What tests can be used to determine HIV? The first signs of AIDS and stages, how to determine the disease at home

Almost half of people living with HIV do not know about it, so knowing how to identify HIV at home is necessary. The disease caused by this pathogen has a number of symptoms, which will help to recognize the infection at an early stage and facilitate early treatment, which will increase the chances of living a long and happy life.

It is necessary to understand that HIV, HIV infection and AIDS are different things, and HIV infection detected in time will not necessarily develop into acquired immune deficiency syndrome. How to recognize the disease at an early stage in order to begin treatment in a timely manner? To do this, you need to know the first symptoms of the disease and how to acquire the infection.

How can you become infected with HIV?

The most common ways to become infected with the disease are known to everyone:

unprotected sexual intercourse;
injection drug use;
through the blood or other secretions of an HIV-infected person;
transmission from a nursing or pregnant mother to a child;
occupational infection;
transfusion of infected blood.

According to statistics, from 70% to 80% of all people infected with HIV received the virus through sexual contact.

At the same time, the risk of becoming infected during sex with a partner whose HIV status is unknown is no more than 0.15%. According to research, a woman is approximately 3 times more likely to become infected than a man.

The easiest way to protect yourself from infection is to abstain from unprotected contacts and stop using drugs.

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HIV infection: how is it transmitted?
How to recognize HIV by the first symptoms?

The human immunodeficiency virus develops gradually in the body, but at the same time it immediately begins to destroy lymphocytes - blood particles that represent one of the key parts of the immune system. On average, the development of infection occurs within 10 years and has several stages:

window period;

acute phase;

latent period;

pre-AIDS;

AIDS.

The first stage is characterized only by the production of antibodies in the body and lasts from two weeks to one year. The disease at this stage can only be determined using a special analysis. At the second stage, the person begins to feel the infection, but it is fleeting. It is at this time that symptoms appear that will help recognize the infection, but diagnosis during this period is difficult due to the non-specificity of the symptoms; in 96% of cases, people experience fever, rash or diarrhea, headache, vomiting and sudden weight loss.
Sometimes fungal diseases appear, such as thrush or neurological symptoms. It is this stage that many sick people subsequently describe as “the most severe flu of their life,” with which it is really easy to confuse it.

During the latent period, all symptoms disappear, and the person seems to be completely healthy.

The only thing that accompanies this stage, which can last from 5 to 10 years, is enlarged lymph nodes, but it is difficult to recognize HIV by this symptom alone.

At the pre-AIDS stage, thrush usually appears in the mouth and genitals, almost permanent herpes on the mucous membranes and stomatitis - ulcers on the lips and in the oral cavity.

There are other ways to detect HIV at home - these are special tests for immunodeficiency in an express format, which can be done independently and confidentially.

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HIV tests at home

Tests for recognizing HIV are usually used of two types - the determination of antibodies to the virus or the identification of proteins characteristic of its presence, the so-called markers. There are three types of test results: positive, when markers are detected; negative when they are absent and doubtful. In the latter case, some markers are present in the analyzed material, but not all, so the result is not considered positive and must be rechecked.

In recent years, tests that can be used at home have appeared and even begun to spread in developed countries. They belong to the category of rapid tests, the result appears within 1-20 minutes. To carry out such a test, you need to take a scraping from the mouth using a special spatula and place it in a container with a reagent. After 20 minutes the result will be known.

The sad thing is that home HIV tests have not yet reached Russia, so you can only test for the virus in a hospital. Confidentiality is often not allowed, so fewer and fewer people choose to go to medical institutions to find out their HIV status. But medical diagnostics also have its advantages. Having received a positive result, the patient immediately receives all the necessary information and psychological help; he will not be able to deliberately infect anyone or harm himself.

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What you need to know about HIV testing?

The easiest way to protect yourself from this terrible disease is to come to the clinical diagnostic center at regular intervals. Most often, antibodies that are detected in a person’s blood or saliva, indicating the presence of infection, do not appear immediately after infection, but within 3 months, so testing must be done regularly, even after a long period from the expected moment of infection.

