What is an HIV test?
An HIV test shows if someone is infected with HIV, the virus that attacks the body’s immune system and causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or what is more commonly known as AIDS. There are several different tests that can be used to determine if you are carrying the HIV virus. The first test developed is still the most frequently used for the initial detection of HIV infection: the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or as it’s more commonly known, the ELISA or EIA. The ELISA is usually done by drawing blood, usually from a vein in the arm. The process is no more uncomfortable than a typical blood test. For most people, it is not particularly painful and the blood draw is accomplished quickly. If the ELISA test is negative—meaning that antibodies are not found—the testing is complete. If the ELISA test is positive, the laboratory will want to make sure that it is not a “false positive” result (some molecules in the bloodstream can sometimes cause a false-positive result). First,
