Q: I am a 35 years old male. I had unprotected sex some months back and underwent an HIV test exactly after 96 days of the exposure. The lab performed Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) test and not Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The result says it is non-reactive. Does that mean I am free from HIV? Do I need to undergo ELISA test also? Is ELFA a reliable test for diagnosing HIV?

A:The ELFA test (or Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay) is one of the newer tests and is said to cut down the window period by about five days. It is a reliable test and when it gives a negative or 'non-reactive' result you do not need to get another ELISA test. You may conclude that you were fortunate and did not get HIV infection at that risk exposure. Please remember that just because you were lucky one does not mean that you are immune or that you will be equally lucky next time.