What causes false-negative results for HIV?
A false-negative result can happen if a person gets tested too soon after contracting HIV. Tests for HIV are only accurate after a certain amount of time has passed since the person has been exposed to the virus. This window period varies from one type of test to another.
Can you test negative to HIV and still have it?
A negative result doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have HIV. This is due to the window period. If you test again after the window period, have no possible HIV exposure during the window period, and the result comes back negative, you do not have HIV.
What are the chances of false positive HIV test?
On the average, 0.2 percent of ELISA tests give a false positive HIV test result that are then proven incorrect by a Western Blot test, notes Goaskalice.com, the Columbia University student health website.
Which HIV tests are the most accurate?
ELISA Test. According to the National Institutes of Health, the ELISA test is the most effective way to detect an HIV infection. An ELISA test requires a blood sample: the doctor will draw blood from either the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand, where it is easier access to the veins.
Do I have HIV despite negative tests?
A negative result doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have HIV. This is due to the window period. If you test again after the window period, have no possible HIV exposure during the window period, and the result comes back negative, you do not have HIV.
What is the positive result of HIV?
Receiving a positive ELISA result doesn’t mean that a person is HIV-positive. A small percentage of people may receive a false-positive result. This means the result says they have the virus when they don’t have it. This can happen if the test picks up on other antibodies in the immune system. All positive results are confirmed with a second test.