It is crucial for individuals infected with HIV to be aware of and understand their condition and its implications so that they can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others and can begin proper medical treatment. Unfortunately, many people infected with HIV are unaware that they have the disease until they experience obvious physical symptoms.
Antibodies are disease-fighting proteins that the immune system creates in response to an infection.
A positive test result means that the immune system has produced antibodies in response to HIV infection. This result may be confirmed by another test called the Western Blot.