Types of HIV Tests | Testing | HIV Basics | HIV/AIDS | CDC
There are three types of HIV tests: antibody tests, antigen/antibody tests, and nucleic acid tests (NAT). Antibodies are produced by your immune system when you’re exposed to viruses like HIV. Antigens are foreign substances that cause your immune system to activate. If you have HIV, an antigen called p24 is produced even before antibodies develop. HIV tests are typically performed on blood or oral fluid. They may also be performed on urine. An antibody test looks for antibodies to HIV in your blood or oral fluid. An antigen/antibody test looks for both HIV antibodies and antigens. A NAT looks for the actual virus in the blood. Talk to your health care provider about what type of HIV test is right for you. It depends on the type of HIV test and where you get tested. No HIV test can detect HIV immediately after infection. That’s because of the window period—the time between HIV exposure and when a test can detect HIV in your body. The window period depends on the type of HIV test. A nuc
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