Why do some sources advise waiting longer than 6 weeks for HIV testing?
Most people will test accurately for HIV after 6 weeks have passed since their last risk. In very rare cases where a person has a highly compromised immune system, such as those in which a person has recently undergone chemotherapy or an organ transplant, it may take 3-6 months for their body to develop enough antibodies to test positive. These are very extreme situations, however, and other more common conditions such as colds or the flu, diabetes, asthma, and many others, will not affect the body’s development of HIV antibodies in that way. Those who suggest window periods longer than 6 weeks are trying to account for all those who may also have compromised immune systems.
