Helped Over 500,000 patients with 98%+ satisfaction.

Connect & Get Personalized 1-to-1 Answers from Expert Doctors

DoctorSpring > Question Home

Could anxiety, stress cause FALSE NEGATIVE HIV TEST?

Resolved Question:

hello want to ask if a person is suffering from anxiety and stress for six months could it by any way affect the blood and it will give false negative hiv test

Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist

Ask Your Own Question

Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist
 23 Doctors Online

Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com.
I understand your concern.
Simple answer to your question is 'NO'. Anxiety and stress are not known to affect the blood test for HIV nor it will make results false positive.
Hope this was helpful,
Please feel free to ask further,
Regards.


Patient replied :

i had read in google that low immunity levels can trigger false negative hiv test. so if a person is suffering from stress and anxiety for say 6 months then his immunity levels are bound to get low so that is why i am asking ??


Thank you for your follow-up,
There is no documented evidence/research that false negative results can be caused by anxiety or stress. The modern HIV test can detect 99.99 % of infections (HIV antibody) at three months period and 95% infections within 4 weeks after sexual exposure.
Hope this was helpful
Regards


Patient replied :

sir first what i read in google is wrong u mean ? secondly i gave hiv combo antibody antigen after six months and elisa after 8 months both being negative sir . but i was really suffering from anxiety and stress for those months and when i read in gogle low immunity can cause false negative hiv i thought stress and anxiety can also cause low immunity level that is why i am asking please clear the confusion created by google sir


Hello,
Please be assured and trust your HIV tests. Though immunity is affected in stress and anxiety it is not suppressed. Body can still produce antibodies against infections such as HIV. These antibodies are detected by HIV antibody and antigen tests such as ELIZA. The internet can be misleading sometimes if information is not from reliable and authentic scientific sources. I hope this clears your confusion and worry.
Regards


Patient replied :

just last question sir and thanks u mean stress and anxiety of six months or so and not stress and anxiety on the day of testing
thanks in advance


Hello,
I mean any kind of stress of anxiety.
Regards


Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy
Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist
Experience: 
MBBS from Sri Ramachandra University in December 2011
M.Med (Family Medicine) - TNMGR University, Chennai
MBA-MPH in Public Health in March 2016, SRM University
Finished AFIH in March 2016, SRM University
MRCP ( UK ), Internal Medicine, Royal College of Physicians, June 2016
Fellowship in Diabetology from Martin Luther University in January 2017

Currently Resident Physician, in MD Radiodiagnosis - Kamakshi Memorial Hospital, Chennai
Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy and 4 other Medical Specialists are ready to help you

Users who read this, also read:

Make informed and better medical decisions.

Join the 500,000 people who found a smarter, quicker way to get Answers, Recommendations & Expert Opinions.

Expert Doctors at fingertips

Recommendation on next step. Second-opinion.Multi-specialty.

Save Time

Average time for answers: 6 hours.

Save Money

$35 for typical specialist consult vs. $120 for a local appointment.

Free Follow-ups

Clarify, ask further questions for free in private conversation.

100% Satisfaction

Money back guarantee for the 1st reply. MEDNET Quality Board.

Start My Consultation

CHAT NOW

About DoctorSpring.com

Doctor Spring is a novel online Doctor consultation platform where you can get your medical questions answered by leading Doctors. Just Submit your question and rest assured that you will consult a Doctor easily. Once you submit the question, the Doctor from the concerned specialty will reply within hours. You can always ask more questions or add details with follow-up question options and make it an online doctor chat. You may use this service to consult a specialty or for getting medical second opinion. All paid services come with a MEDNET quality assurance and 100% money back guarantee.

DoctorSpring in news