Hi Karim Thanks for your follow-up. There remains no scientific evidence that coincidental HCV and HIV co-infection increases the period of HIV seroconversion. The part of the CDC presentation that I think you are referring to is the 12 month follow-up and it is difficult to understand why their recommendation is as it is. The follow-up relates to healthcare professionals (HCP) who may have been exposed through an occupational risk exposure to HIV and HCV together and have become HCV positive. These guidelines are very old (2002). The guidelines do bring up one important HIV intervention: Post Exposure Prophylaxis. This can extend seroconversion so could have an effect on the window period. Taking PEP should impact your decision of whether or when to test, regardless of the method of testing. I hope that this adds to the conversation. Kind regards Gary Carpenter

They said it Can affect the window period of both tests (HIV/hcv) if the co infection happened in the one Time .

Hi KK Thanks for getting in touch. Firstly, I think that you have nothing to worry about and your 2 negative test results are valid and reliable. Secondly, it is thought that at most 10% of people living with HIV are also living with HCV. So it is unlikely that you have both HIV and HCV, although I agree not impossible. Thirdly, despite what you may have read or heard there is no scientific evidence that HCV supresses the body's antibody response to HIV. In fact it is much more likely to be the other way around - HIV infection could affect the body's reaction to HCV infection, but only a number of years after HIV infection. So, I think that your negative results are accurate, so I would not think that the symptoms described are a consequence of recent HIV infection, but I would get them checked out by your GP to find the true cause of them. I hope that this helps. Kind regards Gary Carpenter BioSure (UK) Limited

I have an HIV concern, by possible exposure. Had many symptoms in exact time( day 8/9 dark brown urine, constipation with hard dark stool, day 14 lesion near anus, sore throat, day 16 small rashes on upper arm and upper chest and chin and upper back some itchy some not, feverish, day 18 dry cough, white patch on tongue, itchy nose, body itching, head ache......I tested near lab by cmia method day 77&105 non reactive with 0.16/015 cut off value....many sites says it is conclusive,....... ....Here is my concern that I read an acute hep c simultaneous co infection may delay the production of HIV antibody, is that my case? That it didn't picked my tests because of lack of antibody production........please help me .....I am living in a hell now

You're a good man Gary. Thank you for you have gone through the database. Appreciated all your answers. You help many desperate people here to answer their questions- huge thank you!

Hi Isa I'm sorry but at the moment there is no HCV self test available. With regard to the issue around HIV false negative tests and HCV co-infection, I have revisited the databases of scientific papers and evidence, and I can confirm that I can find no evidence produced internally by BioSure or independently that indicates any increase in false negativity rates for HIV rapid tests with testers who are co-infected with HCV. You have nothing to worry about with your HIV test result, however, if you remain concerned about HCV the best way to get a resolution to that issue is through a visit to your GP. I really hope that this puts your mind at ease. Kindest Gary

Hello. Thank you for your answer. The reason that I asked it is because I have had symptoms of hepatitis C. Exponerings date is 12/18/16, I took today an HIV Bio sour self test and it was negative(exactly 12 week), so I really hope that it's the way you say. Because I'm afraid I have been infected with HIV and hepatitis C and that it therefore does not show positive. Is there Hepatitis C rapid self test?

Hi Isa Thank you for getting in touch. There is no scientific evidence that HCV infection, either contracted concurrently with HIV or from a previous infection, has any effect on the body's ability to generate antibodies to HIV. Therefore, we do not believe that HCV co-infection would extend the window period for the BioSURE HIV Self Test. In order to gain CE mark we have to test samples from HIV and HCV co-infected people. These tests showed no increased in False Positive or False Negative test results. I hope that this helps to put your mind at rest. Kind regards Gary Carpenter BioSure (UK) Limited