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The HIV test shows whether someone has HIV, the virus which can lead to AIDS. It is not a test for AIDS. AIDS is the name given to a group of medical conditions which may develop when HIV has damaged a persons immune system.
The most commonly available HIV test is more properly called an HIV antibody test, because it looks for antibodies to HIV. These are created by the body's immune system if HIV is present.
When someone is infected with HIV, it can take up to three months before enough antibodies are formed to show up on an HIV test. This gap is called the window period or seroconversion. Throughout the window period, the person with HIV has enough virus in their blood and sexual fluids (and breast milk) to infect another person.
Because the HIV test looks for antibodies, an HIV test less than three months after you became infected might not give an accurate result.
If the test finds HIV antibodies, the result is said to be positive. The person is described as HIV antibody positive or HIV positive. This means that he or she has HIV. It does not mean that the person has AIDS. The test cannot show whether the person is ill, or is going to become ill. Many people with HIV live full and healthy lives for years.
If the test does not find HIV antibodies, the result is said to be negative. A negative test result shows that the person does not have HIV, as long as the test was done after the end of the window period.
Very occasionally, the HIV test result is equivocal or indeterminate. It is not clearly positive or negative. In most cases this is because the test has found some random antibodies which have nothing to do with HIV.
However, very rarely an equivocal result can occur during the window period. The person has HIV but the HIV antibodies are only just beginning to form.
If the HIV test result is equivocal, the clinic may send the blood sample away for further tests. Or you may be advised to have a repeat HIV test four to six weeks after your equivocal test. In either case, this result is likely to be clearly positive or negative.
If you are worried that you could have HIV, you may feel you want to know and end the uncertainty. Some people have found that knowing, instead of guessing, has helped them feel more in control.
If you test HIV positive, the news can be devastating even if you were expecting it. You will be faced with the knowledge that you are living with an unpredictable virus. You could be in good health for many years, but you could also become ill. For some people this uncertainty is more stressful than not knowing whether they are HIV.
For some people the most important question may not be whether to have an HIV test: is now the right time to learn whether I have HIV? I might be HIV positive - do I want to deal with this knowledge now, or shall I wait until I feel ready?
Taking a combination of two to three anti-HIV drugs has made a difference to the lives of many people living with HIV and AIDS. It is the most effective anti-HIV treatment so far. For many people who now they have been at risk, access to combination therapy is a powerful reason to have an HIV test.
It is also important to remember that combination therapy is not perfect and is certainly not a cure. Unfortunately it does not work for everybody with HIV.
Doctor's views differ on the best time to start combination therapy. You will probable not be offered combination therapy immediately if you have an HIV positive test result, even if you want it. Some doctors will advise starting treatment as soon as tests show that HIV has caused damage to the immune system. Others prefer to hold the drugs in reserve until there are symptoms of illness.
Some anti-HIV treatments are only available to people who take part in trials of their effectiveness. The anti-HIV treatments available to you may also depend on where you live.
The are proven drugs to prevent or delay many of the illnesses which may occur when HIV has damaged the immune system. If you are HIV positive, tests on your blood will show whether you are becoming vulnerable. For some people who know they have been at risk, this is another powerful reason to have an HIV test.
Some people want to know whether they have HIV so that they can take extra care of their health if they are HIV positive. A healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise will help safeguard your health if you have HIV. On the other hand, stress, smoking and heavy drinking all put strain on the immune system. Food hygiene is particularly important if your immune system is damaged, as bacteria could make you very ill. Many people with HIV use complementary therapies, such as massage, acupuncture and herbal treatments, to help control symptoms or stress and increase their sense of well being.
At one time life insurance companies asked all applicants for life insurance whether they had an HIV test, even if the test was negative. This should not happen now, though a company may refuse to insure you if it believes you are at a higher than average risk.
Life insurance companies will not insure anybody who has HIV. If you know you have HIV when you make your application, but you do not tell the company, they are likely to cancel your policy when they find out. Some people prefer not to know whether they have HIV so they can keep their future insurance options open.
Your reasons for wanting an HIV test may be well be more important to you than concerns about life insurance. And there are mortgages available which do not require you to take out life insurance.
You should always get independent advice on whether a test is really necessary before you decide whether to go ahead in these circumstances. No one can insist you have an HIV test if you do not want one. However, if you refuse there may well be consequences (such as being refused the insurance or job you have applied for).
The best place to go for an HIV test is a genitourinary medicine clinic (GUM or STD clinic) or a specialist HIV clinic run by a health authority. Some clinics run sessions for particular groups for example, women, gay men, young people etc. You can go for a test in any GUM clinic in the UK.
At most clinics the result takes one or two days. Some clinics run a same day result service on certain days of the week. You should be given the result in person, never by telephone or letter.
While all doctors are bound by a duty of confidentiality, additional restrictions apply to GUM clinics and they maintain high practical standards of confidentiality. You need not tell the GUM clinic who your GP is, and they will not contact your GP if you ask them not to.
It may not be a good idea to go to your GP for an HIV test. Some GP's may not be aware of all the issues connected with HIV testing, and may not be able to give you the best advice when you get the result. If you are tested through your GP the result goes on your medical records. It might therefore form part of any medical report your GP later writes about you.
If you still feel you would prefer to go to your GP for an HIV test, you could ask the GP what their policy is about including HIV test information in any report.
The clinic will tell you when to come back to get your result. You may want to take someone with you. Choose someone who will give you support if you need it, and who won't tell other people your result unless you want them to.
If the result is HIV negative, staff at the clinic will talk to you about staying HIV negative in the future. You may find that your feelings about a negative result are quite complex, whatever you expected the result to be, and you will be able to talk this through at the clinic or with an HIV helpline.
If the result is HIV positive, support and help will be available for you at the clinic immediately. This may include follow-up sessions and information about support available to you. You will probably be able to make an appointment with a doctor right away if you wish, to check on your state of health and discuss treatment options.
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