The ELISA test is used to detect the presence of antibodies to HIV. It's a quick and easy test that can be done in a doctor's office, clinic or hospital.
After 8 weeks, the ELISA test is very accurate. However, it's not 100% accurate. There are two main reasons for this: false positive and false negative results.
False positives happen when your body produces antibodies that aren't actually there because of a previous exposure to Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness like babesiosis or ehrlichiosis, but they look like they're there because they react in the same way as Lyme antibodies would react on an ELISA test. This can cause you to think you have Lyme disease when you don’t really have it at all, which leads to unnecessary treatment and anxiety over something that doesn’t exist!
False negatives also occur when your immune system tries to fight off bacterial invaders like Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), but some bacteria escape detection by our immune systems and hide inside cells where we can't see them with our microscopes here on Earth! When this happens we might miss detecting the infection even though it may still be present in parts of our body where we can't see them with our microscopes here on Earth!
The current testing protocol for HIV infection recommends testing at six weeks, 12 weeks and then again at six months. These are called early tests because they can be done within the first several months after exposure to HIV. If you get a negative result from one of these tests, it does not mean that you do not need to go back for follow-up testing. The virus may still be present in your body and there is no way to know if it will become detectable in the future.
If you have any concerns about your risk factors or exposure potential, talk with your healthcare provider about when is best for you to test and which type of test would work best for your needs.
If you have tested positive for HIV, you will be referred to a specialist clinic. You can expect a number of tests and examinations at this stage:
The blood sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis. A lab is a place where scientists do experiments.
The test is painless, and a simple lancet device is used to take a blood sample. The needle used for this procedure is very fine, so it won't hurt at all. The blood sample taken with the lancet is very small—about 1/10 of a teaspoon or less (about 0.5 ml). You may feel some slight pressure when you put your finger into the machine that takes the blood sample, but once it's taken from your finger it will not hurt or cause any discomfort whatsoever.
The most common places for taking samples are:
An ELISA is a blood test that detects antibodies to HIV in your bloodstream. The ELISA test is 99% accurate after 4 weeks, and 98% accurate after 8 weeks. It's 96% accurate after 12 weeks.
Studies have shown that the Elisa test is 95 percent accurate if taken after 8 weeks of exposure to the virus. This means that if you take a positive result for HIV at 8 weeks, there is about a 95 percent chance that you actually have the virus. In contrast, it's possible to get a false negative result with this test if you've been exposed to HIV less than 8 weeks ago and your immune system hasn't had time to develop antibodies against it yet (a condition called seroconversion).
The Western blot is another type of blood test used by doctors in order to properly diagnose whether or not someone has been infected by HIV. As opposed to an Eliza test, which detects antigens that are produced by antibodies fighting off viruses or bacteria in our bodies (these are known as immunoglobulins), Western blots detect proteins on viral particles themselves; these proteins are called p24 and gp41/gp120 – two markers for HIV infection found only on retroviral particles like those found inside of infected cells after they've been activated by their host cell receptor sites on human T-cells (CD4+). Because these markers aren't produced until about two months after infection happens – meaning there may be some overlap between when someone becomes infected and when they develop antibody responses against them – Western blotting isn't considered as accurate as ELISA testing during early stages of infection either."
You may be surprised to learn that, although the Elisa test is very accurate and gives a positive result in 99.4% of people who have HIV, there are rare cases where someone tests positive for HIV when they really don't have the virus. This is called a false positive result.
A false positive result can happen if you had a recent blood transfusion or other medical procedure that requires your blood to be drawn and tested for compatibility with another person's blood (such as organ donation). In these situations, it's possible that some of the blood from your test was contaminated with another person's antibodies against HIV. When this happens on an Elisa test, it will give you an inaccurate diagnosis of being infected with HIV
If you get a positive result, it’s important to confirm with another type of test. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Elisa test is very accurate after 8 weeks. At this stage, your chances of having an HIV infection are 99 percent. Before that point, however, things aren't as clear-cut:
This occurs because there are certain viruses other than HIV that trigger an immune response similar to what happens when someone tests positive for the virus itself; these include cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). As such, if you have had either one of these conditions within three months before taking your first HIV test—and if your doctor knows about this—your results may be inaccurate. If so, don’t panic; just know that you'll need to take another blood test later on down the road when more conclusive results are available (usually between six weeks and three months after exposure).
The Elisa test is very accurate when taken after 8 weeks or later.
The test can be inaccurate if you have a recent blood transfusion. If this is the case, your doctor may recommend a repeat test.
The ELISA test is very accurate if taken within the recommended time period of six weeks, 12 weeks, and then again at six months. If you have tested positive for HIV, it is important to know that you do not need to worry about your results because there are treatments available today that can help you live a normal life with this condition.