HIV infection often does not show any symptoms of the infection and it only method to diagnose is by testing a person’s blood. Two traditional tests are available to diagnose AIDS. First test looks for the level of antibodies generated by the body in reaction to HIV and the second test that looks for the viral load itself.

Now the researchers have developed the quicker methods to detect HIV which are little expansive than the traditional but save the time of people and minimize the risk of spreading such as home HIV test kit.

Antibodies are the proteins released within the body whenever a disease or micro organisms attacks it. When HIV infection occurs, body produce antibodies specific to HIV. The first test, commonly known as ELISA, detects such antibodies in blood.

If antibodies are found then the ELISA test gives a positive result. For the confirmation of the ELISA test the second part, Western Blot or IFA is performed. It is not essential that all positive tests of ELISA are accurate; hence Western Blot is very important to confirm a person’s HIV infection.

The antibodies released for HIV, usually are undetectable in the blood till the three months after infection. This period, from the moment of infection till the confirmation of positive result, is known as Window Period.

Some times, the antibodies take six to twelve months to appear. Even in case of negative results, during the Window Period, the viral load could be heavy in an HIV infected person. Therefore, if a person is just infected, the risk of transmission is higher. If a person is infected with HIV and still both tests are negative, a physician may suggest the repetition of the tests after every three months to let the antibodies reach at reasonable level.

In case of positive result, one can have early access to treatment. Early recognition of the AIDS can be very helpful in majority of the cases. Doctors can help HIV patients in building confidence and learn how to live a healthy and responsible life.