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What Does My CMIA Test Report Indicate?
Question: Got tested with HIV Combo CMIA test after 110 days post exposure. Am i negative conclusively? Is CMIA test accurate as a test?
Brief Answer:
Yes, this is a conclusive negative test.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
The HIV Combined CMIA is a fourth generation test and is conclusive at 3 months. Because of the coverage of the test (both antibodies and antigen), most HIV specialists consider the 4th generation (Combo) test to be conclusive at 6 weeks. No further testing is required. The only people who are considered for retesting after this point are those who have impaired immune systems from taking immunosuppressants such as being on chemotherapy or a history of immune disorders. Also those receiving PEP or antiviral medicine to treat Hepatitis C.
So, you can consider a negative HIV Combo CMIA at 110 days, which is beyond the 3 month mark, to be conclusive, and no further testing is necessary.
Yes, this is a conclusive negative test.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
The HIV Combined CMIA is a fourth generation test and is conclusive at 3 months. Because of the coverage of the test (both antibodies and antigen), most HIV specialists consider the 4th generation (Combo) test to be conclusive at 6 weeks. No further testing is required. The only people who are considered for retesting after this point are those who have impaired immune systems from taking immunosuppressants such as being on chemotherapy or a history of immune disorders. Also those receiving PEP or antiviral medicine to treat Hepatitis C.
So, you can consider a negative HIV Combo CMIA at 110 days, which is beyond the 3 month mark, to be conclusive, and no further testing is necessary.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks a ton doctor. One more query - I got the same test done at 85 day mark, the reading then was 0.13 while this time it is 0.17. Why is the value increasing, can this reach to 1.0 in sometime? Also is CMIA as a method good to follow or ELISA would give better results?
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Differences of 0.04 (in other words the difference between 0.17 and 0.13) is very small and may just be within the margin of error for the lab test. If your result was now 0.95 or something similar, then there might be a need to discuss this. But four one hundredths is a very small number.
The CMIA test looks at both the antigen and antibodies and so it can detect earlier than the ELISA. The CMIA test is very accurate and can be considered conclusive. The ELISA is not better or worse but takes longer to confirm because it does not detect the antigen portion, which the combo test does.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Differences of 0.04 (in other words the difference between 0.17 and 0.13) is very small and may just be within the margin of error for the lab test. If your result was now 0.95 or something similar, then there might be a need to discuss this. But four one hundredths is a very small number.
The CMIA test looks at both the antigen and antibodies and so it can detect earlier than the ELISA. The CMIA test is very accurate and can be considered conclusive. The ELISA is not better or worse but takes longer to confirm because it does not detect the antigen portion, which the combo test does.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks. So do you think that the value will never go to 1.0 in future. I just want to be doubly sure, so that i do not think of testing again and again.
Brief Answer:
No, at this point it will not become positive in the future.
Detailed Answer:
You can consider this result conclusive. The numbers will not continue to rise to become positive in the future from the past event that you have been testing for. So yes, you can now be sure. You can be done with it - no further testing for HIV needed for this past exposure. Of course, do take care for future possible sexual exposures so that you won't have to worry again.
No, at this point it will not become positive in the future.
Detailed Answer:
You can consider this result conclusive. The numbers will not continue to rise to become positive in the future from the past event that you have been testing for. So yes, you can now be sure. You can be done with it - no further testing for HIV needed for this past exposure. Of course, do take care for future possible sexual exposures so that you won't have to worry again.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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