Given its status as a widespread disease and a major concern to medical foundations around the world, it should come as no surprise that HIV treatment and screening have come a long way since its inception. Over time, new methodologies have emerged to highlight improvements in a number of HIV testing metrics – speed, reliability, accuracy, and applicability have increased as new generations of HIV testing emerge.
What does this have to do with you? Much! Routine is increasingly being encouraged by doctors and healthcare professionals around the world HIV test as a means of ensuring personal health and addressing the spread of HIV. Remember, HIV can survive in its host without obvious symptoms for long periods of time. Finding this in a reliable facility not only protects your future health, but also that of your loved ones and intimate partners.
Regardless of the test you run, it is mandatory to follow up a positive result with alternate tests, dramatically reducing the chance of a test hit. You should also know that many of the home HIV test kits on the market have not received FDA approval and are riddled with inaccuracies. With that in mind, here are some details on various professional HIV testing options that are available to you:
Antibody tests
These are the most common HIV tests. routine screening procedures. They take advantage of the fact that your body naturally produces anti-infective proteins called antibodies in response to HIV infection. This method detects antibodies from a sample of blood, saliva, or urine. Generally, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the preferred antibody test due to its high sensitivity.
There are some important considerations with antibody testing. Because it takes time for the body to develop antibodies, there is a “window period” during which HIV positive people can receive false negative results because they were tested too early. For this reason, this HIV testing method is recommended three months after potential exposure. If an HIV-positive mother has a child, her antibodies will be transmitted and retained in the baby’s body for up to 18 months; in this case other tests are recommended. Similarly, people who have participated in HIV vaccine trials must undergo multiple tests to minimize the possibility of false results.
Rapid HIV tests
These work on the same principles as antibody tests with a much faster response time. They take less than an hour and often do not require a follow-up visit; All analysis is performed on-site by healthcare professionals. They are easier to perform for medical personnel and minimally invasive for the patient. These are suitable for urgent medical situations or areas where clients are unlikely to return to check their results.
Antigen tests
These tests look for substances from the HIV virus itself, called antigens. Specifically, they look for the P24 protein produced in the early stages of HIV infection. This variety of tests is not very sensitive and is not particularly recommended on its own. Instead, clinicians administer hybrid HIV tests by combining antigen tests with standard antibody tests to improve accuracy and reduce the “window period.” Call fourth generation tests, these new trends in these tests will appear more frequently as medical technology continues to advance.
PCR tests
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests also detect HIV infection early by testing the genetic material of the virus. Also known as a viral load test or nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), the HIV PCR test is suitable for detecting blood supplies or newborns and is effective within two to three weeks of initial infection. Due to the cost and the expert analytical skills required, they are not often used for individual HIV testing.