Donating blood for HIV is simple - to do this, you need to contact a general practitioner at your place of residence and tell them about your intention. Any central district hospital is equipped with appropriate laboratory instruments, which makes it possible to perform the test in rural areas.

You can get tested at any city clinic, and it’s completely free. Anonymous testing rooms are opening all over Russia; you can go there even without a passport, and such examinations are also carried out free of charge.

In some cases, HIV testing is mandatory. For example, in modern maternity hospitals, since the baby can inherit the virus from the mother, and due to weak immunity, it will quickly develop to the AIDS stage. The possibility of such infection must be foreseen in advance. Medical workers who, when working in emergency situations and with patients with uncertain HIV status, are at risk of contracting the virus are also being forcibly tested.

It is important to remember that HIV test results can be false positive. If there is a positive result, the patient is most often sent for a repeat analysis and is guided by its indicators. The error can be affected by pregnancy, the presence of chronic diseases, disorders of the immune system, and even technical errors of medical personnel. Antibodies to HIV can be observed in pregnant women and children under the age of one and a half years, born from HIV-infected women, with diabetes mellitus or oncological processes. A false-positive result is detected during subsequent diagnostics, and the HIV test is repeated after the cause of the violation has been eliminated.

Every person should find out their HIV status, regardless of whether there was a risk of infection. More often, infection occurs through sexual contact, less often through blood transfusions, medical operations, or from mother to child. The disease is not transmitted through household contact.

How to find out if you have HIV, AIDS - the first stage of the study

There are specialized centers where you can not only anonymously take tests to detect infection, but also receive highly qualified psychological assistance. It doesn’t matter whether the test is voluntary or mandatory (for certain categories of citizens), every person is afraid to find out about HIV, even if he is absolutely sure that there is no risk of infection.

A personalized analysis can be taken at any public or private clinic. Experts use express tests in emergency cases, when, for example, a person is indicated for urgent surgery, but there is no time to conduct a full examination.

How to find out HIV infection using ELISA? This is a serological laboratory research method, which is based on the determination of antibodies to the virus in the blood. If the test shows a positive result, it is performed again. Several positive tests are an indication for further investigation.

Confirmatory test - immunoblotting

How can I find out my HIV status for free? To do this, you need to contact a specialized center. There is no need to pay for an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay followed by immunoblotting.

For Western blotting, the patient's blood is examined - specialists also detect antibodies to the virus, but this study gives more reliable results.

How long does it take to find out HIV status by immunoblotting? A feature of the disease is the “window period” - this is a period of time from 3 to 6 months (it is different for each patient) when the pathogen cannot be detected.

At this time, even if a negative result is obtained, patients who were at risk of infection are sent for re-testing.

How long do tests take and how long will it take to find out about HIV if antibodies are detected? The waiting time for the result depends on the workload of the laboratory and the duration of the test. On average, patients wait about 2 weeks for immunoblotting results, but studies can take a month.

How to find out if you have AIDS - a quantitative method of determination

Since HIV is a viral carrier, most often the initial stage passes without symptoms. With an increase in viral load and a decrease in immune status, pronounced symptoms may be noted, which indicate a possible transition of infection to the disease - AIDS.

How do you know if you have AIDS if your HIV status is positive? This issue can be resolved only with the help of one study - the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.

PCR is suitable for qualitative and quantitative determination of the virus, that is, it is possible to detect the presence of the virus in the body and its quantitative characteristics.

Since it is possible to find out that a person has HIV thanks to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting, the further course of viral carriage and the approximate time of manifestation of the clinical picture can only be predicted using PCR.

This method makes it possible to detect HIV 2-3 weeks after infection, and how long after it is possible to recognize AIDS? From HIV infection to AIDS, it can take from several years to 15, depending on the initial viral load and the patient’s health. In the case of type 2 strain, the clinical picture develops more slowly.

The PCR test is carried out for about a week - given the processing of the results, everything will be ready in 10 days. The method is highly sensitive, so errors are practically eliminated.

