4800 West Green Brook Drive â¢ Brown Deer, WI 53223 â¢ 414.371.3000 â¢ manager@browndeerwi.org â¢ Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am â 4:30pm Contact Us
In general, antibody tests that use blood can detect HIV slightly sooner after infection than tests done with oral fluid. It can take 3 to 12 weeks (21-84 days) for an HIV-positive personâs body to make enough antibodies for an antibody test to detect HIV infection. This is called the window period.
Blood tests are the most common way to diagnose HIV. These tests look for antibodies to the virus that the body creates in an attempt to fight the virus. People exposed to the virus should get tested immediately, although it can take the body anywhere from six weeks to a year to develop antibodies to the virus.