Hi Customer (name blocked for privacy),

13 weeks is a long time to spend worrying. How long since you had contact with your infected partner?

Lets try to look at the bright side; you used a condom which significantly reduces your risk. Do you remember if the condom was still intact after sex? I'm not sure what "I topped him" means, but if you were not the one who was penetrated, you can benefit from knowing that you didn't suffer any tissue damage or tearing in the anus. That too, can decrease your risk. The colon is very vascular, and when the tissue is torn or open, there is a significant increase in risk of transmitting the virus.

Instead of driving yourself crazy, go back to be tested after 25 days (that is the window period according to the CDC) and then re-test in 13 weeks. Many clinics offer free testing. I know this sounds very unethical for me to say, but....go ahead and exaggerate the truth about the time of exposure. EEEK....I hope I don't get in trouble for suggesting that, but I think I would probably do the same thing. 13 weeks of waiting is torture.

Most infected people will begin to show antibodies at 3 months, however in some cases, it could take up to 6 months after infection to test positive for antibodies.

I think I found the test you were talking about that tests the actual virus...not the antibody, and it has a shorter window, too. Here's an excerpt from the site:

The p24 Antigen Test

The p24 antigen test identifies actual HIV viral particles in blood (p24 is a protein specific for HIV). However, the p24 antigen test is generally only positive from about one week to 3 - 4 weeks after infection with HIV. The p24 protein cannot be detected until about a week after infection with HIV, because it generally takes that long for the virus to become established and multiply to sufficient numbers that they can be detected. The p24 antigens then become undetectable again after sufficient antibodies to HIV have been produced, because they bind to the P-24 protein and eliminate it from the blood. Once antibodies are produced, the p24 test will register negative even in people who are infected with HIV. Of course, at that point the regular HIV antibody test will then be positive.

The p24 antigen test has very limited value in diagnosing HIV infection. It has been used in HIV research and, since 1996, has been used as an additional screening test in blood banks to help reduce the window period and reduce the possibility of HIV infected blood being used in transfusions.

Most people will not benefit from having a p24 antigen test. People who have engaged in behaviors that may have put them at increased risk of infection with HIV should not give blood in order to be tested by the blood bank. Instead, call the HIV/STD Hotline at (206) 205-7837 for options to get HIV testing.

> Viral load / PCR Testing

Viral load testing is the direct measurement of the amount of HIV present in the blood. Several different tests identify and measure the genetic material resulting from virus infection, either RNA or DNA. These tests are also called nucleic acid tests. The laboratory procedure used to test for the genetic material of HIV is called the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. PCR viral load testing is usually done to allow doctors to track how active HIV is in a person’s body to help make antiviral treatment decisions. PCR tests are also used in research on primary HIV infection.

The FDA has not approved these PCR tests as ways to identify new HIV infections. The regular antibody test continues to be the most accurate and reliable way for people to know if they are infected with HIV. PCR tests may be negative in people with HIV if their infection is so recent (e.g, less than 5 days old) that virus has not yet begun to produce detectable quantities of virus, or if they have brought the infection under control spontaneously or with the help of the new potent anti-retroviral medications. Occasionally, PCR tests also can be falsely positive in the absence of HIV infection. The test is also very expensive (around $150) and cannot be done anonymously except through certain research studies. (In Seattle, see the Primary Infection Research Clinic.) Finally, any PCR test used to identify infection must be followed by a regular HIV antibody test taken three months after exposure to confirm the PCR test result. PCR viral load tests are most useful in people who already know their HIV status and to help make antiviral drug treatment decisions.

http://www.metrokc.gov/health/apu/infograms/testing.htm

Above is the website that I found this info from. God bless and try to keep your spirits up!

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