Question
Do PCR tests look for all types of HIV?
4 August 2010. Related: All topics, HIV testing.
I have been through this website and the questions and need some advice,
I had a PCR test done – awaiting results I plan to have a 2 week HIV test at my local gum clinic and then last week of august have a DUO done again,
My risk was unprotected sex with a woman in Africa, I wanted to make sure that with all these tests if negative
A. the PCR test detects all strains of HIV – if not does the DUO detect all strains of HIV?
B. do I need to re test as this could be a high risk exposure or are all these tests reliable?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Both the PCR and the DUO test look for all subtypes of the two strains, HIV-1 and HIV-2. It does not matter where you were infected geographically, these tests are designed to pick up any infection.
No matter how high or low risk your exposure was, if you have HIV these tests will pick it up. They will pick up more than 95% of infections 4 weeks after a possible exposure.
A negative result at 28 days needs to be confirmed at 90 days or longer after the exposure.
For more information please follow this link
The Duo test is reliable 3-4 weeks after an exposure so you can get a conclusive test at 21 days.
Please follow this link to a similar question which will give you a full answer.
I decided not to take the PCR as I looked up your site and it said the DUO was more reliable. I am counting the days till the 28th but it just seems so long. If I took the test after 2 weeks and was negative would it change?
Hi,
I wanted to add – I have asthma, recently its been really bad so I take my inhaler once or twice in a week (it’s the symbicort one very high dosage) now I was planning to have a test done at 27 days if not earlier but I am now worried that the test might not be accurate?
What do you think? I never ever knew this.