A safe estimate from various studies is that the time interval between actual infection and the first positive antibody test is one to three months. The difficulty in being more definitive is pinpointing exactly when a person became infected. The longest documented time from infection to a positive EIA was eight months in a nurse who was exposed in a needle-stick accident.

A person can have TB infection for years without any signs of disease. But if that person's immune system gets weak, the infection can quickly turn into TB disease. Also, if a person who has a weak immune system spends time with someone with infectious TB, he or she may become infected with TB bacteria and quickly develop TB disease. Because HIV infection weakens the immune system, people with TB infection and HIV infection are at very high risk of developing TB disease.

Copyright © 2002-2005 Health Information Publications. The information provided on this Web site has been developed exclusively by and for Health Information Publications and ehealthMD and may not be copied without written permission. The information provided is for general information only and is not intended to replace the advice of your health-care provider. This is original material developed by Health Information Publications, Copyright © 1990-2005

It takes the immune system 3-6 months to produce sufficient antibody for an HIV positive test result after infection with HIV. This is called the "window period," when a test result could be negative, but the person is actually infected.

Up to 6 months. If there has been NO risk for 6 months prior to the test, the results are 99.9% accurate. People with HIV may be MOST infectious to others during this first six months.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus, the AIDS virus) helps TB germs make you sick by attacking the germ fighters in your body. If you are infected with HIV and with TB germs, you have a very big chance of getting TB disease. The TB germs are much more likely to attack your lungs and other parts of the body. You can be cured, but it takes longer to cure someone with TB disease who also has HIV infection. If you think you might have HIV infection, talk to your doctor about getting an HIV test.

There is no need for anyone at school to know the HIV status of a student or employee. What everyone does need to understand is that the blood of any student or employee could potentially be infected with a bloodborne pathogen such as HIV or Hepatitis B, and that under normal conditions in regular educational programs, use of "Universal Precautions" is sufficient to protect against transmission of bloodborne diseases.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a fatal infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV for short). This virus attacks the body's immune (defence) system and over period of time destroys it. This leaves the body defenceless against infections by other germs and the growth of cancers. Up till the middle of 1996, more than 27.9 million people have been infected worldwide. Over 40% are women, and over 2 million are infants and children. Of these, 5.

Abstinence from sexual contact is one fool proof method of avoiding HIV infection, other STDs and pregnancy. Don't be fooled into thinking that most teenagers are having penetrative sex. They aren't. There is much to think about before you can say "yes" to sex. And there are many other pleasurable activities you can do besides having penetrative sex - including caressing, stroking, massage, light kissing and mutual masturbation.

NO! There are many vaccines now in clinical study, however at this time, none have been tested on humans and it may be years before a viable vaccine is possible.

No cases of HIV transmission can be attributed to saliva. There are two reports of HIV transmission through an adult bite; in both cases blood was present, either from bleeding gums or from teeth being knocked out.

A "positive" or "reactive" test means that the person is infected and is infectious to others as well. But this test does not predict when the person will go on to develop AIDs. The antibody test is accurate after about 3 months following infection because it takes this long for the antibodies to appear in the blood. Taking the test is a big decision and should not be done without pretest counseling.

There is no cure for HIV infection and AIDS. But there are medicines that can treat the infections and cancers which occur in AIDS. Drugs which attack the HIV virus are also available. These drugs can prolongs the lifespan of the infected persons. Research into vaccines may one day yield an effective medical prevention, but until that time the only effective preventions is not to allow the virus to enter your body.

About half of people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years, but the time between infection and onset of AIDS can vary greatly. The severity of the HIV-related illness or illnesses differs from person to person and is dependent on many factors, including overall health status. Today there are promising new medical treatments that can postpone many of the illnesses associated with AIDS.

The majority of people infected with HIV, if not treated, develop signs of AIDS within eight to 10 years. Symptoms of AIDS generally appear when the numbers of CD4 white blood cells (critical in mounting immune responses) decreases to 200 per mm3 of blood. About five to 10% of HIV-positive individuals develop AIDS symptoms very rapidly during the first years of infection, and about the same proportion remain infected with HIV for 15 years or more without progressing to AIDS.

It is recommended that an individual waits 3-6 months after their possible hepatitis C exposure before getting tested. This is referred to as the "window period".