Symptoms of the disease. How to find out if a person has HIV or AIDS?

Immediately or half a month or a month after infection, symptoms reminiscent of influenza or ARVI may occur - this is how the immune system reacts to a foreign viral organism.

The following symptoms appear:

Fever;
Chronic weakness;
Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck.

Since it is impossible to recognize an HIV-infected person by such symptoms, there is no need to be afraid of all people with a possible influenza virus.

As long as the concentration of the virus in the body is small, no other symptoms should be observed. But over time, this pathogen almost completely “inactivates” the immune system, and the body is unable to fight other pathogenic microorganisms.

How to recognize an HIV-infected person:

Frequent fever;
Increased sweating;
Deterioration of the dermis (peeling, rash, fungal infections);
Activation of the herpes virus (rash in the anogenital area, in the mouth.

Such symptoms occur when the viral load is high and the number of CD4 cells (lymphocytes) decreases.

How to recognize a person with AIDS:

Damage to the nervous system - memory impairment, apathy, epileptic seizures, atrophy of brain tissue with the possible appearance of malignant tumors;
Pulmonary form - development of Pneumocystis pneumonia;
Intestinal form - prolonged, severe diarrhea, which threatens dehydration and requires treatment;
Damage to the skin and mucous membranes - non-healing wounds, ulcers.

AIDS patients live no more than three years. To delay the process of destruction of the immune system, antiretroviral therapy is necessary.

If during pregnancy a woman finds out that she is HIV-infected, with the help of effective diagnostics, therapy and highly qualified specialists, she can give birth to a healthy child.

In order to understand how to identify HIV without an analysis, you should very clearly understand what kind of disease it is, what its nature is, how it manifests itself and what consequences infection with this virus entails.

What is HIV infection?

HIV infection is a pathological condition of the human body in which the human immunodeficiency virus, entering the blood, begins to destroy CD-4 cells with varying intensity. These cells perform a protective function and help the body fight any bacteria, viruses, tumors and various pathogens. Thus, HIV destroys the body’s natural defenses and makes it susceptible to various diseases, since the immune system loses its ability to resist certain lesions.

HIV belongs to the family of retroviruses, which are also called “slow” viruses. This is all his cunning. The first stage of HIV infection, which sometimes lasts for 5-10 years, is called the stage of asymptomatic carriage. What does this mean? That the effect of the virus on the human immune system is quite slow and until the moment when the patient experiences irreversible changes, the course of the disease is hidden (or latent), without any signs and symptoms. However, during this period, a person, not knowing about the disease, poses a threat to others, but not in the understanding that many people, out of ignorance, put into this concept.

Although people's awareness of the problems of HIV-AIDS is quite high today, many continue to experience an overwhelming horror of this disease. It is worth noting that with the development of pharmacological science, today there are a number of medications that can slow down the activity and reproduction of the virus in the patient’s body. It is for this reason that, according to the international classification, HIV-AIDS is no longer classified as a fatal incurable disease. This does not mean that HIV-AIDS can be cured, but significantly increasing the patient’s life expectancy has become a task that modern medicine can do.

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How is it possible, and most importantly, how not to become infected with HIV?

To dispel all doubts, I would like to clarify that HIV infection is not transmitted in everyday life, through sharing household items, through ordinary everyday contact with an infected person, through kissing and shaking hands, etc. Thus, a person with HIV infection or AIDS is not dangerous to society if we consider the issue from this point of view. The greatest danger is posed by patients who do not know about their problem and continue to lead their usual lifestyle: change sexual partners, continue to use injection drugs, etc. It is important to note that today HIV infection has ceased to be a disease of drug addicts and call girls. Nowadays, among the identified carriers of the disease, you can find doctors, teachers, and successful lawyers. This is explained by the fact that the most common way of transmitting HIV is through sexual transmission, and not through injection, as was the case before.

So, HIV is transmitted in the following ways:

during unprotected sexual intercourse;
when drug addicts use unsterile syringes;
vertically from mother to fetus during pregnancy;
during transfusion of blood products (less often), etc.

