I'm thinking of coming for an HIV test when I'm in the country, which will be 7 weeks after the last 'exposure'. A few things have happened in the last few months (e.g. bloody toilet seats, masturbation in public showers) that are very low risk - you would probably describe them as no risk - but I'm struggling to clear it all from my mind.
In one of your posts on this forum you said the INSTI test is 99% reliable after 6 weeks and 100% after 12 weeks. Given the extremely low risk nature of these incidents that would probably satisfy me (and you) rather than taking the duo and waiting a few hours for the result.
I've seen Dr HHH/Hook on Medhelp say that antibody tests are reliable at 6-8 weeks. They've stated figures like 95-99% at 6 weeks and virtually certain by 8 weeks. They say there's no data but these are pretty good estimates based on what they and their colleagues have experienced in clinic.
1) I'm just wondering if your 99% is also an estimate or if its based on some data specifically about the INSTI test
2) Either way, I imagine you'd be very confident of 99%+ by 7 weeks? Would the extra week make much difference..?
3) Maybe the only downside of an INSTI is the occassional false positive - if that happens, do some people get a duo done straight away to ease their worry rather than just wait for a Western Blot confirmation?
Hello,
Thank you very much for your post. I will answer each of your questions here below:
1) I'm just wondering if your 99% is also an estimate or if its based on some data specifically about the INSTI test The INSTI test is a highly reliable test already after 6 weeks, considered fully conclusiver after 8 weeks. However current guidelines would still recommend the terst to be done at 12 weeks
2) Either way, I imagine you'd be very confident of 99%+ by 7 weeks? Would the extra week make much difference..? No, it would not.
3) Maybe the only downside of an INSTI is the occassional false positive - if that happens, do some people get a duo done straight away to ease their worry rather than just wait for a Western Blot confirmation? We would normally do a HIV Duo test for confirmation
In any case, none of your situations described would have posed any HIV risk to you, and you would not need to get tested anyway.
Best wishes,
José
insti test 7 weeks
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