How Long Does An AIDS Test Take?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and this virus when not treated turns into AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
The AIDS virus attacks the body's immune system with white blood cells called CD-4 cells or T cells.
As T cells play a key role in keeping an individual protected from disease.
Once you are infected with the HIV virus as the immune system breaks up, the T cells can't protect your body and you are bound to get sick easily.
HIV spreads from an infected person to another through vaginal, oral and anal sex, through infected mother to babies during birth or breastfeeding, by sharing needles, unprotected sex.
Within 6 weeks of infection through HIV virus if you have had unprotected sex or if you shared needles you could get illnesses like fever, headache, swollen glands, tiredness, aching joints and muscles and this can be a reason for HIV testing.
If you have confusion or a doubt about having contacted HIV infection, it is better to get tested and take an appointment with the health care provider at the earliest.
HIV / AIDS Testing There are mainly three HIV test methods.
First is Standard blood test that is EIA or ELISA test in which it takes about 2 weeks to get the results.
In this method the blood is drawn once from your arm.
The second method is Western Blot test.
When the Standard blood test result is positive for HIV antibodies then the Western blot test is done.
If this test result comes as positive then the person has HIV.
Standard blood test takes much longer time and that's why there are Rapid tests which include fingersticks and oral tests.
Both of them take about nearly 20 minutes to provide results.
Blood test through a fingerstick means that a small amount of blood is taken out from the finger tips and mixed it in a solution.
In Oral test a small amount of saliva is taken from the person's mouth and this is done using a cotton swab which is almost like a toothbrush.
When either of the Rapid tests result is found to be positive then the Western Blot test is done for the confirmation that the person is HIV positive or not.
Also if you have been tested very early after HIV exposure then you can even get a false negative infection report because it takes about 12 weeks or longer from the time of exposure for the HIV test to show positive results.
Therefore doctors usually recommend that the test be repeated after 3 months so as to make sure of the result.
The AIDS virus attacks the body's immune system with white blood cells called CD-4 cells or T cells.
As T cells play a key role in keeping an individual protected from disease.
Once you are infected with the HIV virus as the immune system breaks up, the T cells can't protect your body and you are bound to get sick easily.
HIV spreads from an infected person to another through vaginal, oral and anal sex, through infected mother to babies during birth or breastfeeding, by sharing needles, unprotected sex.
Within 6 weeks of infection through HIV virus if you have had unprotected sex or if you shared needles you could get illnesses like fever, headache, swollen glands, tiredness, aching joints and muscles and this can be a reason for HIV testing.
If you have confusion or a doubt about having contacted HIV infection, it is better to get tested and take an appointment with the health care provider at the earliest.
HIV / AIDS Testing There are mainly three HIV test methods.
First is Standard blood test that is EIA or ELISA test in which it takes about 2 weeks to get the results.
In this method the blood is drawn once from your arm.
The second method is Western Blot test.
When the Standard blood test result is positive for HIV antibodies then the Western blot test is done.
If this test result comes as positive then the person has HIV.
Standard blood test takes much longer time and that's why there are Rapid tests which include fingersticks and oral tests.
Both of them take about nearly 20 minutes to provide results.
Blood test through a fingerstick means that a small amount of blood is taken out from the finger tips and mixed it in a solution.
In Oral test a small amount of saliva is taken from the person's mouth and this is done using a cotton swab which is almost like a toothbrush.
When either of the Rapid tests result is found to be positive then the Western Blot test is done for the confirmation that the person is HIV positive or not.
Also if you have been tested very early after HIV exposure then you can even get a false negative infection report because it takes about 12 weeks or longer from the time of exposure for the HIV test to show positive results.
Therefore doctors usually recommend that the test be repeated after 3 months so as to make sure of the result.
