Hi
I was just wondering why is Hepatitis B not the standard STD test that you are offered when you go for the full STD panel at a GUM clinic in the UK?
Do you need to ask for it, or will they do it based on a "risk factor" that a person has?
What is the earliest the infection can be found in your blood?
As a rule of thumb they test for all of them, but you can ask them to test for it if they belive you had a risk.
Hi Apollo
the reason I asked was that at my first test (12 days after), they didn't do it. During the next testing (43 days after), the health doctor asked me if I ever had hep B testing, I said no and she said that I can have a test if I want. As hiv was my main concern at that time, I didnt really ask about hep B, what is the likelyhood of getting infected with it and the window period, and only a while after getting my negative results I started to wonder if I could have been still in the window period (at 43 day?). I read on the official uk hep B website that antibodies are produced and would show on the test after 4-6 weeks, but somewhere else I've read it's 90 days... Would you be able to advise which is correct?
Hiya, well its very simular to hiv in testing. 3 months and onwards is when you should take a test for it.
Its unlikley you would test postive in the window period unless you produced any antibodys, so a test now will be fine. Many people who get hep can become immune to it.
Overall, im sure you will be fine
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Ok, I understand usually people do not get worried about hep too much, as the main concern is usually HIV right, as far as STDs are concerned? As you say, most people can get rid of the hep infection after few months (with some exception). So six weeks is still too early for Hep B testing correct?
In regards to hiv, say if you started to seroconvert around 5 weeks.. would a test pick this up straight after the onset, or would there be some time - say a week - between the onset of seroconversion and the earliest this would be picked up by the antibody test? And if you start seroconversion, does the body still produce the antigen which can be picked by the antigen part of duo test during seroconversion? Or would seroconversion affect the duo test and create a window period for duo test?
Your first paragraph. Yes you need to test after 3 months to be certain. 6 weeks is a little early but some people will test postive at that time scale but only if they have started to produce antibodys.
The second paragraph. The antigen is the by product of hiv antibodys. So when antibodys are produced so is the p24 antigen. The p24 is easyer and quicker to find with the 4th generation tests like the duo. After 5 weeks if you had serconverted the antibodys would be at a higher level than the p24.
So if you had started to have sero at the 5 weeks, you will more than likley test postive. Neither will effect your test.
__________________
“Morality is only moral when it is voluntary.”
"Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent".
The antigen is the by product of hiv antibodys. So when antibodys are produced so is the p24 antigen.
Are you sure about this? Not that I would doubt your knowledge but I might have just misunderstood ... I thought (and read) that p24 is produced few days after hiv infection has entered the body, rises up during the first two weeks, peaks at around 16th day and then remains stable for another two months, until enough antibodies are produced which will bind the antigen and make it undetectable.
The same as antibody tests (1-3rd generation) would have the official window period of 3 months, is there a window period for duo test and if it is, is it likely to be the first two weeks after the infection, which is why 28th day is the day doctors recommend to be sure at this time the antigen would have been produced?
Sorry for changing the subject from hep to hiv but I'd like to make sure I understand this correctly
yup 100% sure. The antigen is detected before the antibodys with a duo test, but antibodys are produced, the antigen is not an antibody, its the by product but its easyer to detected early on, which is what you may be thinking of. The antigen is a protein, which is why some people test postive when they are negative, which is a false positive.
In general terms, if I became infected with HIV today then the HIV would enter my cells and start to replicate. As part of the replication process a core viral protein is produced - called the p24 antigen. This will happen in the main by around 10 days or so. The p24 element will then increase, peak at around 14-16 days or so and then plateau at a very high level for about 8 to ten weeks. It then will appear sporadically through the rest of the illness. HIV antibodies to HIV 1 and 2 will also start to form at around the same time frame and over 50% of people will have detectable antibodies at 4 weeks and over 99% at 6 weeks.
The antigen will not confirm your status, only antibodys to which all standard hiv tests look for and that is 3 months as per the current cdc guide lines.
__________________
“Morality is only moral when it is voluntary.”
"Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent".
Hi Apollo,
I am starting to panick again, because I just got some small red (flat) spots around my waistline and some under my breasts - and not sure what it is, it's scaring me out..it could be allergy or stress, but obviously I am worried about HIV - or HEP perhaps? As for HIV I had a negative duo test taken after 4 weeks (30 days) and after 6 weeks (43 days). Now it is the 9 week since the exposure. I just wish I could stop this and rest knowing it can't be hiv. I know you told me already on the HIV forum I should relax but I just can't help it... would you test again, or should I rest knowing that having two negative results at 4 and 6 weeks means I'm fine? Should I test again with antibody test? Is it possible to have hiv rash so late after infection? Thank you.
This is not the forum to really talk about hiv. You know my thoughts on this. You never had a risk and your tests have proved that. Would i test again, no but i would never have tested in the first place.
Ps, thats not a hiv rash, never in a zillion years. If it were, although never at this time scale, you would be so ill you would not be online, either in bed a sleep or hospital.
The only thing wrong with you is paranoia and stress but untill you accept that, you wont feel or get better from a mental perspective. You can keep testing until the end of time and keep getting negative results but its only yourself that can really put an end to this.
__________________
“Morality is only moral when it is voluntary.”
"Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent".
The Following User Says Thank You to Apollo123 For This Useful Post: anxious27 (10-03-2012)
you're right about the testing etc., and sorry for changing the subject.
As for my original question about hep B window period, well apparently the average this infection can be picked by the test is 4 weeks (CDC guidelines), pls see below. I had my test at 6 weeks and they did the full panel for hep B.
How long does it take for blood to test HBsAg-positive after exposure to HBV?
HBsAg will be detected in an infected person’s blood an average of 4 weeks (range: 1–9 weeks) after exposure to the virus. About 1 of 2 patients will no longer be infectious by 7 weeks after onset of symptoms, and all patients who do not remain chronically infected will be HBsAg-negative by 15 weeks after onset of symptoms.
There are several tests that are used to detect Hepatitis B. These include both antigen tests and antibody tests. The Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) test will start showing positive several weeks before onset of symptoms and can stay positive for days, weeks, or months after onset of symptoms. You can test from 4 weeks onwards although the NHS tend to use 12 weeks ( maybe due to the same scale as HIV, but im not sure)
Take in mind Hep B in the UK is very rare anyway.
The thing is, this is still about your non event and personally you have tested negative for everything so that should be enough for you now to move on because this is just not healthy to have any concerns in your mind, really accpet the results put it all behind you and start living again and enjoy your weekend.
__________________
“Morality is only moral when it is voluntary.”
"Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent".
The Following User Says Thank You to Apollo123 For This Useful Post: anxious27 (10-04-2012)
Hey, yes I know you're right I really need to move on what will I do when some "real" problems will come right? Thanks for this and your words and posts, I really appreciate it. I will find somebody to talk talk about these things, before I drive myself crazy.
