The Diagnosis of AIDS and HIV Infection, issued by the State in 2019, states that the window period for the diagnosis of HIV antibodies, antigens, and nucleic acids by existing diagnostic techniques is about 3 weeks, 2 weeks, and 1 week after infection, respectively.
The window period refers to the time between the onset of infection and the time when it can be detected.After HIV infects the human body, the body produces an immune response, and it takes a certain amount of time for antibodies to be produced and accumulated to a level where they can be detected.Therefore, the window period is gradually shortened with the improvement of testing techniques and the updating of testing reagents.
With the emergence of the enzyme-linked assay and the two-principle sandwich assay, the window period for HIV detection was 6 weeks; with the emergence of the third generation of tests, the window period for antibody detection was shortened to about 3 weeks; with the emergence of the fourth generation of tests, the window period for the detection of antigens was shortened to 2 weeks; and the window period for the detection of HIV nucleic acid was even shortened to about 1 week.
If you are at high risk, consult a medical professional at the CDC or hospital for early treatment.