False Negative
Hello! I had unprotected sex in mid-April without using PreP. I followed this up by taking a HIV test at the beginning of May and the result came back negative. The clinic issued with me PreP, which I took consistently and daily for one month, before returning for a second test. The result was negative, but suspicious. I have been asked to stop using PreP for one month and have a follow up test in one more month. Does this mean it is highly likely I have HIV? I'm feeling very stressed and have a strong feeling of uncertainty, as this has never happened before. I appreciate any help or advice.
Hi
. You confusion and anxiety are certainly understandable. I need to note that we are not medical professionals and, for your protection cannot provide medical advice or diagnostics. I know standard protocol for a positive test is a retest for confirmation (see: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/testing/index.html), but a negative test with anything inconclusive may be why they want a follow up. Also, I don't know that kind of test you had, but if it was in the window period and anything looks inconclusive, this could trigger a new test that would be later for more accurate results. This article describes how tests become increasingly accurate with time and how rare false negative tests are: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/test-accuracy-results-and-further-testing. Hope this information is helpful. Best, Richard (Team Member)
