I'm Rajesh and recently I had a brief encounter with a sex worker, but I used two condoms for protection. It happened on the 8th of June 2018, and about 26 days later, I went for an HIV duo 4th generation test, which came back negative with a result of 0.09. Lately, I've developed a cold, cough, and some throat pain that I think could just be due to the weather. Can I trust these test results and get back to my regular routine, or should I be concerned? I'm really anxious about this and could use some guidance.

Answered by 1 Apollo Doctors

Dr Shubham Chauhan

General Practitioner

MBBS
4+ Yrs

Consult Now

Hi Rajesh, based on your description, the HIV 4th generation test you took 26 days after exposure is highly reliable and indicates you are negative. Your symptoms are more likely due to weather changes and not related to HIV. You can continue with your regular life, but if you remain anxious, consider retesting at 6 weeks for complete peace of mind.

Dr. Shubham Suggests...

Consult a Infectious Disease specialist

Find a Infectious Disease specialist

Answered 04/07/2025

More Infectious Disease Health Queries

View all

I got bitten by a rat and took a tetanus shot within 5 hours. The doctor advised me to get rabies shots too, just to be cautious. Is that the right thing to do? The wound is almost healed now. What do you think?

Yes, the doctor's suggestion to take rabies injections as a precautionary measure is correct, even if the wound has almost healed, as rabies can incubate for weeks to months; taking post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), including rabies vaccination, within 24-48 hours of the bite can effectively prevent rabies infection.

Answered by 1 Apollo Doctors

How do infectious diseases spread?

Infectious diseases can spread in a variety of ways: through the air, from direct or indirect contact with another person, soiled objects, skin or mucous membrane, saliva, urine, blood and body secretions, through sexual contact, and through contaminated food and water.

Answered by 1 Apollo Doctors