What Does Negative HIV Rapid Test During The Window Period Indicate?

Brief Answer:
St.Johns Hospital HIV reports are reliable

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.

I have read through your query in detail.
If you have got HIV 1/2 Rapid test done 9 months after possible exposure at St.Johns Hospital in XXXXXXX and is negative then it is acceptable and accurate.

St.Johns Hospital XXXXXXX has got excellent laboratory services and the chance of a mistake is highly unlikely.

If you wish, you can upload the report and I will have a look at that.

Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.

Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,
Dr.Vivek

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Brief Answer:
Negative result is always reliable.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.

The Rapid HIV Test is just as reliable as standard testing done in labs.

Medical literature on Rapid for HIV says the following.

Chance of False Positive Results: There is a 0.4% chance (4 out of 1,000) that the Rapid HIV Test will produce a falsely positive or “reactive” result. This means that 99.6% of the time a “reactive” result will indicate a true HIV-positive result. Therefore, with all reactive results, a confirmatory test is given to determine if the person is actually HIV-positive.

Chance of False Negative Results: There is a 0% chance of getting a falsely negative or “non-reactive” result. This means that if your test is non-reactive (negative), then no HIV antibodies are detectable in your body at the time. However, if you have had a recent exposure (within the past 3 months), the negative result might not be a true indicator of your HIV status and re-testing is recommended after the window period has passed.

So if your Rapid report is negative then it is confirmed to be absence of HIV infections.

Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,
Dr.Vivek

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Brief Answer:
You did not get any cuts.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.

Your question is very important and I am glad to be replying to the best of my knowledge.

As you may be aware of most of the viral infections are transmitted through a vehicle. While HIV is transmitted by blood and body fluids, Hepatitis B and C is transmitted through blood only.

Coming to your question, please be assured that there is negligible chance of getting HIV or Hepatitis infection if your barber used a new blade in his razor. Nowadays all barbers are instructed to discard blades after single use. You have not mentioned about any cuts that you had from your barber, so let me doubly sure that you are not infected by HIV or Hepatitis through your barber.

Please remember that for a disease to be transmitted, the following events should have occurred:
1. The barber should have used an already used blade on you.
2. He should have used the same blade on a HIV or hepatitis carrier and must cause him a wound enough to allow infected blood onto the blade.
3. He should have used the same blade containing infected blood on you and must cause a bleeding wound to permit the virus to enter into you.

As far I have known, I re assure that I have not come across a single patient who has got infected by HIV or Hepatitis from a barber in my 12 years of experience.
Please insist on your barber using a new blade on every visit.

Please be relaxed, but it is very important to clarify the facts of transmission.

Last but not least, please visit your barber and ask if he uses new blades on each person and reconfirm.

Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,
Dr.Vivek

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