Only through direct contact with the blood of a virus carrier or genital secretions can one become infected with HIV; ordinary everyday communication cannot lead to infection. With one sexual intercourse with an infected partner, infection may not occur, but constant contact increases the chances many times over. In addition, a greater chance of contracting HIV occurs if a person has damage to the skin or mucous membranes of various origins (erosion, ulceration, trauma, stomatitis or abrasions). Due to the anatomical structure of the reproductive system, women are at much greater risk of infection than men.

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Symptoms of HIV infection

Many people are concerned about how to find out about HIV without tests. Of course, this pathological condition is characterized by certain symptoms, which are very variable at different stages of the disease. After infection has occurred, after a short period of time (2-3 weeks), the patient may experience symptoms resembling the flu or an allergic immune reaction. This is due to the fact that HIV invades the cells of the body and the body produces specific antibodies, which are the main diagnostic sign of the disease. The patient may experience increased body temperature, headache and general weakness, symptoms of general intoxication, skin rashes, etc. These symptoms are characteristic of many other diseases and the patient may not always suspect HIV infection. In addition, such symptoms soon subside even in the absence of any therapy.

The stage of asymptomatic carriage is precisely why it bears this name because it occurs without any pronounced symptoms. This stage of the clinical course can last for many years, depending on the “basic capabilities” of the human immune system. In people with weakened immune systems, chronic diseases or other immune-weakening illnesses (diabetes, tuberculosis, infectious diseases, etc.), HIV progresses faster than in people with a high immune status. The only pathological change that can make a patient or attending physician think about HIV-AIDS is an enlargement of the lymph nodes. As a rule, such an increase is asymmetrical, and lymph nodes from different groups are involved in the pathological process.

The next stage of HIV infection is characterized by the fact that the patient develops a number of secondary pathologies - these are bacterial and fungal infections, and the addition of other infections, and pathological changes in all organs and systems. At this stage, symptoms can be very diverse, but, as a rule, changes concern the general somatic condition of the patient, as well as his skin. The patient experiences decreased appetite, skin rashes or ulcerations that are difficult to treat, and signs and symptoms of various associated pathologies.

Thus, having discovered such symptoms, the patient may be wary and make certain assumptions, but even doctors cannot confidently recognize HIV in a patient.

The only way to accurately determine whether a patient has HIV is to undergo special testing and undergo additional tests that will clearly and directly answer the question of whether the patient has HIV-AIDS.

The sooner such an examination is carried out, the greater the patient’s chances of receiving adequate therapy in a timely manner and saving his life.

26.10.2018

AIDS is a terrible disease of our time. It identifies various diseases occurring in the human body. Infections affect internal organs, weakening the immune system. An accurate diagnosis can be determined by conducting laboratory tests. Doctors - specialists can tell for sure whether there is HIV and AIDS in the body or not. But the symptoms and external manifestations are easy to determine on your own.

Symptoms of the disease

Changes in the general condition and appearance of the infected person. For others, a sharp change in weight downwards, a sharp manifestation of weakness, and a fever that appears for no reason becomes noticeable.

Change in stool quality. Constant diarrhea is a sign of HIV and AIDS.
Presence of skin diseases. Ulcers, unpleasant spots, purulent blisters are present on the skin. Warts appear on the body, which the patient cannot remove.
Skin diseases of the legs. Foot fungus affects the nails, feet and entire lower limbs. Nails change color, break, change shape.
Increase in colds, pneumonia.
Formation of unknown tumors. Lymph nodes enlarge. The tumor appears behind the ears, on the neck, under the chin, in the groin area, under and above the collarbone.
HIV and AIDS changes the behavior of the infected person due to its effects on the brain. The patient cannot control his behavior or concentrate. Memory functionality decreases. A person becomes unable to learn a small simple poem by heart.
Changes in mood. A person with HIV/AIDS most often has a bad state of mind; he is dissatisfied with himself and everyone around him. All simple requests become a problem of the highest quality.

