Diagnostic testing is done in two stages, a screening test and a confirmatory test.
If non-reactive for HIV antibodies, the screening test is termed negative and no further testing is done. If the confirmatory test is positive , the person likely has been infected with the HIV virus. Because of the serious nature of this diagnosis and the possibilities of test or laboratory error, persons who are diagnosed HIV positive are typically asked to return at a later time for another independent diagnostic test. In the United States, all persons who obtain the HIV test are expected to be counseled, both before the blood specimen is collected and after the results are known. At federally-funded HIV testing centers in the United States, more than 95 percent of persons receiving blood tests are found to be negative.