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20 years
Can someone conclude if he has hiv from lymphocide counts in blood? Should they be high or low after 5 weeks of unprotected sex.
Jun 16, 2015

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
No, lymphocyte count is not a sensitive or specific indicator of HIV infection. The most commonly used HIV that is accurate and reliable is the immunoassay test (ELISA) for HIV types 1 and 2, which detect antibodies against the virus. These tests have a higher yield when performed at least 4 weeks after exposure. More recently, newer tests detect both antibodies and viral antigens and can catch the virus only in blood as early as 3 weeks after exposure. These tests are not widely available, however.
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