Hiv Antibodies | Hiv Testing 101- Learn About The Different Hiv Tests

There are many tests to determine HIV. This is an article that explains these tests.There are many kinds of HIV tests available that can accurately and specifically map the severity, condition and activity of HIV antibodies in a person’s blood stream. Although popular and widely used diagnostic measures are fairly accurate, more in depth and unconventional testing methods can be employed for special circumstances to completely rule out the possibility of an HIV infection.

The standards of HIV testing and diagnosis have always been the use of popular diagnostic procedures for tracing antibody markers in the blood such as the ELISA and Western Blot Tests. These diagnostic methods have been highly successful and accurate in diagnosis HIV and have been uses as a primary HIV Testing process for years. Of course there are times when conventional diagnostic protocols for testing HIV are not sufficient. In these cases, uncommon and non-conventional methods of testing for HIV antibodies are used to properly identify or confirm if a candidate has an HIV infection.

To better understand the HIV testing process, an overview of the standard testing protocol for HIV is important. This article outlines the basic information on the primary and confirmatory test practices for ruling out HIV in potential test candidates and how alternative testing comes into play when certain conditions hinder reliable HIV testing in a candidate.

The ELISA is the most common and widely accepted standard in HIV diagnostics that are used to treat a blood sample and test for the presence of HIV antibodies. In more common terms it is the easiest and patronized HIV test used today. The ELISA is utilized with a complimentary, confirmatory diagnostic called the Western Blot. Of course aside from the standard diagnostic regimen there are other testing protocols that can detect an HIV infection, these tests are used for specific purposes such as HIV screening for donated blood supply and in clinical research for HIV. Because some non-conventional testing practices can be expensive and require sophisticated technology and training, the use for these is limited.

The Radioimmuniprecipitation Assay or RIPA is a confirmatory diagnostic process that is used when antibody levels are very minimal or are virtually undetectable in a Western Blot test. While the RIPA is a powerful diagnostic tool that helps pinpoint HIV presence in a candidate, the testing process takes up a lot of time. The RIPA is very expensive often requiring certified laboratory technicians to perform the test.

The Rapid Latex Agglutination Assay is a simplified and inexpensive alternative and consists of a simple blood tests that is effective in many developing countries who may be financially challenged and do not possess the necessary testing facilities to employ adequate HIV testing protocols.

A rapid HIV test called Dot-Blot Immunobinding Assay is also another cost effective alternative in its initial stages of employment and utilization in several private testing facilities worldwide. It may soon become a viable alternative to the popular ELISA and Western Blot Testing and can be a lot more favorable since it provides testing results in a matter of minutes.

The HIV-1 Capture Assay is a blood test used as an interim test measure originally recommended by the Food and Drug Administration to protect donated blood supply and test for HIV positivity. This test has been known to be unreliable as it tests for p24 antigen markers which can be unpredictable and lead to misdiagnosis.