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Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: AIDS. All persons infected with HIV can spread it to others, primarily through unprotected sex and needle sharing. Infected mothers can also spread HIV to newborns.
What the Test Tells You
This test detects antibodies to HIV, not the virus itself. Antibodies are the body's reaction to the virus. A positive test means that you infected with HIV and can pass it on to others. By itself, a positive test does not mean that you have AIDS. AIDS represents the most advanced stage of HIV infection. A negative test means that antibodies to HIV were not detected. This usually means that you're not infected with HIV. In some cases, however, the infection may have happened too recently for the test to turn positive. The blood test usually comes back positive within one month of infection and in almost all cases within three months. In a few cases it might be even longer. Therefore, if you were infected very recently, a negative test result could be wrong.
False results -- a negative test in someone who is infected, or a positive test in someone who is not infected -- do occur. Indeterminate results -- when it is unclear whether the test is positive or negative -- are also possible but uncommon. When a test result does not seem to make sense, the test is repeated or special confirmatory tests may help to determine whether a person is or is not infected.
Benefits of Being Tested
There are huge benefits to being tested. Most infected people can benefit from medications that delay or prevent AIDS and other serious infections. Test results also can help people make choices about contraception or pregnancy. Infected persons have the opportunity to have a complete medical checkup, including tests of the immune system, to help their health care providers recommend the best health care.
There are other reasons to be tested. Even though everyone should follow safer sex guidelines whether or not they are infected with HIV, if you do discover that you're HIV-positive, knowing your test results helps you to protect your partners and yourselves.
Test results can also provide peace of mind, whether to new partners before beginning a sexual relationship or to women who are thinking of becoming pregnant. Others will simply be reassured by learning that they are not infected.
Risks
Many people with positive or indeterminate test results will experience stress, anxiety, or depression. Some people with negative tests may continue or increase unsafe behaviors, which ironically increases the risk of HIV infection. Some people are afraid that their test results will get into the wrong hands, and that discrimination might result.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Many doctors keep a record of the health care services they provide to you. You may ask them to provide you with a copy of that record. You may also ask them to correct that record. They cannot disclose your record to others unless you give them written consent to do so or unless the law authorizes and compels them to do so. In the United States, some states' laws require that laboratories and health care providers report to the local health department the name of anyone infected with HIV. However, the report is coded and the name is destroyed after 90 days. No lists of names are maintained. Penalties for violations of the confidentiality laws are severe.
Anonymous HIV testing is available. If you do choose to test anonymously, your record will contain only your personal ID code. It will not show your name. To assure that results are provided only to the person who tested, you must confirm your identity with your personal ID code when you return or call for your test results. This is how most labs today do their testing.
