Source:http://9jawow.com.ng/2017/11/25/window-period-in-hiv/

By Dr. Randolph Samba

You must have heard the phrase window period by now if you live in sub- Sahara Africa or elsewhere in the so-called third world where HIV prevalence is high and new cases (incidence) is also rising due to inadequate sensitization and risky behaviour among members of the population.

This article shall seek to,among other things,shine the light on the commonly used phrase-window period,in order to help you make informed choices about your health as it relates to HIV & AIDS.

WHAT IS WINDOW PERIOD?

It is the period (time,duration) within which markers (antigens,antibodies) of infection are undetectable yet. It is the time between infection (getting the virus) and seroconversion (when antibodies become detectable in blood).Therefore, an HIV test done during the window period is not reliable as it may give a false negative result.It is for this reason that your health care provider will tell you to return after 12 weeks (3 months) for a repeat test.
The tests most commonly available in resource constrained environment such as ours rely on antibodies (weapons) produced by our immune cells (soldiers) against the HIV bug (enemy ).Usually this takes at least 6-12 weeks to be produced in sufficient amounts for .......more at http://9jawow.com.ng/2017/11/25/window-period-in-hiv/