HIV-1/2 Antigen and Antibodies, Fourth Generation, With Reflexes

HIV blood test is the causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). There are two forms of the HIV virus. HIV -1 and HIV - 2. HIV -1 is the predominant cause of HIV infection.The HIV blood test, also known as the fourth-generation HIV screening test, is used to detect both HIV antigen, a viral protein called p24 antigen, as well as HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies. In many people, the antibodies will appear within 12 weeks from the point of exposure. In some people, antibodies may be detectable as early as 4 weeks from exposure. One will have a lot of these p24 antigens in the bloodstream in the first few weeks after infection and then it drops to untraceable levels during the time when antibodies begin to develop. The blend of screening for both antibodies and antigen allow this test to detect a significantly higher number of early infections than previous HIV generation-based screening tests. Fourth-generation HIV tests are more reliable than third-generation tests, which are meant to detect HIV antibodies only.