Editing Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS (section)

===HIV antibody testing is unreliable===
[[Medical diagnosis|Diagnosis]] of [[infection]] using [[ELISA|antibody testing]] is a well-established technique in [[medicine]]. HIV [[antibody]] tests exceed the performance of most other infectious disease tests in both sensitivity (the ability of the screening test to give a positive finding when the person tested truly has the disease) and specificity (the ability of the test to give a negative finding when the subjects tested are free of the disease under study). Many current HIV antibody tests have sensitivity and specificity in excess of 96% and are therefore extremely reliable.<ref>[https://www.who.int/diagnostics_laboratory/publications/en/HIV_Report15.pdf "HIV Assays: Operational Characteristics", World Health Organization, 2004]</ref> While most patients with HIV show an antibody response after six weeks, window periods vary and may occasionally be as long as three months.<ref name=GilbertKrajden10>{{cite journal|last1=Gilbert|first1=Mark|last2=Krajden|first2=Mel|title=Don't wait to test for HIV|journal=BC Medical Journal|date=July–August 2010|volume=52|issue=6|page=308}}</ref>

Progress in testing methodology has enabled detection of viral genetic material, antigens, and the virus itself in bodily fluids and cells. While not widely used for routine testing due to high cost and requirements in laboratory equipment, these direct testing techniques have confirmed the validity of the antibody tests.<ref name="Jackson, 1990">{{cite journal | last1 = Jackson | first1 = J.B. | last2 = Kwok | first2 = S.Y. | last3 = Sninsky | first3 = J.J. | last4 = Hopsicker | first4 = J.S. | last5 = Sannerud | first5 = K.J. | last6 = Rhame | first6 = F.S. | last7 = Henry | first7 = K. | last8 = Simpson | first8 = M. | last9 = Balfour | first9 = H.H. Jr |display-authors=etal | year = 1990 | title = Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 detected in all seropositive symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals | journal = J. Clin. Microbiol. | volume = 28 | issue = 1| pages = 16–19 | doi = 10.1128/JCM.28.1.16-19.1990 | pmid = 2298875 | pmc = 269529  }}</ref><ref name="Busch, 1991">{{cite journal | doi = 10.1056/NEJM199107043250101 | last1 = Busch | first1 = M.P. | last2 = Eble | first2 = B.E. | last3 = Khayam-Bashi | first3 = H. | last4 = Heilbron | first4 = D. | last5 = Murphy | first5 = E.L. | last6 = Kwok | first6 = S. | last7 = Sninsky | first7 = J. | last8 = Perkins | first8 = H.A. | last9 = Vyas | first9 = G.N. |display-authors=etal | year = 1991 | title = Evaluation of screened blood donations for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection by culture and DNA amplification of pooled cells | journal = N. Engl. J. Med. | volume = 325 | issue = 1| pages = 1–5 | pmid = 2046708  | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Silvester, 1995">{{cite journal | last1 = Silvester | first1 = C. | last2 = Healey | first2 = D.S. | last3 = Cunningham | first3 = P. | last4 = Dax | first4 = E.M. | year = 1995 | title = Multisite evaluation of four anti-HIV-1/HIV-2 enzyme immunoassays. Australian HIV Test Evaluation Group | journal = J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol | volume = 8 | issue = 4| pages = 411–19 | pmid = 7882108 | doi=10.1097/00042560-199504000-00014}}</ref><ref name="Urassa, 1999">{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/S1386-6532(99)00043-8 | last1 = Urassa | first1 = W. | last2 = Godoy | first2 = K. | last3 = Killewo | first3 = J. | last4 = Kwesigabo | first4 = G. | last5 = Mbakileki | first5 = A. | last6 = Mhalu | first6 = F. | last7 = Biberfeld | first7 = G. | year = 1999 | title = The accuracy of an alternative confirmatory strategy for detection of antibodies to HIV-1: experience from a regional laboratory in Kagera, Tanzania | journal = J. Clin. Virol. | volume = 14 | issue = 1| pages = 25–29 | pmid = 10548127 }}</ref><ref name="Nkengasong, 1999">{{cite journal|last1=Nkengasong|first1=J.N.|author-link=John Nkengasong|last2=Maurice|first2=C.|last3=Koblavi|first3=S.|last4=Kalou|first4=M.|last5=Yavo|first5=D.|last6=Maran|first6=M.|last7=Bile|first7=C.|last8=N'guessan|first8=K.|last9=Kouadio|first9=J.|last10=Bony|first10=Séka|last11=Wiktor|first11=Stefan Z.|display-authors=9|year=1999|title=Evaluation of HIV serial and parallel serologic testing algorithms in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire|journal=AIDS|volume=13|issue=1|pages=109–17|doi=10.1097/00002030-199901140-00015|pmid=10207552|first12=Alan E.|last12=Greenberg|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Samdal, 1996">{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/S0928-0197(96)00244-9 | last1 = Samdal | first1 = H.H. | last2 = Gutigard | first2 = B.G. | last3 = Labay | first3 = D. | last4 = Wiik | first4 = S.I. | last5 = Skaug | first5 = K. | last6 = Skar | first6 = A.G. | year = 1996 | title = Comparison of the sensitivity of four rapid assays for the detection of antibodies to HIV-1/HIV-2 during seroconversion | journal = Clin. Diagn. Virol | volume = 7 | issue = 1| pages = 55–61 | pmid = 9077430 }}</ref>{{citation overkill|date=January 2021}}

Positive HIV antibody tests are usually followed up by retests and tests for [[antigen]]s, viral genetic material and the virus itself, providing confirmation of actual infection.{{cn|date=January 2021}}