There is only one way to detect if a person has HIV and that is by getting an HIV test. Different types of tests are present in diagnostic centres in uttarpara to check one’s body fluids or blood in order to detect if the person is infected. However, most of these tests fail to identify HIV immediately due to the fact that the body requires time to produce enough antibodies or virus. It could take up almost 6 months before one observes a positive result, which implies that an early examination might be negative even when a person is infected.
In case the virus is present in the body, an early diagnosis would ensure that one can proceed with treatments as early as possible. This would enable one to lead a long and healthy life. It will also help you in taking adequate precautions so that you do not pass on the HIV virus to other people.

i. Antibody Screening Tests

The above test is conducted in most HIV test centres in uttarpara for detecting a type of protein that the body produces as a response to HIV infection, after about 2-8 weeks. They are often referred to as ELISA tests or immunoassay. Although these tests are known to produce accurate results, they are not capable of detecting early infections.

Generally, a physician will collect a small sample of blood and send it to any lab for inspection. In certain screening tests, urine samples or fluids from the mouth (other than saliva) are collected. However, due to lack of enough antibodies in these, one may fail to get a positive result even while being infected (a condition also known as a false negative.)
Rapid screenings of these oral fluid and blood tests can produce results in less than 30 minutes, but at times there may be false negatives as well.

ii. Antigen/Antibodies Combination Tests

These blood tests are often recommended in HIV test centres in uttarpara in case of HIV due to their ability to identify HIV almost 20 days earlier than the above mentioned tests. These tests are meant to detect HIV antigen, HIV antibodies as well as p24, a protein which is a part of the HIV virus.

iii. RNA Test

This test intends to detect the virus itself and is capable of diagnosing HIV almost 10 days after one has been exposed. Due to the high cost associated with it, this test is usually not the first preference for HIV.