Any symptom can be considered a signal to see a doctor. Early detection of the stage of the disease is an opportunity to be cured. A blood test and a complete analysis will give a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. Doctors will check the number of cells feeding the immune system. They will check and be able to determine what disease has settled in the human body.

How to determine AIDS

Changing the level of immunity leads to the manifestation of various diseases. A weakened body cannot resist viruses, which in a healthy state can be easily combated even without the help of medications. The situation is changing. Any disease becomes terrible and dangerous.

The moment of infection and the moment of detection are sometimes separated by years, but these years do not pass without a trace for the weakened body. An accurate diagnosis can be established using laboratory tests, research and verification.

What is required to establish an accurate diagnosis:

Detection of the presence of HIV and AIDS antibodies in the body.
Determination of the presence of RNA virus.
Accurate counting of the number of lymphocytes in the blood, the percentage of their deviation from the norm.

Recommendations for people infected with HIV about the first manifestations

Detecting HIV is a very complex process and can take several years. The virus is detected in a person positive for HIV after determining the composition of blood components. You need to look closely at various manifestations of the disease, including feces. Prolonged diarrhea, causeless fever, frequent weakness, sudden weight loss may be symptoms of a terrible disease.

The human body ceases to resist diseases. The first signs appear on the skin: spots, ulcers, warts. One of the diseases that affects humans is foot fungus.

Decreased immunity leads to frequent colds.
The appearance of diseases in the oral cavity: thrush.
The tongue and inner surfaces of the cheeks become covered with white ulcers or plaques.
Herpes prolapse on the face;
Increased incidence of laryngitis;
The gums begin to bleed, this is especially noticeable in the morning;
Skin bleeding and decreased clotting become noticeable.

Possibilities of disease transmission

A disease that has no analogues, is complex in its course and treatment, can be acquired in various ways:

Sexual intercourse of any type: vaginal, oral, anal.
Infection through the blood of an infected person (syringe, needle, transfusion, contact with opened wounds).
Genital fluids. They are especially dangerous for babies during pregnancy.

Inability to become infected in the following cases:

Simple contact;
Staying close to the patient, communicating with him.
Exchanging hugs or crying together;
Through salivation.

You need to know for sure: HIV and AIDS do not cause death. They die from other diseases that the virus allows into the body, and it, weakening, ceases to resist.

Research into the disease and search for treatment options

Medical sources cannot find drugs to treat and destroy the virus that has entered the human body. All experiments and experiences do not yield results in finding a remedy that can drive out the infection. Currently, there are only drugs that slow down the progression of the immune system.

The entire therapy system is aimed at reducing viral cells. Their development can be delayed. The drug helps preserve lymphocytes, which support cell resistance to viruses and infections.

Doctors continually continue to study the nature of HIV AIDS, hoping to find a solution to the problem; they either come close to it, announce the emergence of miracle cures, including those made at home, or again slide far back, recognizing the victory of painful viruses over the works of medical geniuses. It can be considered that the main step in preventing the disease is warning about acquiring the virus through unknown sexual relations and dirty syringes.

Stages of infection development

V.I. Pokrovsky developed a classification of development and divided the course of the disease into stages in 1989.

Incubator development stage. The settlement of the virus in the body, its reaction to external manifestations. The duration of the period is not defined, it is individual in each specific case, is not repeated and is not subject to analysis. One can only guess its duration, it is impossible to determine exactly.
Primary signs of lymphadenopathy. The form of manifestation of symptoms is febrile, acute, asymptomatic.
Latent stage. Time of destruction of lymphocytes by the virus. It can last from 2 years to 20 years. It all depends on the body’s resistance, the level of its internal security, and strength.
Terminal outcome stage. The disease wins, the body stops defending itself, and all secondary infections become incurable.
The stage of active manifestation of side diseases. The stage of clear manifestation of signs of HIV/AIDS.

Weight reduction;
Deterioration of the nervous system;
Increase in infectious diseases;
Skin manifestations of infections and viruses;
Damage to mucous membranes and respiratory organs.

