How does oral hiv test work

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Follow HIV. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. The rapid oral test, however, detects these antibodies in oral fluid, and doesn't require a blood sample. The rapid oral HIV test is quite accurate similar to the standard blood antibody test for persons with chronic , or longstanding, HIV infection, but it is not as accurate for people with new or recent HIV infection.

Like any antibody test for HIV, the rapid oral HIV test is not reliable during the "window period" lasting several weeks to months between the time a person is infected and the time the body has made enough antibodies for the test to detect. During this window period, someone who is infected might test negative for antibodies a false-negative result.

If you actively engage in behavior that puts you at risk for HIV infection, or your partner engages in such behavior, then you should consider testing on a regular basis. It can take some time for the immune system to produce enough antibodies for the test to detect, and this time period can vary from person to person.

This means that one false negative result would be expected out of every 12 test results in HIV infected individuals. This means that one false positive result would be expected out of every 5, test results in uninfected individuals. Even when used according to the labeled directions, there will be some false negative results and a small number of false positive results. The OraQuick test package contains step-by-step instructions, and there is also an OraQuick Consumer Support Center to assist users in the testing process.