How Much HIV Tests You Can Get And Which One To choose

Posted by Matt Jackson on March 21st, 2016

These are the most common Singapore HIV testing procedures for method screening. They take advantage of the fact that your body naturally produces anti-infection proteins called antibodies in response to HIV infection. This method detects antibodies from a blood, saliva, or urine sample. Usually an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the preferred antibody check due to its high sensitivity.

There’s a few important considerations with antibody tests. Because the body takes time to create antibodies, there is a “window period” in the coursework of which HIV-positive individuals may get false negative results because they tested early. For this reason, this method of HIV testing is recommended months after potential exposure. If an HIV-positive sister has a child, their antibodies will be passed on & retained in the baby’s body for up to 18 months; other tests are recommended in this case.

Fast HIV Tests

These operate on the same principles as antibody tests with much faster turnaround. They take less than an hour & often require no follow-up visit; all the analysis is done on-site by health care professionals. They are simpler for medical staff to conduct & minimally invasive for the patient. These are suited to urgent medical situations or areas where clients are unlikely to return to check on their results.

Antigen Tests

These tests seek substances from the HIV virus itself, called antigens. Specifically, they seek the P24 protein produced in the early stages of HIV infection. This variety of testing is not sensitive & is not recommended by itself. In lieu, doctors administer hybrid HIV testing by combining antigen tests with standard antibody tests to improve accuracy while reducing the “window period.” Called fourth-generation tests, these new trends in this testing will show up with more frequency as medical expertise continues to advance.

PCR Tests

Polymerize Chain Reaction (PCR) tests also detect HIV infection early by testing for the genetic material of the virus. Often known as the viral load check or nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), PCR HIV testing is suited for screening blood supplies or newborns & is effective within or weeks of preliminary infection. Due to the expense & specialist analytic skills necessary, they are not often used for individual HIV testing.