I'm feeling really stressed and confused about a recent potential HIV exposure. I had protected sex with a prostitute on December 26th, 2021, and today is January 17th, 2022. I've been reading a lot about symptoms online, and it's freaking me out. I took an HIV test (4th generation abag p24) on the 10th day after the exposure, and it came back non-reactive, with an index value of 0.12. Does this mean I'm in the clear, or do I need to take another test on the 28th day, like my doctor suggested? He mentioned that if I'm negative on the 28th day, I can just move on, but I'm still unsure. Can you help clarify this for me?

Stay calm, follow your doctors advice, and get the test done at 28 days. It's likely that you are HIV negative, but waiting for the additional test will help to definitively confirm it. Avoid reading too much online about symptoms, as it may only increase stress and anxiety.