Hi,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to HCM.
RNA PCR is the latest and best test for detecting HIV virus at the most early stage. There is no other test which can detect the virus at the 2nd week of exposure or so earlier. In your case is negative so at the first and foremost kindly relax yourself as you have gone for the best test detecting HIV virus in the most early state and it came negative ( means less than 100 or in some tests we say less than 50 copies as negative).
Now regarding your query for passage of HIV virus through holes of condoms....... Though theoretically there arer chances of passage of HIV virus through holes but practically it is found to be negligible or not at all to cause the HIV infection and according to the researches condoms are of the best mode of protecting yourself from all types of STD's including HIV. . Even if there are certain reports of HIV occurrence despite using condoms were due to inappropriate use of the same. So over all if we day for all the practical purpose if you have used condoms properly there is negligible or to be very frank-- no chance of HIV !!
So you have two reasons to be happy- one is used the protection and second the RNA PCR ( best earliest test to detect HIV virus) is negative.
Hope to give you the best of the information.
With best health wishes,
Dr Sanjay K Kanodia
MD ( Dermatology and STD/ Venereology)

Hello and welcome to HCM.

Thank you for your query.

I have read your query and the most important fact here is that you have used a condom while performing sexual intercourse. This fact itself reduces the possibility of transmission of the virus from a HIV-infected individual.

Next coming to the status of your sexual partner. Is this a known person? Are you aware of his/her HIV status? If the person does not have HIV, then there is no chance for you to contract HIV.

Yes, condoms are considered 95% safe, and there still exists a small 5 % chance, where in the condom can be damaged and result in transmission or infections or even result in pregnancy. This is where the HIV tests come in to play.

The RT-PCR RNA HIV test that you have undergone has a 98-100 % accuracy rate overall. This test can be used to detect the HIV virus from 13-28 days, with 17 days being taken as the average time to conduct this test. A test conducted on the 17th day will have an accuracy of 95 %.

In my opinion this test will more than suffice and you can rest assured that you are HIV free. But for your satisfaction if you wish to repeat another test, you could conduct the same test by the 28 th day, but not after the 30th day.

I hope I have succeeded in providing the information you were looking for. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications. I would gladly help you.

Best wishes.

Hi and welcome to HCM.
PCR test is 100% accurate for negative results and 99% for positive results. SO there is no need to repeat this one or take another test. HIV transmission in protected sex with condoms is extremely rare. Possiblity is less than 0.001%. So you dont have to be worried at all. Wish you good health.