The body produces antibodies to fight the infection when a individual is infected with HIV. If there are antibodies in a person’s blood, it means they have been infected with HIV. Most people have detectable antibodies within 6 to 12 weeks of HIV infection. A standard HIV antibody blood test is highly reliable from three months after potential exposure. There is a period of time between infection and the production of HIV antibodies during which a person can get false negative results.
STD testing for HIV can be done using a few different blood tests depending upon your needs and concerns. The standard HIV test detects HIV antibodies in the blood and is effective typically after 90 days from possible exposure. Any early detection STD test such as Early HIV Detection (DNA PCR) Test uses polymerase chain reaction to detect HIV proviral DNA. An early detection STD test can produce a positive or negative result after approximately 28 days from exposure.
