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Essential HIV Testing Methods Explained

Blood tests look for antibodies to HIV that the body creates to fight the virus. People exposed should get tested immediately, though it can take weeks to a year to develop antibodies, so follow-up tests may be needed. Early testing allows treatment to begin and avoids spreading the virus, so most providers offer counseling and testing. Tests include ELISA to detect infection, Western blot to confirm, and viral load or home tests to monitor treatment or detect early infection.

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Cindy Mora
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279 views2 pages

Essential HIV Testing Methods Explained

Blood tests look for antibodies to HIV that the body creates to fight the virus. People exposed should get tested immediately, though it can take weeks to a year to develop antibodies, so follow-up tests may be needed. Early testing allows treatment to begin and avoids spreading the virus, so most providers offer counseling and testing. Tests include ELISA to detect infection, Western blot to confirm, and viral load or home tests to monitor treatment or detect early infection.

Uploaded by

Cindy Mora
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lab test

Blood tests are the most common way to diagnose HIV. These tests look for antibodies to the virus that
the body creates in an attempt to fight the virus.

People exposed to the virus should get tested immediately, although it can take the body anywhere
from six weeks to a year to develop antibodies to the virus. Follow-up tests may be needed depending
on the initial time of exposure.

Early testing is crucial. If you test positive for the virus, you and your doctor will discuss and develop a
treatment plan that can help fight HIV and ward off complications. Early testing also can alert you to
avoid high-risk behavior that can spread the virus to others.

Most health care providers offer HIV testing, often with appropriate counseling. Anonymous and free
testing also is available. During testing, your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history and
risk factors, and perform a physical examination.

Tests for HIV and AIDS

The primary tests for diagnosing HIV and AIDs include:

ELISA Test

ELISA, which stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, is used to detect HIV infection. If an ELISA
test is positive, the Western blot test is usually administered to confirm the diagnosis. If an ELISA test is
negative, but you think you may have HIV, you should be tested again in one to three months. ELISA is
quite sensitive in chronic HIV infection, but because antibodies aren't produced immediately upon
infection, you may test negative during a window of a few weeks to a few months after being infected.
Even though your test result may be negative during this window, you may have a high level of the virus
and be at risk of transmitting infection.

Home Tests

The only home test approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is called the Home Access
Express Test, which is sold in pharmacies.

Saliva Tests
A cotton pad is used to obtain saliva from the inside of your cheek. The pad is placed in a vial and
submitted to a laboratory for testing. Results are available in three days. Positive results should be
confirmed with a blood test.

Viral Load Test

This test measures the amount of HIV in your blood. Generally, it's used to monitor treatment progress
or detect early HIV infection. Three technologies measure HIV viral load in the blood: reverse
transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), branched DNA (bDNA) and nucleic acid sequence-
based amplification assay (NASBA). The basic principles of these tests are similar. HIV is detected using
DNA sequences that bind specifically to those in the virus. It is important to note that results may vary
between tests.

Western Blot

This is a very sensitive blood test used to confirm a positive ELISA test result.

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