How to Read ELISA HIV Test Results
Short for "enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay," the ELISA HIV test is one of the most commonly used and accurate forms of HIV screening. Through a several-step process, a specimen is attached to a detection antibody that causes the sample to emit a fluorescent or electrochemical signal if the HIV-1 antibody is present.
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Instructions
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Read a General ELISA HIV Test Result
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Read your ELISA-based HIV test with the assistance of your physician or the sexual-health professional that gave you the HIV test.
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Have your doctor explain the ELISA testing process to you. It begins when a sample (blood, oral fluid or urine) is placed on a microtiter plate. Then, a series of coatings and solutions are applied to the plate to bind with the sample of interest, preparing for an antibody detector to be applied to the bound solution.
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Ask about the blocking process, as it applies to an ELISA HIV test. This process involves the application of casein or another blocking serum to the sample. This will inhibit the absorption of every protein except the one being searched for (in this case, HIV-1 antibodies) to the microtiter plate.
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Learn that after blocking, the plate is washed, and an antibody used to find the presence of HIV-1 is added. Other antibodies, which bind themselves to the detection antibodies, are then added before the plate is washed again. Substrate materials are then applied, which will cause any HIV-1 antigens to become detectable with the aid of specialized-laboratory equipment.
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Interpret your test results with the help of your doctor. The ELISA report that will be returned by the lab will include measurements of the levels of the detected HIV-1 antibodies, as well as the number of times the test was performed. It should also include a summary of other variables that were controlled.
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Expect that your doctor will not usually read your results to you over the phone. She will likely require you to visit her office, so your results can be given to you in person. A positive HIV diagnosis can be quite traumatizing, and your doctor has help available in the event your test returns a reactive result.
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Tips & Warnings
No HIV test is 100-percent accurate all of the time. False positives, using the ELISA test, are returned at rates varying from 0.5 to 2.2 percent of the time. You should always follow up an inconclusive or reactive (positive) result with further testing.