Manifestations of the disease

Signs of HIV become noticeable from the second stage of the disease. They are characterized by an acute form, febrile course, and incomprehensible sharp symptoms.

joint pain, headaches, throat infections;
Pain in the eyes, changes in vision;
Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, groin, armpits;
Intoxication: gag reflex, diarrhea;
Constantly elevated body temperature – 37.5;
Weight loss: sharp and independent of food consumption;
Ulcerative manifestations on the skin;
Heavy sensations in bright light, desire for twilight.

You need to be careful about your health; illness can be avoided or detected in time.

HIV is a dangerous disease that, if left untreated, can lead to serious consequences and even death. It is possible to detect the disease in time only with the help of modern diagnostic methods of high accuracy. You should know how long it takes for HIV to manifest itself, since at the initial stage the virus cannot be detected. Blood tests are performed in a laboratory several weeks after possible infection. If necessary, your doctor may recommend taking several tests at different intervals.

Phases and symptoms of the disease

How long does it take for the infection to manifest itself? Typically, immunodeficiency appears 6 weeks after infection, and donating blood the day after unprotected intimacy is pointless. The average activity of the virus is from 3 weeks to 3 months, the first blood test can be carried out at this time.

During the incubation period, a person may not be aware of the presence of the disease.

The first phase of the disease does not manifest itself physically. HIV will develop asymptomatically. The disease can only be detected with the help of special medical tests, when antibodies to immunodeficiency appear in the blood.
During the acute form of the disease, symptoms begin to appear. A rash may appear on the mucous membranes and other parts of the body, and enlarged lymph nodes. After the incubation period, HIV causes frequent gastrointestinal disorders, liver enlargement, and sore throat.
Symptoms of the acute phase of the disease are temporary. When the period of active infection passes, the patient's condition improves markedly, while the infection develops further.

The first signs of HIV may appear during the incubation period. However, most patients are unaware of the presence of health problems until they undergo appropriate tests. We should also not forget that a person is contagious to others at all stages of the disease.

The development of the disease depends on the human immune system, in some cases this process can take years.

In 50% of cases, the first signs of HIV appear 1-2 weeks after infection. Patients complain of increased fatigue, sore throat, slight increase in temperature, rhinitis, red rashes on the skin, and headaches. Most often, these symptoms are mistaken for a common cold. After a few weeks, you feel better. The latent course of the disease can last more than 10 years and all this time the patient considers himself healthy. The transition from the latent phase is provoked by chronic infections or serious illnesses.

When is it necessary to get tested?

There are professions where HIV testing is required to be allowed to work. You can undergo the study on your own initiative in any medical institution equipped for this purpose. Doctors recommend undergoing examination for prevention in the following cases.

Before starting sexual relations with a new partner, it is advisable to make sure that both people are healthy. If intimacy is a fait accompli, then the test is taken 3 months after contact.
After a potentially dangerous situation, such as contact with blood or permanent residence with an infected person, the test is carried out after 6 weeks and again after a few months on the recommendation of a doctor.
It is believed that it is impossible to become infected through household appliances and tableware, but if particles of the blood of a person with HIV infection get on things, there is a risk of infection.
A study to determine immunodeficiency and other diseases (hepatitis, tuberculosis, etc.) is prescribed if the patient experiences the corresponding symptoms: frequent colds and inflammatory diseases, enlarged lymph nodes, sudden weight loss for no apparent reason, etc.
Pregnant women need to be tested for HIV in the 1st and 3rd trimester. Like many others, this analysis is mandatory and is taken for preventive purposes.
The main risk group, according to statistical observations, includes drug addicts who use drugs intravenously, sex workers and their clients, homosexuals. These are the people who need to be tested more often than others.
It is recommended to donate blood before and after surgery, organ transplants and blood transfusions.
Laboratory staff and medical personnel who come into contact with patients and blood should be tested every 3 months.

