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Hello and Thank You for Using the AIDS Vancouver Helpline as your source of HIV/AIDS related information. First, I would just like to note that when we talk about the risk of acquiring HIV, we actually focus on the activities you engage in, and not the details about the person you were with (such as their profession). At the end of the day, try to focus on the activities you choose to engage in and not any assumptions or feelings you may have towards the person you were with. In fact, it might surprise you to know that sex workers often get tested more frequently for STIs because they are more aware of the risks involved with sexual activities ! This means they are more likely to be aware of their sexual health status than the “girl next door type” that you might peg as “safer.” It is great to hear you got tested after your risky exposure- testing is really the only way to know. The first test you took was a very reliable blood test that looks for antibodies to the HIV virus; this result was an excellent indication of your negative HIV status. You are correct that the 2nd test was a 4th Generation or “DUO” test. This test looks for both HIV-specific antibodies and antigens (p24 protein). However, it is unlikely that antigens would still longer be detected if you took the test at 87 days. This is because most people start to develop HIV-specific antibodies to fight the virus as early as 21-25 days post infection. Once your body starts to produce antibodies, the antibodies bind to the antigens, making them no longer detectable with the antigen test. Since the antibody test has a window period of 4-12 weeks post exposure, these would be picked up by the DUO test at the 87 day mark. This test is conclusive at 3 months (84 days/12 weeks) post exposure by our official HIV testing standards, and as such, confirm that you are HIV negative! I would like to add that it is actually very uncommon to acquire HIV from one incidence of unprotected sex, even if your partner happened to be HIV+. We encourage people to trust their test results and not let their symptoms trick them into thinking they are HIV positive. I encourage you to talk to a health care professional that you trust in order to get to the bottom of what is causing your symptoms and subsequently get relief. For further reading about HIV-related symptoms, please click here. Stay healthy, Elyse AIDS Vancouver Helpline VolunteerE-mail: [email protected] (Mon-Fri 9-4pm): (604) 696-4666Web: www.aidsvancouver.org/helpline