- Testing HIV-positive (also written HIV+) means that an individual has contracted HIV. Testing HIV-negative (HIV-) means that evidence of HIV has not been found in that person's system. This does not, however, always mean that a tested individual has not contracted HIV.
- A person who tests negative for HIV may have contracted the virus, but too recently for the test to detect it. This is because HIV testing relies on seroconversion, meaning the development of a level of antibodies that can be found with a screening test.
- Seroconversion, according to HIVTest.org, takes an average of 25 days; however, the process may take anywhere from three to six months. People seeking testing should discuss their last possible date of infection with a health-care worker to see if testing is appropriate at that time.
- RNA tests check for the presence of the virus's genetic material and so can find evidence of the virus much earlier, according to HIVTest.org. However, these tests are not widely used as standard screening tests.
- If an initial HIV test yields a positive result, it must be confirmed by another test on the same sample of blood. The results of the test are then given to an individual; a person may have to return to the testing site in order to receive the results.
- Receiving results from an HIV blood test may take between several days and a week or more. Rapid testing can give a result in half an hour or less, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, it may still take a week or more to have the results of a confirmatory test.
