Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 8/13/2008

Question
Hi...here's the situation. I slept with someone. Before me, the last person he had slept with was in December of 07. In March of 08 I decided to go get tested.  I came back negative for everything. Is it possible that even though I came out negative for HIV, there's a chance that I could have it. This question probably sounds silly, but the only reason I ask is because a friend of mine said that you can test negative but actually still have HIV in your system, she said it can takes months to show up.  So if I tested negative, am I okay?

Answer
Your friend is right. There is a window period for HIV testing. Generally, it takes 1-3 months for the body to produce enough antibodies to be detected by the test. A very small number of people may take up to 6 months. So, if you tested negative, but fell within the window period, you need to test again outside of the window for an accurate result.