HIV/AIDS is a serious concern in India which has taken and put a gigantic number of lives to stake. It could be contracted from having sex with an HIV infected person, sharing or injecting needles or drug equipment, or due to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Get to know the critical aspects of HIV/AIDS with medical professional Dr. Pratibha Karande.
What is HIV/AIDS test?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) test is essentially carried out for the screening out of a disease called ‘AIDS’ (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
What are antigen & antibody tests?
When somebody wants to get screened for a disease called AIDS, there are two types of tests he could go ahead with. They are:
- Antigen test
- Antibody test
Who should undergo these tests?
Patients who need to screen themselves at the initial stage of HIV infection are advised by the doctor to undergo antibody test. When they undergo the test, the presence or absence of antibodies provides a clear diagnosis of the patient suffering or not suffering from HIV infection.
Now, if in case, the antibody test comes out to be positive, the doctor will suggest the patient to go for antigen test to confirm the diagnosis. And, if the antigen test is positive then the doctor may like to confirm the diagnosis with further more tests such as CD4 count, p24 antigen test, viral load test, etc. This gives a clear picture to the doctor to continue with the treatment for this particular patient.
Which is the routine test for confirmation of HIV?
The regular HIV testing which is routinely carried out in labs for the screening of blood donors or plasma donors or even patients who want to confirm their HIV status is the ‘antibody test’. Hence, it is significant that one goes for antibody HIV test and gets himself checked.
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