33. Is there a test for HIV infection?

Yes. There are a number of tests that detect either antibodies to HIV or HIV itself. Your body produces antibodies to fight germs. People who are infected with HIV have HIV antibodies in their

body fluids. There are two kinds of HIV antibody tests available in New York State: a blood test and an oral test.

For adults and children age 18 months or older, both types of HIV antibody test are more than 99% accurate in

determining whether a person is infected.HIV antibody tests do not measure the amount of virus in the bloodstream. The tests also cannot tell if a person has AIDS, which is a late stage of HIV disease (see question 1).

Other tests measure HIV directly rather than measuring antibodies to the virus. These tests are usually used to measure the amount of HIV in the bloodstream of someone who has already had a positive HIV antibody test. In some special situations (for example, to test newborn babies of HIV-infected women), tests that measure HIV directly are used to detect HIV infection. However, the HIV antibody test is by far the most common test for HIV infection.