I have spent days on the internet and calling various HIV testing centers. I am just trying to get a straight answer on the window period (for the HIV test). I think it is three months, but each place I call or visit tells me something different. Please help!!!!!

It is true you will find a wide range of answers.  The subject of HIV and AIDS has always been plagued with confusion and ambiguity. Unfortunately, this is also true of the HIV window period. Partially to blame, at least in my opinion, is that the traditional HIV test, the HIV antibody test, also know as ELISA, is just that, an antibody test! It measures antibodies that are created in response to the presence of the HIV virus.

Though the time it takes for an individual to create a detectable antibody response may vary, in general, we know, from many years of research, that most individuals will create a detectable response by six weeks. To be more specific, 95-97% of the population will test positive if the virus is present by 41 days. At three months, it is considered conclusive for healthy individuals. A person that has a weakened immune system may take up to six months to create a detectable response.

For private, fast, lab-based testing at reasonable prices: