Do HIV antibody tests detect all types, groups and subtypes?
Initial tests for HIV are usually conducted using the EIA (or ELISA) antibody test or a rapid antibody test. EIA tests which can detect either one or both types of HIV have been available for a number of years. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, current HIV-1 EIAs “can accurately identify infections with nearly all non-B subtypes and many infections with group O HIV subtypes.”13 However, because HIV-2 and group O infections are extremely rare in most countries, routine screening programs might not be designed to test for them. Anyone who believes they may have contracted HIV-2, HIV-1 group O or one of the rarer subtypes of group M should seek expert advice. Rapid tests – which can produce a result in less than an hour – are becoming increasingly popular. Most modern rapid HIV-1 tests are capable of detecting all the major subtypes of group M.14 Rapid tests which can detect HIV-2 are also now available.