If you think you have put yourself at risk for HIV, it is important to get tested. The Body states that about 180,000 to 280,000 Americans do not know they are infected. You can go to your doctor, call your local health department or find a local agency that does HIV counseling and testing to find out what tests are available to you.
ELISA or EIA Tests
An ELISA test or EIA test (or enzyme immuno assay test) checks for antibodies to HIV in your body. If this antibody test states that you are positive, a confirmatory test should be sent to the lab, where they will run a Western blot test. These tests usually are a blood test; however, there are oral fluid EIA tests and urine EIA tests. There is a small chance of a false-positive test with this test, which is why a confirmatory test is sent out.
Rapid Tests
The rapid tests available are screening tests, which means that once you are screened and have a positive result, a confirmatory test will be sent out to confirm a positive HIV diagnosis. These tests have similar accuracy to the EIA tests. They usually take 20 minutes. These tests require blood or oral fluid to conduct the tests.
Home Testing Kits
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only FDA-approved home test kit is the Home Access HIV-1 Test System. This test requires you to provide a fingerstick blood sample, which you place on a card and mail to a lab. You are given a confidential number that you use to obtain your results.
Western Blot Test and Other Confirmatory Tests
The Western Blot is the oldest and most accurate confirmatory test. A blood sample is needed and the test is done in a laboratory. This is a complex test, and is usually used after a screening test is found to be positive. The indirect immunofluorescence assay consists of using a microscope to detect the HIV antibodies. Another confirmatory test is the line immunoassay, which is used in Europe.
PCR or RNA Tests
These tests identify if there is genetic material in the blood. They have the ability to identify HIV positivity within two to three weeks after the infection occurs. Such tests are complicated to do and interpret, so they are only used in special cases such as when a child is born to an HIV-infected mother. Since the child develops HIV antibodies and has them for several months, checking for genetic material in the blood would give a more accurate picture.
