Ars and testing
Hi,
I’ve used your tests in the past and they have always been a handy, and private way to test to get over the anxiety of going to the GP/Clinic.
My question before I take another one is – would the test be positive if the tester was going through ARS/seroconversion – ie symptoms at 2-3 weeks?
Gary Carpenter, BioSure (UK) Limited
Work on 25th March 2019
Hi Yossarian
Both exposures described have a very low probability of transmission. That being said testing at 11 weeks with symptoms occurring at 1 week before the test would be conclusive. With regard to the more recent exposure the lower time limit from infection to seroconversion is about 3 weeks. So any symptoms before that time are almost certainly not due to HIV infection. For the latest exposure, which is the lower risk of the two, I would recommend testing again at 12 weeks post exposure to be absolutely certain.
I hope that this helps.
Kind regards
Gary
Yossarian
Used on 24th March 2019
Hi Gary,
Thanks for your response. The two "exposures" I was worried about were quite spaced apart.
One 11 weeks ago (condom break - unprotected intercourse with a female).
And one 3 weeks ago (100% protected intercourse but unprotected oral/frottage. Obviously it was the variety of symptoms over the course of the last 2 weeks which had me concerned - 37.6 temp (which somebody told me actually doesn't constitute a 'fever' - that conversation would be quite severe?), lack of appetite, occasional sore throat.
Would it be fair to say that the 11 weeks "exposure" is nearly put to bed and that if the symptoms I'd experienced during last two weeks (began about 10 days ago) were seroconversion the test would've been positive?
Gary Carpenter, BioSure (UK) Limited
Work on 21st March 2019
Hi Yossarian
Thanks for contacting us. With regard to the question of symptoms the test would be accurate about 7 days after the onset of seroconversion symptoms, regardless of the time since infection. The BioSURE HIV Self Test detects your antibodies to HIV as opposed to the virus itself. The early symptoms of HIV seroconversion are caused by the body creating antibodies to the virus.
I hope that this helps.
Kind regards
Gary Carpenter
BioSure (UK) Limited