Is 4th Generation HIV Test Done 19 Days After Possible Exposure Conclusive?

Posted on Sat, 18 Jul 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 18 Jul 2015 Answered on

Fri, 7 Aug 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Dr. Im sorry for asking again, i was just gonna ask about alere 4th generation hiv test, is it conclusive after 19 days then another one at 8 weeks post exposure, i just forgot to tell the brand name of the test last time i asked, now im going crazy over thinking that the brand i took was not that sensitive enough compared to other 4th generation hiv test

Answered by Dr. Dr. Michelle Gibson (38 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
these tests all detect particular substances and would

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

4 th generation HIV tests, no matter the brand test for HIV antibodies and also for certain proteins (p24) that would be present in an HIV infected person.

They have a window period that can range from 11 days to 1 month, though on average the p24 can be detected by 17 days.

The window period is the time from infection to seroconversion (when the body starts showing evidence infection is present). Once the window period is up, the test can reliably and accurately state if an infection is present.

Since you had this test repeated at 8 weeks, it should be definitively and conclusively accurate.

All of these tests look for particular substances in the blood, by week 8, these would been detected.

I hope this helps,feel free to ask any other questions

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar