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Does Smoking A Cigarette Before A HIV Test Shows Negative Reult?
Yes, I have recently taken an oral HIV test and the results were negative. However, I did smoke a cigarette maybe 5 to 10 minutes prior to taking the test. I wanted to know if smoking a cigarette would create a false negative (I hope not). Does cigarette smoke kill antibodies in oral fluid if any are present at all?
Wed, 30 Apr 2014
Smoking a cigarette does not affect HIV test results. The only time you may get a negative result while still harbouring the HIV virus is during the "window period", which is about 4 to 6 weeks after getting infected.
Once you are out of the "window period", the antibody detection tests will accurately detect HIV irrespective of whether you smoke or not.
Once you are out of the "window period", the antibody detection tests will accurately detect HIV irrespective of whether you smoke or not.
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