HIV test is done to diagnose patients who are newly infected with HIV, unlike AIDS test which is conducted to know whether HIV has already led to AIDS. HIV test supposes to be a routine check that is done by everybody because you might be infected and not knowing and the earlier you discover the better.
It is important that pregnant woman to check themselves up because it might save their kids from the virus if the find soon. This guide will take you through different HIV testing you might encounter how they work.
ANTIBODY TEST
The most common HIV test recently is the antibody screening test. This test for the antibody developed by the body against the deadly HIV. The chemical analysis using the disease and antibody is conducted in a lab or performed rapidly on site. This test is conducted on the body fluid as well as oral fluid i.e. the saliva.
But it should be noted that antibody present in oral fluid is lesser when compared to that of the blood. So blood sample gives result sooner than the oral liquid, In addition, most blood-based lab test find infection in person faster than the Rapid HIV Test.
Antigen/Antibody Test
There many tests that can detect both the antigen and the antibodies part of the viruses. This test is more reliable because they can detect infection earlier than the antibody test alone. This test can find HIV infection as soon as three weeks after exposure to the virus. Click here !
Though this test proves to be the best it can only be done with blood sample like STD test and not the oral fluid in antibodies test. It should be noted that not all testing sites offer this to their patient by default. So it will be better to let your provider be aware of the time you think you’ve been exposed to the virus so that he can prescribe the best test for you.
Rna Test
RNA analysis is another type of HIV test tests will detect virus directly instead of antibody to HIV. With these RNA test can detect HIV after ten days of infection. This was possible because it detects the virus as soon as it hit the blood stream before the antibodies develop at all.
This test is costly when it is compared to antibody test and because of this it is not used during screening, but sometimes health provider does use RNA test as a follow-up test.
In conclusion each of the HIV test can detect HIV in people but it will be the best for anybody who believes he has been infected by the virus to tell the health care provider the average period he might have been exposed to the virus. Because each of the HIV tests will yield a positive result based on the time the HIV has spent in it host blood stream and level infection in the host immune system.