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Confused With ELISA Report. Blood Test Showed Faint Reaction For HIV. Am I Having HIV?
Question: I had one HIV test which showed a reaction, a follow up test came back negative and subsequent blood tests have shown a 'very faint' reaction still waiting for antibodies results - is there any chance I could be HIV positive
Hello,
Thank you for posting a query.
Look, generally, ELISA tests are done to detect HIV infection. But this reaction easily may give false positive result in many conditions. The list is very long. Basically, presence of cross reacting antigens in blood reacts with the reagent to give this type of confusing results.
So, this reaction has to be differentiated from a true positive result. For that, detection of specific antibody is very important. But, PCR test specific for Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) should also be considered.
So, there are some chances that you could be HIV positive. But it should be investigated meticulously as I told you to diagnose you as a HIV positive. Without these tests done, no one can say that you are HIV positive.
Lastly, consult with your treating doctor about the test PCR test and wait for the antibody report.
Hope this information suffices. Let me know, if you have any more questions.
Regards.
Thank you for posting a query.
Look, generally, ELISA tests are done to detect HIV infection. But this reaction easily may give false positive result in many conditions. The list is very long. Basically, presence of cross reacting antigens in blood reacts with the reagent to give this type of confusing results.
So, this reaction has to be differentiated from a true positive result. For that, detection of specific antibody is very important. But, PCR test specific for Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) should also be considered.
So, there are some chances that you could be HIV positive. But it should be investigated meticulously as I told you to diagnose you as a HIV positive. Without these tests done, no one can say that you are HIV positive.
Lastly, consult with your treating doctor about the test PCR test and wait for the antibody report.
Hope this information suffices. Let me know, if you have any more questions.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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