Question
How accurate are rapid tests for HIV diagnosis?
26 March 2007. Related: All topics, HIV testing.
Hi, I have been having sex with my girlfriend for the past year and a half. The first few times we had unprotected sex. After that we started using condoms for birth control. We continued to have oral sex often.
Recently my girlfriend developed an ulcer in the clitoris. She then checked and tested positive for HIV-1, by a TriDot test and also by western blot. I myself have tested negative by TriDot as well as by DNA amplification tests. How can i really be sure that i am negative? Should i be taking any prophylaxis?
Answer
The Tri-Dot test is a rapid HIV antibody test that is very accurate and sensitive at detecting HIV infection. Getting a negative result means that you are HIV-negative.
If you have been potentially exposed to HIV over the 3 months before taking the test – I don’t think this is the case because you have been using condoms – then you could confirm this with another test in three months.
Your girlfriend will now need to have other blood tests including a CD4 test to check whether HIV has damaged her immune system and whether she needs to start treatment, and a viral load test if this is available in your country. She should also see a doctor about the ulcer.
You do not need to take any prophylaxis treatment for your own health, but you will need to make sure you continue to use a condom during sex.
The following link show results that show that the TriDot test has over 99.9% reliability.
Hi, I am married over 7 years before marriage I tested HIV
Thank you for your question.
If you have taken two tests and both were non-reactive for HIV then you are HIV negative. You do not need another test unless you expose yourself to HIV infection again.
Hi
I had unprotected sex with a sex worker but it was for only 1 or 2 minutes. When I reached my satisfaction I came out of her vagina and ejaculated. I didn’t have any cuts on my penis. This was a mistake by me. I was drunk and I don’t know how I ended up doing this. I am married and I have a very happy married life. I have children also. My wife had gone out for a week when this event happened so I took a rapid tridot test after 90 days which was non-reactive
and then I took one 180 days after the event. The result was non-reactive. Do I need to take a another test and is the tridot test ok? Please tell me, I am very scared
If you have have had one negative and one positive result you should visit your doctor for confirmatory results. False negatives or false positives are extremely rare but possible. Confirmatory testing will help to determine if you have HIV or not.
A tridot test which came out positive for HIV 1 antibodies done in standard lab turned out to be HIV negative when using an ELISA test. How much can I rely on these results?
Thank you for your question. HIV tests are usually reliable. If you used a condom and took 3 HIV tests all of which were HIV negative then you do not have HIV.
Hi
I had sex with a sex worker and I was wearing a condom but I don’t remember what happened after that so I decided to take a rapid test for HIV. The event happened on 8th September 2009 and I took a test on 8th December 2009. The test was non-reactive. On 8th March 2010 the result was again non-reactive. On 20th March I took another test and it was also non-reactive. Should I take another test or it is ok?
I am married and I have a 7 month-old child. This was the first time I had done something wrong. My wife was pregnant and I had not had sex for 4 months. Please help I don’t know what to do.
Thank you for your question.
It is not possible to get HIV through kissing or saliva. If you had sex and used a condom then you would not have been exposed to HIV so you do not need to worry.
Hi,
I had sex with a sex worker. It was a big mistake. I used condoms. It was my first time. However, I kissed her that day. I feel very guilty about it.
After 3 days I went for a HIV test and was found to be HIV negative. Is the test alright or do I have to go for another test? Is AIDS spread by kissing or saliva? I had no cuts in my mouth but I had root canal surgery 2 years ago. Is it alright?
I am very upset, please let me know.
Thank you for your question. The window period is the time between HIV entering your body and your immune system generating a response to HIV. It is this response that is measured in the ELISA test. Everybody is different and so everybody’s immune system is slightly different. Some people make an immune response very quickly after about 3 weeks whilst others take a lot longer, about 3 months. The results of your test are saying that you are HIV negative. They are also saying that if you were infected very recently (less than 3 months ago) then it is possible this test would not have picked up the infection. It sounds like you were at risk 10 years ago and so if the test is negative now and you have not put yourself at risk in the last 3 months then you are HIV negative. Best wishes.