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Would I know whether I was infected with HIV if I got tested straight away?Infection with HIV has no specific symptoms. The only way you can find out for sure if you are infected with HIV is by taking the HIV antibody test. The HIV antibody test looks for antibodies to the virus in a person's blood. For most people these antibodies take 3 months to develop. In rare cases, it can take up to 6 months. It would be extremely uncommon to take longer then 6 months to develop detectable antibodies. Getting tested before the 3 month period is up may result in an unclear test result, as an infected person may not have developed antibodies to HIV yet. So it is best to wait for at least three months after the last time you were at risk before taking the test. Some test centres may recommend testing again at 6 months, just to be extra sure. It is also important that you are not at risk of further exposures to HIV during this time period. Most importantly you should continue to practice safe sex and not share needles. The vast majority of HIV tests are antibody tests. Other tests are available that can be used in specific circumstances, such as the p24 antigen test and the PCR test. [ top ] What are the first symptoms of HIV infection?The only way to know for sure whether you are infected with HIV is to have an HIV antibody test. The symptoms of initial HIV infection are not very specific. If a person is infected, a few weeks after infection some people experience a flu-like illness. Only a fifth of people experience symptoms which are serious enough to require a doctor's attention. Several years after infection a person may experience symptoms of particular illnesses and cancers. These are the result of the infected person's immune system being damaged by HIV to the point where it is no longer able to fight off these opportunistic infections. In each case, HIV infection is difficult to diagnose with out having taken an HIV antibody test first. [ top ] How do I know if I have AIDS?You cannot tell whether a person is infected with HIV or has developed AIDS by how they look and appear to you. A person infected with HIV is diagnosed as having AIDS when they develop an AIDS defining illness. This is the result of HIV weakening their immune system to the point at which it has difficulty fighting off infections that would otherwise be controlled by a healthy immune system. Because these illness take advantage of an infected persons immune system to cause illness, they are also know as opportunistic infections. In many countries anti-viral drugs are available to people with HIV to help reduce the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system. There are also drugs available to prevent and treat some of the specific opportunistic infections. [ top ] What is an HIV antibody test?An antibody test is one type of HIV test. This test shows whether a person has been infected with HIV. This test looks for HIV antibodies in a person's blood. When HIV enters a person's body, special chemicals are produced. These are called antibodies. Antibodies are the body's response to an infection. So if a person has/develops antibodies to HIV in their blood, it means they have been infected with HIV. Depending on the clinic, the test results can take from few days up to three weeks. [ top ] How is the HIV antibody test done?When you attend to get tested, you will see a doctor, trained counsellor, nurse or a health care worker in private. He or she will explain what the test involves and what the result means. Normally a small sample of blood will be taken from your arm, sent to a laboratory and tested. The test is always strictly confidential and only goes ahead if you agree. Your personal doctor will not be told about the test without your permission. It is common that you will have to make second appointment to get your results. The test results from an HIV test are normally only given in person- not over the phone or sent by letter. [ top ] What is a rapid test?A rapid HIV test is also an antibody test. The advantage of a rapid test is that you do not have return to get your test result. The test results from a rapid test are usually available in approximately 30 minutes. Rapid tests are single-use, and do not require laboratory facilities or highly trained staff. This makes rapid tests particularly suitable for use in resource-limited countries. [ top ] What is a p24 antigen test?A p24 antigen test is a type of HIV test. It is primarily used to screen the blood supply but in some places it is used for testing for HIV. The p24 antigen is a protein that is part of the HIV. Early in the infection, it is produced in excess and can be detected in the blood serum by a commercial test. The p24 test can detect HIV infection before the HIV antibody test can and it is recommended you take the test 2-3 weeks after a risk exposure. Therefore, p24 antigen test is used in diagnosing HIV early in the course of infection. [ top ] Can I get tested at home?In some countries 'home sampling' test kits are available. With a