What time does it take to seroconvert in HIV infection?

maurene · Silver Member Joined: 09 Oct 2001 Posts: 262

Hi, I'm 37 years old and recently I have been exposed to HIV virus. I usually practice safe sex but this time I didn’t use protection and I think that the lady I was with might have been infected with HIV. She didn’t say anything but just after a week of my encounter with her I had classic symptoms of acute retroviral syndrome. I went to my doctor right after I felt those symptoms and asked to get tested if I have been infected with HIV or not, but he said that he can't do that because 3 – 6 months are necessary to develop the signs of infection. Why do I have to wait that long.

andrich · Newbie Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 16

Yes your doctor is right, it usually takes more than 3 months, and sometimes even up to 6 months for your antibodies to seroconvert in order to detect the signs of infection. The HIV test works by detecting antibodies on HIV virus and it takes some time before your immune system is able to produce enough antibodies so they can be detected in the serum. Seroconversion is the process in which your body produces antibodies against a certain agent, but these antibodies aren’t present in the serum in sufficient amounts so standard detection procedures can't detect them. As soon as antibodies against in this case HIV appear it is considered that the body has seroconverted and only then can HIV tests show a positive result. That means that you have to wait for that period, at least 3 months, before anyone can tell you if you’re HIV positive or not. Right now there are no alternatives to that and you have no other choice but to wait. It is not recommended that you have sexual contact with anyone, protected or not, so that you wouldn’t spread the infection further. If you have any other questions about this be free to talk to your doctor about it. Good luck.

What time does it take to seroconvert in HIV infection?

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