Do I need blood for HIV to take on an empty stomach

When and why to go for a test?

The most common reasons that lead people to a specialist to test for the presence of antibodies to HIV, include:

1. Permanent risk behavior. The advising specialist may recommend how to reduce the risk.
2. Accidental risky behavior. It is advisable to conduct HIV testing in 2-3 months after the risky situation. At this time, it must act in a safe (sexual intercourse only with a condom or abstinence).
3. Before creating a new relationship. Partners need to get tested together (if one of them is not a man without sexual experience) and needs to be sure that, at least for two months before testing to behave safely.
4. All venereal diseases and especially the ulcerative infection with symptoms (herpes, genital ulceration, gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, Mycoplasma) significantly increase the risk of HIV transmission between sexual partners.

   

HIV test – General information

HIV tests do not detect the presence of virus in the body, but watching the emergence of certain specific proteins. These proteins are antibodies (international designation Ab) and antigens (Ag). The detection of the presence of the virus in the body, it is also possible, but this test is not intended to diagnose HIV infection is complex, time consuming and expensive, so it is not usually done. In addition, is uncertain, when there may be a negative result of such test to be considered reliable enough. From this come some of the limitations of testing.

Antigens in the body begin to appear after about three weeks after infection. At this time they begin to show analysis. After about a week the body produces so many antibodies that the antigen is no longer detected. Approximately six weeks after infection the number of antigens in the body begins to decrease. Subsequently, the assays detect antibodies. After creating HIV antibodies do not disappear, and can always be detected by tests. The result of the analysis, however, cannot determine how much time has passed since infection.

The main limitation of the test: the analysis should only be performed after the expiration of the so-called immunologic window. The immunological duration of the window depends on the type of test (e.g., when saliva is necessary to observe a three-month interval) from the current state of human health (e.g., presence of hepatitis C or syphilis, as well as the intake of certain medications (e.g., corticosteroids, anabolic steroids, certain antibiotics and cancer drugs) can slow down the immunological response), as well as other factors.

It is not recommended retesting with the same potential risk as it contributes to increased anxiety and premature analysis of peace will bring. On the other hand it is recommended to repeat periodic testing for people with increased risk (e.g., HIV-negative partners of HIV-positive men who have sex with men), the recommended interval is appropriate to discuss during the consultation.

Two key parameters for all tests:

• Sensitivity indicates the ability of the test to identify infected persons.
• Specificity is the ability of the test to identify each uninfected person.

Blood for HIV is dealt on an empty stomach or not?

Each person intending to do the tests are interested in the question, shall the blood of HIV on an empty stomach, or is it not a prerequisite?

To test for HIV you do not need any special training. However, donating blood is recommended in your pre-lunch time, because giving blood for a blood test for HIV should be performed on an empty stomach. In addition, it is recommended the consumption of adequate amounts of fluid – this reduces the risk of loss of consciousness during blood withdrawal. However, before conducting the tests must pass at least two months from a potential risk, because of which person actually does the tests.

What you need to know about HIV testing?

Man has only one way to find out he is infected with HIV or not. This method is represented by the blood test, which is designed specifically for the HIV virus. Thus, the infection cannot be detected in conventional blood sampling. This means that, if you do notget tested for HIV positivity, you should not expect other tests information about whether you are infected with the HIV virus or not.

In addition to the above blood test the presence of virus HIV can de facto be determined by testing saliva. But note: the result of this test is merely a guideline, and man to his peace of mind it is advisable to undergo a blood test.

The purpose of the blood test is to determine whether the test sample antibodies to HIV. The human body begins to produce when infected with the virus. Therefore, if they are present in the blood, the body, in fact, infected.

The key is the fact that to detect the virus immediately after that, as there was an infection, and even a few days, it is impossible. Reliable results can be obtained, usually after two to three months after infection. In other words, definitively confirm transmission is possible three months after the suspect risky process. This condition is referred to as the "immunological window".

If a laboratory test showed a positive result, it is, of course, for an infected person does not automatically mean that it must necessarily develop AIDS. This fact can only be determined after some time during clinical examination. If the test result is HIV negative, this can only be explained so, that in the previous three months before had done a blood test, the test person was not infected with a virus. In any case, this does not mean that a person is healthy, especially if the last time he was in a risky situation, i.e., were amenable to the possibility of transmission of infection.

At the same time, either positive or negative blood test result says nothing about the state of health of the partner of the person being tested. In the specialized literature describes numerous cases where one partner was infected with the HIV virus, but his second half was not contaminated even after several unprotected sex acts. At the same time, there are many cases when the transmission of the infection occurred immediately after the first sexual contact!

Viral load

The term "viral load" refers to the total amount of virus that contains the infected person's blood. The higher values of viral load, the higher the risk of AIDS, along with all the common symptoms that are related to this disease.

The level of HIV in the blood (the particles are called virions) currently can be determined through laboratory tests of samples of blood tests called viral load. All kinds of methods that are used today for these purposes are considered to be very reliable. The differences between the various methods are the same, namely how the low level of infectious particles in the blood of a particular method can recognize. This means that in almost all cases, the results are acceptable prognostic value, showing viral load low, high, or average value.