Question
Is there a test to find out when my boyfriend became positive?
7 January 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, HIV testing, HIV transmission, Newly diagnosed.
My boyfriend just tested positive for HIV. He says the doctors were able to tell him how long he’s had it for. I told him he must have misunderstood or maybe they took a guess, but he insists they were able to tell how long he’s had it. Is this possible?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
There is a test that can be done to show if someone has been infected in the last 6 months. It is called a STARHS test. STARHS stands for Serological Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV Seroconversion. In the UK anyone can ask for this test if they think they have a recent infection. This is sometimes referred to as RITA (Recent Infection Testing Algorithm).
After the first six months of infection there is no test that can say when someone was infected but it is possible for doctors to make a rough educated guess based on CD4 counts and viral loads.
For more information about STARHS please follow this link