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HIV Diagnostic TestingQuestion 4/10

A 26-year-old woman is seen at a family planning clinic and HIV testing is ordered. The clinic sends its HIV testing samples to a lab that performs an HIV-1/2 antigen-antibody immunoassay as the initial screening test and an HIV-1/HIV-2 differentiation immunoassay as the confirmatory test.

What is a major advantage of using the HIV-1/2 antigen-antibody immunoassay as the initial screening test as opposed to older algorithms that used an antibody test (HIV enzyme immunoassay [EIA])?

This figure summarizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) recommend HIV diagnostic testing algorithm.<br /> Abbreviations: NAT = nucleic acid test
Figure 1. CDC/APHL Recommended HIV Testing Algorithm
This figure summarizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) recommend HIV diagnostic testing algorithm.
Abbreviations: NAT = nucleic acid test
Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Association of Public Health Laboratories. Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection:updated recommendations. June 27, 2014.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Association of Public Health Laboratories. 2018 Quick reference guide: Recommended laboratory HIV testing algorithm for serum or plasma specimens. Published January 27, 2018.
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Question Last Updated
January 28th, 2025

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