HIV testing, explained by test type
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The window period isn't one number — it depends on which test you took. If you only read one thing, read the first article and find the row that matches the test on your report.
How long until an HIV test is conclusive?
The window period isn't one number: 45 days for a 4th-generation lab test, up to 90 for an oral swab. Find the figure for the test you actually took.
Read →The 4th-generation test: what 45 days actually means
It screens for p24 antigen as well as antibodies, which is why the window closes at 45 days, not 90. What it misses, and when 45 days isn't the end.
Read →Negative result, still terrified
If a negative test stops reassuring you within a week, the question is no longer infection. What that loop looks like, why more testing won't break it, and what does.
Read →Nothing here is a diagnosis, and none of it replaces a test. If you may have been exposed within the last 72 hours, contact a clinic or emergency department about PEP before reading anything else.