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| Home » About HIVAIDS » Diagnosis |
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| How is HIV diagnosed? |
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 In
the early stages of infection, HIV often causes no symptoms
and the infection can be diagnosed only by testing a person's
blood. Two tests are available to diagnose HIV infection - one
that looks for the presence of antibodies produced by the body
in response to HIV and the other that looks for the virus itself.
Antibodies are proteins produced by the body whenever a disease
threatens it. When the body is infected with HIV, it produces
antibodies specific to HIV. The first test, called ELISA (Enzyme
Linked Immunosorbent Assay), looks for such antibodies in blood.
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| If antibodies are present, the test gives a positive result.
A positive test has to be confirmed by another test called Western
Blot or Immunoflouroscent Assay (IFA). All positive tests by
ELISA need not be accurate and hence Western Blot and repeated
tests are necessary to confirm a person's HIV status. A person
infected with HIV is termed HIV- positive or seropositive. |
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| As ELISA requires specialized equipment, blood samples need
to be sent to a laboratory and the result will be available
only after several days or weeks. To cut short this waiting
period, RAPID TESTS , that give results in 5 to 30 minutes,
are increasingly being used the world over. The accuracy of
rapid tests is stated to be as good as that of ELISA. Though
rapid tests are more expensive, researchers have found them
to be more cost effective in terms of the number of people covered
and the time the tests take. |
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| The HIV- antibodies generally do not reach detectable levels
in the blood till about three months after infection. This period,
from the time of infection till the blood is tested positive
for antibodies, is called the Window Period . Some times, the
antibodies might take even six months to show up. Even if the
tests are negative, during the Window Period, the amount of
virus is very high in an infected person. Hence, if a person
is newly infected, the risk of transmission is higher. |
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| If a person is highly likely to be infected with HIV and yet
both the tests are negative, a doctor may suggest a repetition
of the tests after three months or six months when the antibodies
are more likely to have developed. |
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| The second test is called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction),
which looks for HIV itself in the blood. This test, which recognizes
the presence of the virus' genetic material in the blood, can
detect the virus within a few days of infection. |
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| There are also tests like Radio Immuno Precipitation Assay
(RIPA) , a confirmatory blood test that may be used when antibody
levels are difficult to detect or when Western Blot test results
are uncertain. Other available tests are Rapid Latex Agglutination
Assay , a simplified, inexpensive blood test that may prove
useful in medically disadvantaged areas where there is a high
prevalence of HIV infection, and p24 Antigen Capture Assay .
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| Are there any steps to be followed before
and after the blood tests? |
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| The process of getting tested for HIV can generate a variety
of intense emotional reactions such as fear, anger and denial.
Therefore, psychological counselling is essential to prepare
individuals undergoing testing for the possible consequences.
This is called Pre-Test Counseling and is unavoidable for anybody
preparing to take a test. |
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| If the test result is positive, it should not be disclosed
without another round of counseling. This Post-Test Counseling
is more crucial because of the enormous stress and the multitude
of emotions that the infected person could undergo on learning
his/her HIV status. A positive test has been linked to increased
suicide ideas and attempts and emotional trauma, both at the
time of knowing the positive result and also at the emergence
of AIDS-defining symptoms. |
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| As there is still considerable stigma and discrimination attached
to HIV/AIDS, the decision whether to test or not itself should
be preceded by considerable introspection and assessment of
the possible outcome. The person to take test should be aware
of the emotional trauma and the possible consequences a positive
test could bring about. For these reasonse, pre-test counseling
is very crucial. With the help of the counselor, the person
taking the test should assess his/her personal setting and prepare
himself/herself for the probable consequences. |
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| On the other hand, one should also be aware of the positive
advantages of learning one's HIV status. If the test turns out
to be positive, one can have early access to treatment, take
care of one's health better and plan the future. Early realization
of the health condition can be very useful in a large number
of cases. The counselor could help the infected individual win
back his/her confidence and learn how to live a healthy and
responsible life. The individuals should also be prepared how
to deal with their relatives, friends, colleagues, classmates
etc. If the test is negative, the person should be advised preventive
methods. Click here
to consult an expert. |
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