HIV tests are carried out in public and private medical institutions. This type of analysis is conducted anonymously. The test result is communicated to the patient personally. Study data will not be disclosed to relatives, friends or other persons. It is better to take the analysis in a laboratory that is equipped with the latest equipment and has a positive reputation. The donated blood sample will be properly examined. You should be well prepared for blood collection, following all the doctor’s instructions. It is generally recommended not to eat for at least six hours before blood collection.

Blood analysis

HIV ELISA or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is a test to detect antibodies to the virus, in contrast to PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which is aimed at searching for cells of the virus itself. If all rules and regulations are observed, laboratory testing will be as accurate as possible.

How many days later can the disease be detected in the blood? ELISA can show the presence of antibodies no earlier than 21 days after possible infection. If there has been contact with a sick person or a potentially dangerous situation, an immunodeficiency virus test should be taken after a few more weeks, 3 and 6 months. ELISA involves the effect of a special substance on the patient’s blood serum.

The reaction to the chemical helps to detect antibodies to HIV. If antibodies are detected, HIV infection is present in the patient’s body and the test result is considered positive. Class A immunoglobulins (antibodies) can be detected in a blood sample as early as 2 weeks after the virus enters the body. Antibodies of class G are detected after 3-4 weeks, and class M cells can be detected after 5 weeks from the onset of the disease. This test is considered as reliable as possible, but not less than 95%. Sometimes the ELISA test is inaccurate.

Substances used for research may cause a reaction to other infections.

Immunoblotting or Western blot is carried out after a positive ELISA test with the same biological sample. The basis is a special test strip with three lines, which is processed with reagents. As a result, one of the bands appears and the test indicates the presence or absence of immunodeficiency virus in the patient's blood sample, or the result may be inconclusive. In cases of doubt, repeated blood donation and a new study may be required. Doctors recommend taking a new test after 3 months.

PCR testing is the most complex method for diagnosing HIV. This requires special laboratory equipment and qualifications. Not every medical institution can afford such medical tests, and the price for conducting the analysis is quite high. PCR is a highly sensitive test with high reliability. The procedure takes only a few hours, and you can donate blood for analysis 10 days after possible infection.

Research results

The analysis usually takes at least 2 days. Most often, you can get an answer from the laboratory 5-10 days after you give your blood sample. If the laboratory is busy, the study may take up to 2 weeks. Commercial institutions usually provide analysis information more quickly. There are the following options for research results.

If the ELISA test gives a positive reaction, the result is confirmed by immunoblotting or PCR analysis to detect viral DNA.
A positive PCR test indicates the presence of virus cells in the body. At the request of the patient, a repeat examination is carried out to exclude a technical error.
If the ELISA screening is negative, the patient is healthy.
If the ELISA test gave a negative reaction, but there was a risk of infection (unprotected sex, contact with an HIV-infected person, etc.), it is recommended to undergo repeated tests after 3 and 5 months. Sometimes a doctor assesses the risk and prescribes an additional PCR test.

Express test

A blood analyzer for self-use will show the presence or absence of the disease with a fairly high probability. Tests produced in various countries are available on the market; kits from Russia, China and the USA are especially popular. The reliability of domestic express research is 95%. Chinese goods are 99% correct, provided that the purchased product is not a fake. The greatest confidence is provided by tests made in the USA. The analysis is 99% reliable, and fakes are extremely rare.

Any kit for self-testing blood can be purchased at a pharmacy or online store without a prescription.

The self-diagnosis kit contains everything you need to carry out the analysis at home, as well as instructions for use in Russian. The process itself is extremely simple, and the result is ready in 15-20 minutes. For the analysis, blood from a finger is used; no special preparation is required, but doctors recommend carrying out the procedure in the morning, in a calm state.

If the test strip shows one line, the result is negative.
A positive result shows two divisions and indicates that the detected virus in the blood is HIV.
If a strip appears at the control division site, the diagnostic kit is considered invalid and a repeat test is required.

Modern HIV diagnostics makes it possible to detect the disease and begin timely treatment. For every person there may come a time in life when they need to be tested for the immunodeficiency virus. This may be a simple preventive examination or a mandatory test.