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What Is The Ideal Time Period To Take The HIV Duo Test?

Posted on Thu, 8 Oct 2015

Question: Hi,

Could you please help me to suggest a good place to get tested for HIV (DUO) test and STD test in XXXXXXX Could you please suggest a good test center/hospital.

My health is not keeping good after the sexual activitis few weeks before so urgently looking to get these tests done.

Do I need to go to the doctor first and get the prescription for the tests?

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Arun (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
please see the answer below

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX

Thank you for choosing HCM for your health query.

I am Dr Arun Tank Infectious disease specialist answering your concern.

You can get your self tested in good laboratories like DrLalpathlabs, it is one of the good laboratories in the XXXXXXX But you can select one of those which is NABL accredited.

HIV Duo test can be tested after 28 days of exposure. If your sexual exposure is of more than 28 days than HIV duo test is suitable for you.

There is no need to have prescription of the test written from the doctor, you can directly go and ask the laboratory doctor to get yourself tested.

You can ask me for further clarification here or you can ask me personally on bit.ly/DrArun.

Thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Neel Kudchadkar

Follow up: Dr. Arun (2 days later)

Hi,

Thank you doc. I am just waiting for 28 days to be completed then I will take the test.

Looking at my sickness, I feel that I am sure to get HIV+ result which is bit difficult to handle.

But anyways for STDs it is dificult for me to know which tests I can exclude so I am planning to test for below STDs after 28 days along with HIV (DUO) test:

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Syphilis
Herpes 1 (HSV-1)
Herpes 2 (HSV-2)
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea

Could you please let me know if 28 days are sufficient to get the confirm test result for each STD tests mentioned above?

Are these STD tests also can be easily done in the labs suggested by you?

How effective is HIV(DOU) test after 28 days? I know to be 100% sure I have to take HIV test after 3 months again. But how you think about the effectiveness of HIV (DUO) test after 28 days?

Thank you very much.

Answered by Dr. Arun (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please find your answer below

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

Thank you for question.

Yes 28 days is sufficient to detect all the test mentioned.

I want to draw your attention that Hepatitis A is water born disease and won't spread sexually. So you can exclude the possibility of Hepatitis A from your tests.

HIV duo test can detect HIV effectively.

But it has some drawbacks like it has some false positive and false negative tests.

So to confirm the status you can either have to go with HIV PCR test or you have to undergo antibody test after 3 month.

You can ask me your further query.

Thank you
Dr Arun Tank

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Arun (13 days later)

Hi Doc,

I went to lab for STD testing including HIV test on Monday.

After the blood sample collection I was told that the report will be given on Saturday as samlle xollection is ny Friday and the report comes in a day on Saturday.

I am confused and worried that they have collected my sample on Monday but still they will give report on Saturday. I asked them if I need to gove blood samlle on Friday only but lab person told me its ok to give sample on Monday but it dosnt maater if you give sample on Monday or Friday reports will be given on Saturday only as all the samples are processed on Friday.

Is it true? Do you think Its ok to gove blood sample 6 days in advance which can be processed in 1 day but they will give me reports on Saturday only? Will this cause any problem in reports?

Thanks

Answered by Dr. Arun (27 hours later)

Brief Answer:
There is no harm in giving sample earlier...

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX

Thanks for asking me query.

Yes sample can be preserved and later it will be processed.

It won't make any effect on the results.

You can ask for the test procedure literature to the Laboratory in charge. It shows all the term and condition of the testing, so your problem will be resolved.

you can ask me further queries also.

Thank you,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Arun (7 days later)

Hi,

My STD/HIV test results seems to be negative as attached but I will do the retest again after 12th week.

But, one more question. I am having bad abdomenal pain from last 2 weeks. Before that I never had this pain earlier. As I said I had done STD/HIV test after 4th week and result are negative now. I have also done Urine/Blood test done. The resuts are attached.

I also have a kind of infection feeling in my throad and chest. I feel really heavyness in chest and burning on my throat and chest.

I showed this report to one doctor and he has prescribed Ofloxacin for 7 days 2 times a day (telling me that I have UTI) also he ignored about chest and throat he just said it can be acidity but I really dont rhink so and I have taken Ofloxaci for 4 days now but my abdomen pain has not resuced till now (also not cheat and throat burning). I get more pain when my digestive system is full and when I empty my stomach and bladder I get some relief with the pain but pain is continues through out the day.

I am not sure what should I need to do now and whom to consult (which especiality). How to explain/relate my throat and chest burning?

Can you provide any suggestion and advise on this condition?

Is UTI sexually transmitted? Though I am still worry about HIV but do you know any other kind of infection I can get sexually which causes high abdomen pain?

Thanks

Hi,

For throat burning, I have also developed white layer on my toung which was not earlier in recent weeks as there in burning on tounge as well along with throat burning. It is not possible to remove white layer on my tounge with tounge cleaner as well.

I have attached a picture for your reference.

Thanks

Answered by Dr. Arun (29 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please find the answer below...

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for asking query.

Throat and chest burning is because of the acidity. Your drug prescribing doctor was right in the case. Your tongue is clear, there is no layer on the tongue. There is rugosity present over the tongue which give its a white layered appearance.

You can take the sustained release capsule pantoprazole. This will give you symptomatic relief from the acidity. Vitamin deficiency can sometimes cause such a burning problem you can take the vitamin B complex tablets. Please take the above drug under your doctors suggestions.

UTI can be caused by sexually as well as non sexually you can take a prescribed drugs and plenty of water to get rid from the UTI.

No other STD can cause such a high abdomen pain.

You can ask for the further clarification here.

Thank you

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