How accurate is the HIV test?

Question

My b/f and I have been seeing each other since last July and have been having unprotected sex since, until we went to get tested in February of this year. We didn't find out our results until April and his came out to be positive. His 1st reaction was that he was tested 2 times before and had not been sexually active with anyone prior to me, which was 2 years ago. My results were negative. He was told that he was in stage 1 of the virus, which could only mean he recently caught it. Last August, he had to get his wisdom teeth pulled because it was infected. 9 months of unprotected sex with someone HIV positive, the other person should be HIV positive also. How can I not be after all that time? He did a home test kit and results came back positive again. What can we do because as far as we know, I should have it. But I been tested 3 times now and I am still negative. Please help. Desperate for answers.

Answer 1

depends on the type of blood test you are getting for HIV. the first test your doctor will perform is called an ELISA, or enzyme-liked immunoassay test. the problem with the ELISA is that is can have false positives...so, if you test positive on the ELISA, your doctor will perform the test a second time. if you test positive on one and negative on another, he will typically not retest you right away, but may wait a few months to re-test. if you test positive on both ELISAs, he will probably order a test called a western blot test just to verify the diagnosis. western blot tests are more expensive than the ELISA and take a while to return results. however, the western blot is very accurate. if you come back positive on a western blot test, you are positive for HIV. there are other types of tests out there, some of which involve looking for the specific genetic material itself that causes HIV, but these tests are extremely expensive.

the home testing kits for HIV are a form of an ELISA test, similar to home pregnancy tests (which are also a type of ELISA test). because the ELISA tests can often have false positives, i would visit a doctor and explain the results of the home test. he will probably do another ELISA, and possibly another depending on the results. i think it would be the best idea to go to the doctor and have him decide what to do, but there is a chance that the home test came back with a false positive. HOWEVER. just because there is a chance of a false positive with the home tests this does NOT mean you should automatically assume that your boyfriend's test results were false and he is negative. if you are going to continue having sex together PLEASE use protection until you have a test performed such as the western blot, which is more accurate, which tells you guys for sure if he is positive or negative.

Answer 2

HIV antibody testing is used to determine whether or not a person is infected with HIV. Early treatment of HIV infection and immune system monitoring can greatly improve long-term health. Also, knowing your HIV status may help you change behaviors that would put you and others at risk.

Antibodies to the HIV virus can be detected by a screening test called an ELISA. The ELISA test is repeated if positive. The ELISA method is very sensitive but requires another test, a Western Blot, to confirm the results because false positives can occur. These tests can be done on a blood sample in a doctor’s office or a local clinic. There are also currently approved home test kits available for HIV antibody testing. These allow you to take a sample of your blood from a finger at home and mail it to a testing center. You would then hear your results later over the phone, along with appropriate counseling. There are, however, no available tests that can be performed at home.

testing for HIV should be ordered if you think you may have been exposed to HIV. Testing is recommended if:

You are sexually active (three or more sexual partners in the last 12 months).
You received a blood transfusion prior to1985, or a sexual partner received a transfusion and later tested positive for HIV. For more information, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faq/faq15.htm
You are uncertain about your sexual partner’s risk behaviors.
You are a male who has had sex with another male.
You have used street drugs by injection, especially when sharing needles and/or other equipment.
You have a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
You are a health care worker with direct exposure to blood on the job.
You are pregnant. (There are now treatments that can greatly reduce the risk that a pregnant woman who has HIV will give the virus to her baby.)
You are a woman who wants to make sure you are not infected with HIV before getting pregnant.

A healthy individual has no antibodies to HIV. If you test positive for HIV antibodies on both the ELISA and the Western Blot tests, you are considered to be infected with HIV.

testing will not detect HIV immediately after exposure, during the window before the development of antibodies. If you are tested too soon, your result may be negative despite the fact that you are infected (false negative). Because of this, repeat testing is important. You should have another HIV antibody test in 3–6 months from the time of a possible exposure to the virus.

Answer 3

Hey sorry to hear about your b/f being +

The anti viral meds these days are pretty fantastic so it is not like it was in the 80's or mid 90's.

Liek all viruses some people have a natural immunity, most people after this length of tiem would also have caught it but that is not a 100% certainty, so be happy you are neg.

You need to get in touch with an STI ( sexually transmitted Infections) clinic and speak to a qualified counsellor that works specifically in sexual health. So they can talk you through everything. This is nto soemthign you and your b/f should be trying to go through together.

I am sorry you are both going through this, it must be scary for you. I hope you get support ASAP.

Answer 4

if you've been tested again recently, I would just thank your lucky stars that you're negative and learn from that lesson. sometimes a test can come back negative when a person has been recently infected and then they'll test positive 6 months later, but since you've been tested 3 times already, my guess is that you're in the clear. just to be safe I would get tested again around the end of the summer as that will be 6 months after your first test. in the meantime, you seriously need to protect yourself! condoms are your friend! and your boyfriend needs to start the drug cocktail immediately to keep his viral load down and his t-cells up.

Answer 5

He's trying to put the blame on you. He is HIV positive so refrain from having any intercourse or exchange of bodily fluids. Get re-tested in six months from the date of your last test. I think you should prepare yourself because the chances that you will test positive in the next test are fairly high. Plain and simple-your boyfriend exposed you to this virus-not the other way around.

Answer 6

The tests are bs. There are about 75 different things that could cause a positive result.


You may not be ready for the truth (HIV is bs), but get great information about the tests at


virusmyth.com or aidsmythexposed.com

Answer 7

Those tests are pretty accurate. Be thankful you haven't caught it and don't have unprotected sex anymore. You might consider getting tested in another 6 months just to be safe.

Answer 8

Miss Mina is right. As far as his sexual or IV drug habit, only he knows for sure. Please do not want to die with him because you love him. Play it safe and count your blessings thus far. Of course you could convert to HIV positive in the next few months. Never, never trust a sex partner. Men do what they can get away with. No Glove:No love. Love smart and please take care of you.

Answer 9

It takes about 6 months before it shows up in you system but you should be happy that you dont have it. sorry for you man though. but get tested every 6 motnhs just to be sure

Answer 10

very accurate