Screening and diagnosis for HIV

HIV testing can be done by: Drawing blood from a vein A finger prick blood sample An oral fluid swab A urine sample SCREENING TESTS These are tests that check if you've been infected with HIV. The most common tests are described below. An antibody test (also called immunoassay) checks for antibodies to HIV. Your…

No preparation is necessary.

When taking a blood sample, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away. There is no discomfort with an oral swab test or the urine test.

Testing for HIV infection is done for many reasons, including for: Sexually active individuals People who want to be tested People in high-risk groups (men who have sex with men, injection drug users and their sexual partners, and commercial sex workers) People with certain conditions and infections (such as Kaposi…

A negative test result is normal. People with early HIV infection may rarely have a negative test result.

A positive result on a screening test does not confirm that the person has HIV infection. More tests are needed to confirm HIV infection. A negative test result does not rule out HIV infection. There is a period of time, called the window period, between HIV infection and the appearance of anti-HIV antibodies. During…

With the blood test, veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another, and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include: Excessive bleeding Fainting or feeling…

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Guidelines and recommendations. www.cdc.gov/hivpartners/php/guidelines/ . Updated December 19, 2024. Accessed January 2, 2025. Simonetti F, Dewar R, Maldarelli F. Diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell,…