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Is It Possible To Have HIV Symptoms 5 Days After Sexual Exposure?

Posted on Tue, 5 May 2015

Question: Is it possible to have acute hiv symptoms 5 days after exposure to risk? With a sex worker.

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (37 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
symptoms after 5 days were unlikely to be due to HIV

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to HCM
Thanks for posting your query

Earliest manifestations in HIV can occur only after 3-4 weeks of the entry of the virus. Not earlier than that. So the symptoms occuing after 5 days were unlikely to be due to HIV.
Dr S Murugan

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

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (2 days later)

Hello I have taken the PCR rna test at nine days past exposure. Would you recommend taking the test at 12 days again. Or nine days is conclusive

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Antibody test after 12 weeks is recommended to get more conclusive result

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
RNA PCR can detect HIV as early as 1 week after the infection, if any. But considered more conclusive only by 4 weeks after the contact.That too, it can either confirm or rule out only HIV 1 infection usually and not HIV 2 infection unless it is specified. HIV 2 infection is very very rare throughout the world. Antibody detecting test done after 12 weeks after the contact would be more conclusive and can rule out both HIV 1 and 2.
Dr S.Murugan

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D