Getting tested for HIV can be scary, but the condition is treatable so it is important to get tested if you think you have been exposed. If you test positive, early detection and monitoring of HIV will help your doctor determine whether the disease is progressing and when to start treatment.

Your doctor may recommend counseling before and after HIV testing, and it is usually available at the hospital or clinic where you will be tested. This will give you an opportunity to:

• Discuss your fears about being tested.
• Learn how to reduce your risk of becoming infected if your test is negative.
• Learn how to keep from spreading HIV to others if your test is positive.
• Think about personal issues, such as how having HIV will affect you socially, emotionally, professionally, and financially.
• Learn what you need to do to stay healthy as long as possible.

HIV is diagnosed when antibodies to HIV are detected in the blood. The two primary blood tests used to detect the HIV antibodies are:

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
• Western blot assay, used to confirm the results of a positive ELISA test.

HIV is diagnosed only after two or more positive ELISA tests are confirmed by one positive Western blot assay.

It can take as little as 2 weeks or as long as 6 months from the time you become infected with HIV for the antibodies to be detected in your blood. This is commonly called the "window period," or seroconversion period. During the window period, you are contagious and can spread the virus to others. If you think you have been exposed to HIV but you test negative for it, you should be tested again 6 months later.

Testing positive for HIV infection

Testing positive for HIV will probably make you anxious and afraid about your future. The good news is that people being treated for HIV are living longer than ever before with the help of medicines that slow the rate at which HIV progresses to AIDS. Your doctor can help you understand your condition and how best to treat it.

If you test positive for HIV, your doctor will complete a medical history and physical examination. He or she may order several lab tests to evaluate your overall health condition and identify current or previous infections that may become more complicated because of HIV. These tests include:

• A complete blood count (CBC), to identify the numbers and types of cells in your blood.
• A chemistry screen, to measure the blood levels of certain substances (such as electrolytes and glucose) and to evaluate liver and kidney function.
• Syphilis testing.
• Screening for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, to test for past or current infection with viruses that cause hepatitis.
• Tuberculosis (TB) screening, to detect bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
• A chest X-ray, to detect lung problems associated with HIV.
• Toxoplasmosis testing, to detect the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis (an infection caused by eating undercooked meats or contact with some animals such as cats). This condition can become serious in people who have weakened immune systems.