How Does HIV Testing Work?
In the early stages of HIV infection, the virus itself is difficult to detect. Rather than looking for the virus, HIV testing usually involves looking at the body’s reaction to the presence of the virus. The measure of the amount of virus in an individual’s blood stream is called the viral load. Antibodies are produced by the body in reaction to the presence of a virus. In an HIV antibody test, the presence of antibodies in response to the presence of HIV is measured. The most common HIV antibody tests are ELISA (EIA) and Western Blot. These tests can now be performed on samples of oral (mouth) fluid.
