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Seroconversion is the point at which the immune system is stimulated into developing the antibodies needed to fight infection (or respond to immunization) by an antigen (an antigen is anything that stimulates an immune response - including viruses, bacteria, tumorous cells, things to which we become allergic etc).
Seroconversion is frequently (but by no means always) associated with some form of seroconversion illness. In terms of an infection with HIV - the context in which the question was asked - it is important to note that it is the HIV antibodies devolved during the seroconversion process that are detected by the common HIV antibody test. It can take up to three months (the 'window period') for the immune response to be fully triggered and produce enough antibodies to be reliably detected by an HIV antibody test.
HIV seroconversion illness generally takes the form of a mild fever / sore throat / rash / mild flu-like illness - some two to six weeks (up to three months) after HIV infection - but can occasionally be severe enough to require hospitalisation. The longer the illness lasts (and the more severe it is) the more likely the untreated patient is to develop AIDS within five years. Even before seroconversion takes place, an HIV infected person will generally have enough of the virus in their blood / sexual fluids / breast milk to infect another person - in fact they are frequently particularly infectious during the window period, before a full immune response has been triggered and the infection can be diagnosed.
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Is a person with HIV contagious before seroconversion?
An infected person with HIV is contagious soon after initial infection. The highest risk of transmission is during the initial infection, and at the end stage near death.
What does very early hiv infection prior to seroconversion cannot be excluded mean?
Seroconversion refers to the development of antibodies after infection. There is a period of time between when a person is infected with HIV until they will test positive. This is often referred to as the "window period." Depending on the test, it could take up to 6 months for a person to test positive after being infected with HIV. This is because it takes a while for a person's body to develop the anitbodies associated with HIV infection that HIV tests use to detect infection.
What has the author ANDREA MARIE ANONYCHUK written?
ANDREA MARIE ANONYCHUK has written: 'STRESSFUL RELATIONSHIP EVENTS AND HIGH-RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN ENROLLED IN THE POLARIS SEROCONVERSION STUDY'
Do some get AIDS on purpose?
Bugchasers seek sexual partners who are HIV positive for the purpose of having unprotected sex and seroconversion; giftgivers (also gift givers) are HIV positive individuals who comply with the bugchaser's efforts to become infected with HIV.See related link.
What is the definition of sero status?
Sero-status refers to the term 'seroconversion' which is defined as the production of antibodies in response to an antigen. Sero-status can be either seropositive or seronegative; meaning either an individual tests positive or negative for the specific antibodies that are present after exposure to a specific antigen. Sero-status most often refers to HIV status and whether or not an individual is HIV+ or HIV-.
What causes the itchy reddish rash on the body during cold weather?
This could be a tell-tale sign of HIV seroconversion. Typically one might experience flu-like symptoms with a prolongued fever, general malaise, bad concentration, dizzyness and a red, often non-itchy hive-like rash on the chest, back and sometimes the face and extremeties. If you develop these symptoms and feel you may bear some risk, it's a good idea to get tested for both the antibody and the virus itself. If you are in seroconversion, you may not test positive for the antibodies. Typically, antibodies develop after the body launches its initial assault.
How does HIV cause symptoms of AIDS to develop in the human body?
No, the symptoms of the HIV virus won't start as soon as it enters the human body. The initial symptoms may appear a month after infection and are typically flu like symptoms (fever, diarrhea, nausea, swollen lymph nodes).
What are the symptoms of HIV and AIDs for male and female?
Cold like symptoms with no congestion in the throat or lungs. May also be accompanied by fever and muscle aches,this process is called seroconversion and affects men and women alike. Please note,some people have no symptoms and others require hospitalization where they are often misdiagnosed.
What happens as the number of HIV viruses increase in the body?
Within a day or so the virus is carried to lymph nodes closest to the site of infection where is reproduces in immune cells for the first 1-2 weeks. Then HIV becomes widely distributed throughout the body, causing seroconversion symptoms in approximately 75% of people.
Are there hiv carriers?
Yes. Everyone who is infected with HIV is a carrier and infectious. Most people who become infected with HIV will not initially know or notice that they have been infected, but some will suffer symptoms of a short seroconversion illness when they develop HIV antibodies (generally two to six weeks after HIV exposure). Seroconversion illness can be similar to (and can be easily mistaken for) flu, glandular fever, tonsillitis or a serious herpes attack, but is rarely severe enough to require hospitalisation or even result in an immediate HIV diagnosis. The speed at which an untreated person will go on to develop AIDS varies greatly, but most people will remain asymptomatic for several years (it is estimated that around half the people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years of becoming infected).
What is PEP?
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is any prophylactic treatment, given shortly after a high-risk exposure to an infectious disease, in order to prevent the recipient from becoming infected. In the case of exposure to HIV, post exposure prophylaxis consists of a one month long course of antiretroviral drugs, which then seems to dramatically reduce the risk of seroconversion. To be effective, it must be started as soon as possible after exposure - ideally within hours, but in no event later than 72 hours. PEP should not been seen as an easy alternative to safer sex precautions. The regimen is demanding and the unpleasant side effects (e.g. malaise, fatigue, diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, nausea and vomiting) can be very debilitating.
Can you marry if you were 11 months HIV tested negative?
Tests used to take 6 months for the buildups of antibodies in your blood to be noticable enough to trigger a positive result. Now, that time has been cut in half- so if you wanted you can get tested every 3 months. If you are worried about it then go get tested. Actually, the time to seroconversion (when the test will detect HIV in your blood) is down to around 3 weeks. Testing schedules should be based on your sexual history. If you have more than one partner but have no other risk factors then every six months to a year is a good general rule. If you are high risk (anal intercourse, injectable drug use, highly promiscuous or have a partner who is HIV positive, among others) then your doctor may advise a much more frequent testing schedule. The answer to your specific question is that if you were negative eleven months ago, have had no other partners since that time and your partner was also negative and has had no other partners then re-testing is not necessary. If you or your partner has had sex with anyone else since your last negative test or if you aren't sure about your partner's HIV status then retesting would be advisable. If either you or your partner participate in any high risk activities or are high risk for any reason then you need to be retested.
