One of the most anxiety-producing experiences in life is waiting for the result of an HIV test. In order to make this process easier, there are procedures in place for how tests are done in order to ensure accurate results. Different testing types are available, and follow-up tests may be used to ensure that false-positives don't occur.
Risk Groups
While everyone engages in risky behavior from time to time, some groups are at more risk than others and are therefore recommended to be tested for HIV annually. These risk groups include men who engage in sex with men, injection drug users or former injection drug users, men or women who've had multiple sex partners, sex workers, people currently being treated for other STD's, people leaving the correctional system, and women who have sex with men who have had sex with other men. Other at-risk individuals who should be tested are people who received a blood transfusion before testing it for HIV began in 1985 and people who have had a sex partner that has since been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS.
Standard Testing
Most HIV tests will be done by drawing blood and having it sent to a lab. An ELISA screening will be done on the blood, which is a test that looks for specific antibodies that can be produced by the body during HIV infection. Because some of these antibodies can be produced to combat other diseases as well, a positive ELISA test will be followed by another test known as the Western Blot which looks for antibodies that are specific to HIV. Test results are generally returned within two weeks.
Rapid Screenings
In order to speed up initial diagnosis, a series of "rapid screening" tests have been developed that can give an initial test result within 20 to 30 minutes. These tests are generally performed using saliva, but blood and urine rapid screening tests may also be used. Much like the ELISA test, rapid screenings tests may not be completely accurate because the proteins that they test for may be produced due to non-HIV infections as well. If an individual tests positive on a rapid screening test, they will then have blood drawn and sent to a lab for an ELISA and Western Blot test to confirm the positive result.
Viral Tests
Viral tests look for the HIV virus itself, rather than antibodies or proteins that the body produces as a result of HIV infection. A p24 antigen test measures a specific protein found in HIV while an RNA test measures the amount of HIV that is present in the blood. These tests are generally significantly more expensive than blood antibody tests, so they are not commonly used as diagnostic tests; viral RNA tests are commonly used to measure the effectiveness of HIV treatments, however, as they let doctors monitor how much of the virus is in a patient before a treatment regimen begins and then see how much the viral load has changed after three or six months of treatment.
Counseling
HIV and AIDS are diseases in which several different emotional reactions may occur, and because of this a number of counselors are available to talk with patients both while waiting for test results and after diagnosis. Testing guidelines generally require that a counselor be contacted in order to receive HIV test results because of the severe emotional response that either a positive or negative test result can cause.
Tags: rapid screening, antibodies that, commonly used, drug users, ELISA test
