HIV Testing in full

 

 An HIV test is used to detect the presence of HIV in the body. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The test will either use a sample of blood, urine, serum or saliva. These tests are looking for the antibody, the antigen or RNA.

 The article Volume 1 can be found here talks about the stages of infection. The incubation stage is known as the “Window Period”. You will need to wait until this time has passed before you can test for HIV. The average window period for an antibody test is 21 days for HIV 1. If the test is for antigen, then it would be 17 days. There is also a test that can be done in 12 days.

 All of the diagnostic tests will have limits. There is always a chance for error on behalf of the doctor or the patient. Sometimes the storage of the kit or the test is the issue?

 Two kinds of error can occur,

·         False positive

·         False negative

A false positive is when the result returns a positive result and the patient does not have the HIV virus. A false negative is when a patients test returns a negative result when they do have HIV.

 If the test is to screen blood, the sensitivity of the test must be high. Rapid HIV test Kits look for the antibody. Clinical tests will look for RNA or the HIV antigen.

Poor blood screening in Africa has been responsible for over 1 million HIV infections since 1981 according to the WHO.

 In America they have screened blood with ELISA tests for both strains of HIV. This has been the practice since 1985.

 When a test is used for HIV, the test must have a high sensitivity and specificity. In America they use an algorithm combining two tests for HIV antibodies. If the first result finds HIV antibodies, then a western blot test is used as a follow up test to confirm the initial antibody test.

 

 HIV tests should be

 

·         Confidential

·         Accompanied by counselling

·         Conducted with consent

 

 There is an ethics debate about informing new partners of HIV sufferers of the dangers of HIV. The fact that they are more at risk than in a normal relationship. It is not legal to disclose a person’s HIV status.

 

HIV Antibody Tests – Highly accurate and cheap to manufacture.

 

 The window period – It is possible for an antibody test to give a false negative in the window period because no antibodies are present yet. We suggest that you re test after 90 days from the negative result. Most subjects will have the HIV antibody detectable by our kit after three months. Longer windows are very rare indeed.

 If you start antiretroviral therapy in the window period, this will reduce the viral load and ultimately the antibody count.

 

ELISA – Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent assay or Enzyme immunoassay is the original HIV test developed in the 1980’s. It too is very accurate.

 An ELISA test focuses on serum. It is diluted 400 times and put on a plate that the HIV antigen has been previously applied. If the HIV antibody is present, it will bind to the antigens. The plate is washed and a second antibody is applied to the plate. Then another is antibody bind human plate ELISA. After more lab work it will show positive if the organics flourless.

 

Western blot tests infected cells for HIV. The proteins from infected cells are removed and placed on a plate with special gel. An electric charge is run through the sample. Different proteins behave in different ways when the charge is applied. Once they have separated the proteins, they remover them and do a test not dissimilar to the ELISA procedure.

 

Rapid HIV Test Kits or Point Of Care Test is a rapid antibody test. It is intended for home clinic or field use. The results can be obtained in minutes. This is the largest used test in the world and primarily what they use in Africa to diagnose HIV infections. It is recommended that any positive result is followed up with a western blot test.  A number of companies offer this test,

 

http://www.ivtests.com is the best place to buy your kit.