HIV test results

The HIV window period is the time between HIV exposure and when a test can detect HIV in the body. The window period depends on the type of HIV test:

• Nucleic acid test (NAT): Can usually detect HIV 10–33 days after exposure
• Antigen/antibody lab test: Can usually detect HIV 18–45 days after exposure using blood from a vein, and 18–90 days after exposure using blood from a finger stick
• Rapid antigen/antibody test: Can usually detect HIV 18–90 days after exposure using blood from a finger stick

The HIV window period for the antibody test can last from 2 weeks to 6 months. During the window period, an infected person may have negative HIV test results but still be able to infect other people.

The Odisha State AIDS Control Society recommends waiting three months after possible exposure before being tested for HIV. If the result is negative three months after exposure, the result is interpreted as negative, assuming there have been no further risks.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) progresses through several stages if left untreated. Here’s a general overview of these stages:

1. Acute HIV Infection (Primary Stage):
   • Timing: This occurs 2-4 weeks after exposure to the virus.
   • Symptoms: It’s often called acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) or primary HIV infection. Symptoms can resemble flu-like symptoms, such as fever, sore throat, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. Some people may have no symptoms at all.
   • Viral Load: The viral load (amount of HIV in the blood) is very high during this stage, making transmission more likely.

1. Clinical Latency Stage (Chronic HIV):
   • Timing: This stage can last for several years, typically ranging from 6-10 years, but can vary.
   • Symptoms: The virus is still active but reproduces at very low levels. Many people have no symptoms or only mild ones.
   • Viral Load: The viral load is lower compared to the acute stage, but HIV continues to damage the immune system.

1. AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome):
   • Timing: Without treatment, HIV usually progresses to AIDS within 10-15 years.
   • Symptoms: AIDS is the final and most severe stage of HIV infection. The immune system is severely damaged, and the body becomes vulnerable to opportunistic infections and certain cancers. Symptoms may include rapid weight loss, recurrent fever, night sweats, prolonged swelling of the lymph glands, and other severe health issues.
   • Diagnosis: AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 count (a type of white blood cell that HIV targets) drops below 200 cells/mm³, or when certain opportunistic infections or cancers are present.

An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in someone’s body is too low to be detected by a blood test. This can happen when HIV medicine reduces the amount of the virus in the blood to levels that can’t be detected by a test. Viral suppression is defined as having less than 200 copies of HIV per millilitre of blood.

An undetectable viral load means that the virus cannot be passed on through sex, pregnancy, labour, and delivery, sharing syringes, or breastfeeding.

However, an undetectable viral load doesn’t mean that someone is cured of HIV. Even if HIV is undetectable in body fluids, it is still present inside some cells. People who are undetectable should still continue to take their HIV medications.