Q: How much time does it take for the HIV virus replicates for the first time? Can it reside in the body for days without infecting?

A:I do not know how many days it takes on an average for the virus to replicate for the first time but the evidence suggests that this happens within hours of the infection. The reason that there is a window period is not because the virus is not replicating but because the immune system of the body has not yet produced sufficient antibodies to give a positive test. While there are many instances where a person gets a HIV infection but never progresses to AIDS and therefore for all intents and purposed the person remains well and does not progress to AIDS. However such persons continue to harbour the virus and the HIV does not naturally die out.