Some Facts About AIDS and HIV * Reproduced by the National AIDS Programme, Ministry of Health, Belize with permission from CAREC.
About HIV Testing and Viral Load
What does the HIV test check for?
These tests use saliva, urine or a small blood sample to determine if you've been infected with HIV. The tests look for antibodies to HIV, not for HIV itself. Labs use two tests to look for these antibodies:
- The ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test is done first, as a general screening test. If the ELISA test is positive, a second test, is done to confirm the results.
- When both tests are positive, it means that the antibody to HIV has been found.
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