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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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HIV and AIDS |
Clarification For The Window Period of HIV02/27/2006 |
I am a bit confused. I have read from the CDC that the window period is three months. HIV in site says it's three months too. World Health organization says it's 21 days from the time of probable infection. Harvard School of Medicine says that it's three weeks. I am trying to read the reputable internet sites as some sites can be really confusing, especially if the person researching and reading is as anxious and paranoid as I am. Can you help clarify this issue please?
Acute HIV infection describes roughly the first 3 weeks following infection. At the peak of acute HIV infection, persons can be 1,000 times more likely to transmit HIV infection than those who have been infected 6 months or longer. Because HIV antibody tests only become detectable 4-6 weeks into the infection, accurate diagnosis requires the use of HIV viral load testing, which can detect the virus as early as 5 days after infection. The window period is the time delay from infection to a positive antibody test. Hope this helps.
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Pamposh Kaul, MD Assistant Professor Division of Infectious Diseases Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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