follow-up is right for you. You're describing 4 separate possible exposures 14 days before you took the "rapid test," by which I assume you mean ELISA. As vid notes, on average, a person shows HIV+ on ELISA 25 days after contracting the virus. That means half take longer than 25 days to show HIV+. So yes, you should definitely repeat. Ask doctor for when.
@mymegrg1: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. It's difficult to say what's the SOONEST that primary HIV symptoms can occur. See a doctor, tell them your symptoms and risk factors for HIV exposure, get tested for HIV, and follow their instructions including follow-up testing. All adults should be tested for HIV anyway.
@lacrosseman2461: Yes. Get tested & follow your doctor's instructions.
@mymegrg1: This is Eric; I'm not a doctor. Not all people who contract HIV get any symptoms during primary HIV infection at all. For those who do get symptoms, the symptoms vary, as do the time it takes after exposure for symptoms to begin. Therefore, it's impossible for a layperson (or a doctor for that matter) to say over the Internet what the cause of the symptoms you're experiencing there are. Ask a doctor about your symptoms.
thankyou that makes sense, i couldnt deside weather to believe the explanation of the false positive due to the facts stated in the video itself afterall if a test designed to only show results of HIV antibodies confuses pregnancy, influenza, lupus quite possible other vaccinations ie: polio, chicken pox &c what happens to our returning veterans with the battery of vaccinations they recieve will they come up with false positives too
@CaptainCyprus: A test to see whether your body has produced antibodies to the virus called HIV due to exposure to it.
Thank u so much AIDSvideos for uploading. I have a big concern hoping for the best answer. I work here in dubai. I used prostitute in between october 2011-february 2012. I had an ex girlfriend and we had an intercourse on july 2012 and another girlfriend on february 2013. I made 4 different hiv bloodtests in different times( april 2012, july 2012, april 2013, july 2013) in grace of God they were negative. They were not done in so called elisa, western blot or pcr.
thanks!
@lacrosseman2461 Realistically not. Changes are higher you'll die from a piano falling on your head.
is a 11 week antibody test reliable...how accurate is it...doctor say it is should be..however am still worried... test was done in Canada recently..i am a healthy male