Hi Rose A result 12 months post exposure would be conclusive. If you are still worried I would recommend to try and talk to someone professionally about this. Kindest regards, Becky

hi im been test hiv for 12 months now after exposure result came negative but im still worried

Hi aids scared person Firstly, thanks for getting in touch. Secondly, I can't tell you exactly what is the matter with you but I can tell you what isn't. Catching HIV from only unprotected oral sex is very unusual. If you have had a number of tests that are all negative I can assure you that the one thing you don't have is HIV. A number of different tests over this time period would definitely have picked an HIV infection up. And lastly, your HIV infection cannot have developed into AIDS yet. It takes at least 3-4 years for the immune system to be damaged sufficiently. I hope that this helps. Kind regards Gary Carpenter BioSure (UK) Ltd

Hello world, i would just like to say that i have been having a lot of symptoms and signs that all mimic that of a hiv/aids problem. if anyone can explain the problem and what is going on id be much obliged. well first, i have always been a person that has been into health, so i was shocked when i started developing symptoms. so i had an unprotected sex encounter with a person whom i didn't know their status,(i gave her unprotected oral sex) a week later i started to have these dark spots on my skin and night sweats. i also had this weird sores on my penis, i then became scared and went and got tested, my test came back negative. i was cool for a minute but as i searched more and more i began to see that my symptoms were related to aids. out of fear i began to test more and more but to no avail. a year later i am still having issues but my test are stlll negative. any idea what this can be.

Ok, so I am a 31 year old gay male who has been relatively careful in my sex life, but there has been that ONE random time, and that ONE time that a partner was less than faithful. I have been sexually active since I was 15, never really knowing the risks until I was in my mid 20s, and never getting tested. Mostly out of fear. Having made some friends that worked for THT for a number of years, I learned a lot and KNEW how important it was that I get tested, but for some reason I didn't. Possibly for the fact there is still the stigma attached to testing, and testing positive. I have always had this nagging feeling that I was going to test positive, so I always talked myself out of testing, with things like "oh, well I haven't lost any weight" and "I don't get night sweats" etc, and I'm okay for a while. This all changes when I see a HIV story-line, or gay couples about to have sex...I get really uncomfortable. If you're anything like me, you'll google a symptom and convince yourself you're going to die. The stress was too much: If I had a cold, or a cold-sore or a fever - Then and there, I convinced myself I was HIV+ - 'I don't need a doctor - I know!' PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!!! After hours and hours of research, I saw an ad for Biosure - I was reluctant because I didn't know how reliable it would be, if it was accredited etc, then found the same link to the website on the THT (Terrence Higgins Trust) website - That was enough to convince me that it was trustworthy and accurate. Since I placed my order, I was UTTERLY paranoid. The stress was getting to me, to the point where I felt physically sick - Talking myself out of taking the test even more with things like "well, I don't think anyone I have slept with is positive, I'm probably not" - just the most ridiculous things. The test came, I ran and sat down and had it placed out before the postman had even left my garden. I performed the test, it was negative, and I cried... I couldn't stop shaking, and I am assuming it's because I'd worked myself up so much, for so long. Double-checking even after the 15 mins (for about an hour after), just in case that second line appeared...it didn't. I have now had the peace of mind I have needed for so long. The fear I have experienced has been unbearable. Looking back I should have tested more regularly, been safer, KNEW who I was sleeping with, but you do get caught up in the moment... The home testing was definitely right for me, it let me do it in my own time, there was no pressure and I didn't have to talk about it if I didn't want to (that's not an option for everyone, I only chose that route because I knew who to call if I DID need to talk about it). My advice - Stay Safe! Don't guess - Take a test (stay away from google). I would definitely recommend self-testing (if you are nervous about clinics and GPs etc). They are SO easy to use. Although I didn't want to go to a clinic myself initially, I know logically that they're not there to judge - This is their job, their life - There probably isn't anything they haven't heard, seen or had to deal with - They deal with sexual health cases like we wash dishes, or eat and breathe. Try and bare that in mind. Something I will be considering more carefully next time. But home testing is more convenient. I know I have rambled, and I'm sorry - But I haven't been able to bring myself to tell a friend - So you're now ALL my closest friends. Yay. Thanks for reading. Take care.

Hi, we are sorry to hear of your high levels of anxiety. Please try not to panic. There are many things to consider, including whether your fear of having contracted HIV could possibly have anything to do with other emotions you may be experiencing 1) You have had 3 negative HIVST results - the test works by detecting antibodies in your blood. All the tests you have performed are outside of the 3 month 'window period' which is the time after contracting the virus when your body produced antibodies to HIV. This means if you had HIV the antibodies would certainly be present and detectable. 2) When you produce the antibodies to HIV (seroconvert) this is the time when you can experience symptoms. Once this period is passed you do not experience ongoing symptoms. 3) It takes a long time (years) for HIV to damage your immune system so much that you develop AIDS (now often called Advanced HIV). Treatments that are now available are so good that very few people who start treatment at the right time ever develop AIDS, in fact life expectancy can remain unchanged. 4) It is unlikely you would contract HIV from a single heterosexual encounter. It is probably worth considering whether it would be helpful to visit a sexual health clinic or contacting an organisation to discuss your concerns. I hope that is of some help, take care