Question
What are the most asked questions?
10 October 2016. Related: All topics.
Answer
About half of all the questions to i-Base are covered by the questions below.
Please check this page before asking a question. If your question is covered by the topics below, we forward you to these answers first.
Top questions
- Why doesn’t i-Base answer questions on HIV testing and transmission?
Important to answer this first. We do care but we also have limited resources. Instead we have published lots of online resources that already answer questions on testing and risk. This answer explains this and includes links. - Can I increase my CD4 count without ARVs?
Short answer – only ARVs can increase your CD4 count and keep them high. Not vitamins, not supplements, not so-called “immune-boosters” which are scams, not diet. Read the full answer for details. - What can make efavirenz (Atripla/Tribuss etc) easier – or should I change?
Side effects with efavirenz can be difficult. Efavirenz is one of the drugs in Atripla and the many generic versions that include Atenef, Atreslawin, Atroiza, Citenvir, Heftenam, Odimune, Tribuss, Trivenz, Truno, Trustiva and Viraday. - What happens if I am late or miss a dose of meds?
There is some flexibility in dosing, especially if you have been undetectable for some time. Aiming for the same time is a good habit but every one is late of misses a dose sometimes, without any harm. See the full answer for details. - How can one partner test positive and the other negative?
Sometimes this questions comes from the positive partner and sometimes from the negative partner. Often both partners can be confused because they might.have not use condoms, even for several years. The explanation in this answer explains this is common – and just the result of luck. - Can HIV positive people have a baby?
Sometimes this comes from a positive man and sometimes from a positive women. HIV treatment covers all situations. It lets couples conceive naturally if the man is positive and the woman is negative. It also protect the health of the mother and baby during pregnancy if the mother is positive. - What happens if I stop taking treatment?
Short answer: your viral load will rebound quickly and your CD4 will then start to fall – usually to the level before you started treatment. Please see the full answer for details. - What does the number mean on an HIV test result?
We don’t answer test question but we get this a lot from outside the UK. Short answer: less than 1.0 means you are HIV negative. See the full linked answer for details.
Hi Rajesh, testing is conclusive from 6 weeks after the last dose of PEP using a 4th generation test. If you are using a 3rd generation you will need to wait 12 weeks.
Please see here for more information: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
Hi sir,
I had sex with a massage girl in USA on feb 8th around 10:00pm. I used condom but I am not sure about condom success . So On Feb10th afternoon 2023 I started using pep and continued for 28 days until march 9h. I didn’t see any symptoms . But from march 29tj night onwards I had pain under my left jaw suddenly and I am not sure if the pain is with jaw or under the neck . Except that I didn’t have any symptoms . I felt it’s swlollen lympnodes and after one week pain gone automatically. I tested hiv rapid test on match 31st and it came negative ? Am I still need to be worried about infection ? I was worrying about that symptom came up suddenly and disappeared automatically. Please help me
Hi John, a 3rd generation test is only accurate from 12 weeks after exposure. For earlier testing you can use a 4th generation test. This test is accurate from 6 weeks after exposure. Please see here for more information: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
Hi,I had sex in Dubaï with a prostitute and I used a condom but doubt of the success of the condom maybe she was positive and contaminated me.
6 weeks after,I went for HIV 3rd gen antibody rapid test( Determine h1/h2) that came back negative.
Can it change at the 12th week?
Answer me please I’m scared.
Hi Farencia, as your boyfriends wife had been on treatment transmission would be rare. It is likely she had a suppressed viral load and it would have made transmission impossible. This is called U=U: https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/ This means that when someone has a viral load below 200 and is on treatment it is impossible for HIV to be transmitted via sex. Has your boyfriend had a recent HIV test? If his most recent test is negative there will be no risk to you.
Hi ,
Am in a situation where l have a boyfriend who is negative,,he had a wife who was positive and she was on medication,but didn’t want this guy to know,, but after sometime the lady got pregnancy and the guy realised the lady is positive and he’s negative,,,so you see woman is medication she didn’t transmit to man,,later woman died,,, They have been 9yrs in marriage,,, This man wants to marry me am totally negative have never slept with positive person,,am just pure negative,,,,so please this man l scare can have Hiv in body while in negative,,,, how’s it possible he’s negative and my Question ❓⁉️⁉️⁉️ is will he infect me please,,he is negative am negative but he had a positive wife
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Hi Arshad,
Please see Q1 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Hi what is the hiv window period in india is hiv tret conclusive after 4 months