There are approximately 1.2 million people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the United States, 150,000 of whom do not know they are infected. In fact, approximately 30% of newly diagnosed HIV cases are transmitted by an undiagnosed infected person.
So, it’s best to do a test to make sure you’re safe.
1. Who should be checked?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people between the ages of 13 and 64 get at least one HIV test. All pregnant women should be tested as soon as they are found to be pregnant.
People with the following risk factors should be tested at least annually:
1. Men who have had sex with other men
2. Having more than one sexual partner since last HIV test
3. People who inject drugs and share needles
4. People who exchange sex for drugs or money
5. People with other sexually transmitted diseases
6. Those who have a relationship with a person whose sexual history is unknown
There are other factors that can increase your chances of getting HIV, so it’s best to talk to your doctor about the frequency of testing that’s right for you.
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II. Screening test
This is the first test to determine if you have HIV.
If the screening results show a probable positive, the subject will undergo a second test to be sure.
The two more common screenings are:
1. Antibody test
This is the most common type of HIV screening. It is not the virus itself that is detected, but the antibodies that the body produces after being infected with HIV against the HIV virus.
Antibody can appear in blood, urine, or other body fluids. But it takes 3 to 12 weeks for the body to produce sufficient quantities of detectable antibodies.
2. Antigen/antibody detection
Also known as combined or fourth generation detection. Along with HIV antibodies, parts of the virus (antigens) are also detected. The presence or absence of HIV in the blood can be determined 2 to 6 weeks after exposure.
There are currently two FDA-approved home HIV kits that detect HIV antibodies.
However, more are available on the Internet.
If buying online, be sure to choose an FDA-approved kit:
Home HIV-1 Testing System: To use, you need to take a blood sample from your finger and send it to a laboratory for testing. If the result is positive, the laboratory retests the sample immediately.
By the next business day, subjects can call for results (including follow-up test results).
OraQuick Home HIV Test: This is a “quick-result” test.
The kit contains a swab and a small test tube with a test solution. To use, use a swab to wipe the gums and put it in a small test tube.
Usually results are available within 20 minutes. If the result is positive, the subject needs to be retested in an outpatient clinic or clinic to be sure.
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Three, follow-up testing
The second test must be a blood test. Tests commonly used to confirm a positive screening result are:
Antibody Differential Test: Used to distinguish whether an infected person is HIV-1 or HIV-2 infected. Doctors can also know how to specifically treat a patient’s HIV infection.
HIV-1 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT): Detects HIV in the blood within 7-14 days of infection.
ProteinWestern blot test (or indirect immunofluorescence test): Like screening, tests for antibodies to determine whether a person is HIV-infected.
4. Why test for HIV?
Don’t refuse an HIV test for fear of a positive result. Regardless of the outcome, it helps subjects take a more informed approach to their bodies and health:
If you test positive: Get medical treatment right away. Ask your doctor about antiretroviral therapy (ART), a combination of HIV medicines that your doctor may use, and that you take daily.
Current treatments cannot cure HIV, but they can help people living with HIV live longer and healthier lives.
If you test positive: An infected person can take steps to reduce the chance of spreading it to others. Not only does ART help people living with HIV, but when taken correctly, it can reduce the chance of transmission to others by up to 96%.
Of course, even so, HIV-infected people must still use condoms when having sex, and never allow others to use their own needles if they use drugs.
If you test positive: People who are infected can take steps to protect themselves. A negative result serves as a reminder of how important condom use is to you and your partner—think about it, 1 in 8 people living with HIV are unaware that they have HIV.
HIV-negative people who are concerned after exposure to HIV can ask their doctor for preventive treatment with post-exposure blockade (PEP) drugs.
It is possible to avoid infection if HIV medicines are taken within 72 hours of exposure.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
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