If confirmed by Western blot or other supplemental test, a positive antibody test means that a person is infected with HIV and is capable of transmitting the virus to others. Although a negative antibody test usually means a person is not infected, antibody tests cannot rule out infection that occurred less than 6 months before the test. Since there is transplacental passage of maternal HIV antibody, antibody tests for HIV are expected to be positive in the serum of both infected and uninfected infants born to a seropositive mother. Passively acquired HIV antibody falls to undetectable levels among most infants by 15 months of age. A definitive determination of HIV infection for an infant less than 15 months of age should be based either on the presence of antibody to HIV in conjunction with a compatible immunologic profile and clinical course or on laboratory evidence of HIV in blood or tissues by culture, nucleic acid, or antigen detection.
Some states require written consent.
See HIV Prevention Counseling for a discussion of pretest and posttest counseling. Persons with positive HIV tests must receive medical and psychosocial evaluation and monitoring services, or be referred for these services. This site produced by the Journal of the American Medical Association through educational grants from Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical and Advanced Care Products. 1997 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.