What are the different HIV screening tests available in the U.S.?
In most cases the EIA (enzyme immunoassay), performed on blood drawn from a vein, is the standard screening test used to detect the presence of antibodies to HIV. A reactive EIA must be used with a follow-up confirmatory test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis. There are EIA tests that use other body fluids to screen for antibodies to HIV. These include: Oral Fluid Tests use oral fluid (not saliva) that is collected from the mouth using a special collection device. This is an EIA antibody test similar to the standard blood EIA test and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same oral fluid sample. Urine Tests use urine instead of blood. The sensitivity and specificity (accuracy) are somewhat less than that of the blood and oral fluid tests. This is also an EIA antibody test similar to blood EIA tests and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same urine sample. Rapid Tests: A rapid test is a screening test that produces very quick
In most cases the EIA (enzyme immunoassay), performed on blood drawn from a vein, is the standard screening test used to detect the presence of antibodies to HIV. A reactive EIA must be used with a follow-up confirmatory test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis.There are EIA tests that use other body fluids to identify antibodies to HIV. These include:* Oral Fluid Tests use oral fluid (not saliva) that is collected from the mouth using a special collection device. This is an EIA antibody test similar to the standard blood EIA test and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same oral fluid sample.* Urine Tests use urine instead of blood. The sensitivity and specificity (accuracy) are somewhat less than that of the blood and oral fluid tests. Reactive test results must be confirmed with a blood-based Western Blot.Home testing kits:* Can be purchased in most pharmacies and via the Internet and involve no actual testing of the blood by the person using t
In most cases the EIA (enzyme immunoassay), performed on blood drawn from a vein, is the standard screening test used to detect the presence of antibodies to HIV. A reactive EIA must be used with a follow-up confirmatory test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis. There are EIA tests that use other body fluids to screen for antibodies to HIV. These include: • Oral Fluid Tests – use oral fluid (not saliva) that is collected from the mouth using a special collection device. This is an EIA antibody test similar to the standard blood EIA test and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same oral fluid sample. • Urine Tests – use urine instead of blood. The sensitivity and specificity (accuracy) are somewhat less than that of the blood and oral fluid tests. This is also an EIA antibody test similar to blood EIA tests and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same urine sample. Rapid Tests: A rapid test is a screening test that produces ver
In most cases the EIA (enzyme immunoassay), performed on blood drawn from a vein, is the standard screening test used to detect the presence of antibodies to HIV. A reactive EIA must be used with a follow-up confirmatory test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis. There are EIA tests that use other body fluids to identify antibodies to HIV. These include: * Oral Fluid Tests use oral fluid (not saliva) that is collected from the mouth using a special collection device. This is an EIA antibody test similar to the standard blood EIA test and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same oral fluid sample. * Urine Tests use urine instead of blood. The sensitivity and specificity (accuracy) are somewhat less than that of the blood and oral fluid tests. Reactive test results must be confirmed with a blood-based Western Blot. Home testing kits: * Can be purchased in most pharmacies and via the Internet and involve no actual testing of the blood by the person us
