HIV ELISA/Western Blot
Alternate Names : HIV Test
Definition A set of blood tests used in the diagnosis of chronic infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The HIV ELISA is a screening test in the diagnosis of HIV infection. If this test is positive, it must be confirmed with a second test called the Western Blot which is a more specific test and will confirm if someone is truly HIV positive, as there are other conditions which may give a false positive ELISA screening test (eg. lupus, lyme disease, syphilis).
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Why is the Test Performed?
Testing for HIV is performed and recommended for many reasons including screening in high-risk groups (men who have sex with men, injection drug users, commercial sex workers, etc); pregnant women (given the ability to decrease rates of transmission to the fetus with appropriate therapy) and individuals with certain conditions and infections (eg. Kaposi's sarcoma, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia).
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