The South African National Blood Services provides the following explanation:
- It is the time from when a person is infected with HIV or other viruses until the time when the virus can be seen or detected in blood tests.
- The danger is that although a person tests “negative” during this period, the virus is still in their blood and it can be passed on to a patient through their blood donation.
- A person can be infected with HIV without knowing it through unsafe sex and other high risk behaviours. This is why we ask people who have been involved in high risk behaviour not to donate blood.
Also view on the Arrive Alive website: