The present invention relates to a method for detecting or quantifying deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of human immunodeficiency virus 2 (HIV-2) in a sample containing DNA comprising: a) performing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the sample, or a fraction thereof comprising DNA, with at least two sets of primers and probe each respectively comprising two primers and a labeled probe for the detection or quantification of HIV-2 DNA, at least one of the sets is selected from the group consisting of: a set comprising a primer comprising or consisting of a sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence having al least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, a primer comprising or consisting of a sequence SEQ ID NO: 2 or a sequence having 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or the complement of these sequences, and a labeled probe comprising or consisting of a sequence SEQ ID NO: 3, or a sequence having at least 90% identify to SEQ ID NO: 3 or the complement of these sequences, and a set comprising a primer comprising or consisting of a sequence SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence having at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 4, a primer comprising or consisting of a sequence SEQ ID NO: 5 or a sequence having 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 5 or the complement of these sequences, and a labeled probe comprising or consisting of a sequence SEQ ID NO: 6 or a sequence having at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 or the complement of these sequences, and b) determining therefrom the presence or absence and/or the quantity of HIV-2 DNA in the biological sample.