AIDS does not have a treatment method yet, it is lethal and spreads rapidly. The symptoms of AIDS that appear after being infected with the HIV virus are not very obvious. Since these symptoms are not directly specific to AIDS, they can be confused with symptoms of other diseases and infections. If you have had a suspected sexual contact, getting an HIV test is important for both you and the people around you. If you have unprotected sex with multiple partners, getting an HIV test is even more important.
There are many AIDS tests (HIV tests) to detect the HIV virus, which is the cause of AIDS disease. There are several stages from the entry of the HIV virus into the body, in this article; You will find information about which AIDS test should be done at which stage.
Frequently asked questions are:
- Which AIDS test should I get?
- Which AIDS test will allow me to get results as soon as possible?
- Which AIDS test gives the most accurate result?
Anti-HIV test is the first and most known test for screening and diagnosis in terms of HIV infection that causes AIDS disease. In this test, the antibodies secreted by the body against the virus are checked, that is, it is an indirect test and is usually a test that is studied with the ELIZA method, so it is popularly expressed as “ELISA, I had ELISA done”, whereas ELIZA is not a test, it is a method and hundreds of different tests are studied with this method. ie ELIZA = does not mean HIV testing.
After HIV enters the body, our immune system develops Anti-HIV antibodies to fight this virus. Our body cannot do this right away, so after the virus enters the body, it takes a certain period of time for it to form Anti-HIV antibodies. As it can be understood from here, a certain period of time must have passed for the Anti-HIV test to be positive. Therefore, it is meaningless to take the AIDS Test and Anti-HIV test immediately after a suspicious sexual intercourse.
So what’s the harm in having an Anti-HIV test right after a suspected contact?
Since it is done early, the body has not yet formed Anti-HIV antibodies, so the result will be negative, that is, even if the person has been in contact with the HIV virus, in other words, even if AIDS is transmitted, the AIDS test result will be reported as “false negative” and the result will be negative while the person may be treated early. HIV infection progresses and AIDS develops.
Therefore;
If an HIV test is to be performed in cases such as a suspected sexual intercourse or blood transfusion, the HIV Combo test (combi test) should be performed first. It is an extremely reliable HIV early diagnosis test in which P24 Antigen and HIV 1-2 antibodies are studied in the same test. P24 is a unique protein found in the HIV virus itself. Therefore, a positive AIDS test (if the test has been studied properly) indicates that the person has acquired the HIV virus. The P24 test becomes positive on an average of 10 to 21 days after infection and remains in the blood until 90 days.
Anti-HIV antibodies are positive in the blood between 3 and 8 weeks on average. However, in order to obtain a healthy result in the Anti-HIV test, it is necessary to wait 3 months. As we mentioned above, a negative result that may occur before the 3rd month does not mean that the Anti-HIV test has not taken the virus. Therefore, it is not appropriate to take the anti-HIV test before the 2nd month. If the result of the Anti-HIV test is Positive, the test is repeated, and if it is positive, false positives may occur, and it is confirmed with the “Western Blot Test”, which is considered as the GOLDEN STANDARD TEST. The Western blot test can detect antibodies against the HIV antigens gp41, gp120, gp160, p18, p24, p31, p40, p65 and p55/51.
Anti-HIV test with ELIZA method; While it only tells whether there is anti-HIV antibody in the blood, Western Blot test also detects which part of the virus in the body of the person with HIV infection. This works especially well in the early stages of infection because the virus has many antigenic structures and the body can only form antibodies against a small fraction of it early on. In addition, in most cases, as the disease progresses and the destruction in the immune system, that is, the decrease in Th lymphocytes, increases, the antibodies formed against p24, the core protein of the virus, begin to decrease or disappear completely. Therefore, if the Anti-HIV or p24 test is positive, a definitive report should not be given to the patient without confirmation by Western blot.a
It may be the most expensive AIDS test method, but the “HIV RNA PCR test” gives the earliest and most reliable information in the diagnosis of HIV. With this test, the genetic structure of the virus is reproduced and made measurable and identifiable. With this test, there is a chance to catch the HIV virus in the blood before antibodies are formed. HIV PCR test can detect the presence of virus in the blood approximately 10 days after suspected contact. From the 28th day, the sensitivity of the PCR test to detect the virus reaches a high rate of 98-100%.
To summarize;
The HIV RNA test is also positive on the 10th day, but it gives a net result close to 100% in the 1st month.
For the early diagnosis of AIDS / HIV, the p24 test should be performed at the earliest 21 days after the suspected contact. If the result is Negative, it means that there is no problem, the patient can be given a definite result by confirming with the Western Blot Test.
Before the 3rd month, having an Anti-HIV test is not recommended as it is risky and insufficient in terms of false negativity.
The World Health Organization recommends repeating the test at 6 months, even if the tests are negative, in case of suspicious relationship, so even if your p24 or HIV RNA test is negative, it is recommended to have an Anti-HIV test at 6 months again.
Why is AIDS Test so important for early diagnosis of HIV virus?
At first, a person infected with HIV shows symptoms similar to many other diseases (flu, flu, anemia, fever, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, etc.). The person who does not realize that he has contracted it will both delay the treatment and actively infect others with the virus. The best time to combat the virus is when the infection first started.
With delay in diagnosis and or treatment;
- The virus can renew itself
- Mutations can occur
- It can spread secretly in the immune system.
Many doctors consider this time to be the ideal time to intervene in early detection, because over time, the infection will cause more damage to the immune system, thus making it less likely to respond to HIV.