home sampling kit, a person can take a sample (usually a blood sample) and then send it off to a laboratory for testing. A few days later, the person phones up a special number, gives their individual identification code, and is then given the result over the phone. If the result is positive, professional health specialist will provide emotional support for the person. For 'home sampling', the major advantages are convenience, speed privacy and anonymity. In the countries that HIV tests are not free, home sampling may be a cost-effective way to get tested. But for some people the lack of face-to face counselling before and after the test may be a disadvantage. There is one company in the USA that offers an FDA approved 'home sampling' test kit for HIV. In the UK, the sale of any type of HIV testing kit for private use is illegal. [ top ] I have seen 'instant HIV tests' being sold in the internet- are these recommended?An instant HIV test kit means that the results are learned on the spot without any counselling. These kinds of tests are not generally recommended in any case because of their lack of accuracy and emotional support for the person. At the present, these kinds of tests cannot be legally sold in many countries. [ top ] Why should I have an HIV test? What if my test comes back positive?Many people who have an HIV test have been worrying unnecessarily. Getting a negative result (which means you are not infected with HIV) can put your mind at rest. If your test result is positive, many things can be done to help you to cope with the HIV positive result and look after your health. If your test is positive, then
More information about learning that you are positive can be found here. [ top ] If I test HIV negative, does that mean my partner is HIV negative too?No. Your HIV test results reveals only your HIV status. Your negative test result does not indicate whether or not your partner has HIV. HIV is not necessarily transmitted every time there is an exposure. Therefore, you taking an HIV test should not be seen as a method to find out if your partners is infected. [ top ] I am pregnant, should I have an HIV test?In many countries, you are offered an HIV test when you are pregnant as part of your antenatal care. It is you choice to decide whether you want to take it or not. However, if you are HIV-positive and do not know it, you cannot benefit from treatment that can prevent you from passing on HIV to your baby. If you test result is positive, this means that you could pass HIV to your baby during pregnancy, during birth or by breastfeeding. However, there are certain things a woman can do to minimise the risk of HIV being passed to her child. These include:
More about HIV and pregnancy can be found here . [ top ] Can my baby have an HIV antibody test?All babies born to mothers with HIV are born with HIV antibodies. If an HIV antibody test was given to a newborn baby, it would not give an accurate result. Babies who are not infected lose their antibodies by the time they are around 18 months old. So it is only after your baby is 18 months old that the HIV antibody test will give an accurate result. However, most babies can be diagnosed as either infected or uninfected by the time they are 3 months old by using a different test, called the PCR test. The PCR test is more sensitive than the HIV test and looks for the presence of HIV itself, not antibodies. More about HIV and pregnancy can be found here . [ top ] How long must I wait for my results?Depending on the test used and where is done, it can take anything from a few days to a week or longer to get the result back. For more specific information about results, see the different test sections above [ top ] Do I need to have an HIV test to visit or work in another country?Some countries, for instance the USA, do not allow people with HIV to enter the country, or need a proof of a negative test result before they will be issued a visa or work permit. [ top ] Will having a positive HIV test result affect my ability to get insurance or a mortgage?If you find that you are infected with HIV, you are likely to be turned down from getting a life insurance in the UK. This may affect your ability to get a mortgage. However, there are some companies that do provide insurance for positive people. Insurance you had before you were tested will not be affected. If you are not infected, your ability to get insurance should not be affected. These days, you should not be asked if you have ever had an HIV test and tested negative. [ top ] Can an employer ask me to have an HIV test?This also depends on the circumstances related to the country you are in. In the UK, it is legal for employers with certain type of jobs only to recruit people with no serious health problems. Some companies may have policies that require compulsory testing for their workforce. Read more about HIV testing. [ top ] Do tests detect HIV-2 and all subtypes of HIV-1?All tests should detect the most common subtypes of HIV-1. For detailed information, see our page about HIV subtypes. [ top ]
Last updated December 1, 2004 |