HIV is a deadly virus that attracts the immune system of the body. Till date there is no possible way to kill the virus and the only way to be safe from it is not allowing it to be transmitted in your body. This is the worst STDs as for now and one must be very careful to not get infected.
But what happens if you want to find out whether or not you are infected? It is important that you know that you are infected or not to take adequate measures before your immune system is broken down. There are many ways to detect HIV in the blood. There are even choices as whether you want to go to the clinic or simply do it at home. The test in the clinic is done extremely confidentially and the privacy of the patient is maintained. Basically you can test HIV by blood tests, urine tests and nucleic acid tests.
Blood test is by far the most reliable test for HIV. A blood sample is collected from the person and tested for antibodies. If antibodies are present then the person is positive. ELISA test is the most common and only when the person shows positive for ELISA he is sent for Western Blot test. By far the most reliable test is the blood test. It can conform for sure whether or not the person is infected. ELISA test determines the level of immune cells in the body and the increase of the immune cells state the presence of the virus. One point that is to be noted is that this test is sensitive to other viruses too like the common cold virus. At this point the blood sample is sent for a western blot test.
A urine sample too can be tested for HIV. This test detects the falling level of antibodies in the urine. Lower antibody level may suggest that that some virus may have affected you. This can mean presence of an HIV virus but it does not state anything for certain. If such is the case the patient will have to carry on other tests for confirming the virus. The test is fast and does not too much of time for giving the results. This method is usually used in free clinics and for anonymous testing.
Both urine test and blood test have their pros and cons. Blood test is very specific test for HIV. It will surely tell you the presence of any virus in the blood and on further test can reveal HIV. It is the most reliable test. But urine HIV test is not very reliable though it does suggest some malfunction in the body. You will have to carry on with further tests if you suspect the virus. But this test can be done within the limits of a clinic and anonymously. You need not meet the doctor and get an appointed to get it tested. Moreover this test is mostly preferred by people who are scared of getting pricked.
Test HIV either with kits or by blood tests and start medication at once to help your immune system!
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