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Question:
Since I read on this site that HIV virus will take 3 to 6 months to be discovered in medical test, what if I had sex with a woman (who still doesn't know she is infected with HIV while we have contact because her last contact is just a month ago) and then after 6 months she was tested positive of HIV, my question is will I be also infected while the virus is not yet detected during the period of 1 month since her last contact?
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Answer:
by Georgan Gregg: ()
Glad you are asking about HIV testing, as this can easily be confusing. Yes, it is possible that she could be positive for HIV infection & pass it to you even though the test hasn't show her as infected—yet. On the other hand, even if she is HIV-infected, you wouldn't automatically become infected. Allow me to explain the lag time between infection & accurate test results, often called the “window period,” & the difference between exposure & infection.
The blood test for HIV is not looking for the virus itself, it is looking for your body’s response to HIV which are specific antibodies against this specific virus. Our immune system amazingly can produce specialized cells that seek out each foreign invader & destroy them. The human body varies in how long it takes to produce antibodies to HIV, but studies clearly show that some people develop them within 2 weeks of HIV infection while others can take as long as 6 months. This is why accurate results are achieved if one is tested 6 months after the possible exposure.
Therefore, what can be correctly said is that someone who tests negative for HIV antibodies was not infected 6 months ago. However, during those 6 months the HIV status is unknown. A person could be infected with HIV but her/his body simply hasn’t made antibodies yet.
There are many factors that would influence whether you would become infected with HIV in a situation such as you describe. For instance, it would depend upon whether the woman you had sex with became HIV positive before or after you had sex with her. Just as importantly, even if we somehow knew she was infected when you had sex with her, we wouldn’t know with certainty that you would become infected. There is a huge difference in being exposed versus being infected.
Being exposed to HIV means that you have come into direct contact with the virus. But just like with many illnesses, being exposed doesn’t necessarily mean you will become infected. No one is sure why this is. The only way you will know whether you are infected with HIV is to be tested. Please begin using safe(r) sex immediately to protect yourself & others from all sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
Good luck & let us know if we can be of further help.Reviewed by: Patricia Fawver Ph.D. in Sexology
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