The first type of test is the HIV antibody test. This test shows whether a person has been infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Information on this page concentrates mainly on HIV antibody testing. Antibody tests are also known as ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) tests.
The second type of test is an antigen test. Antigens are the substances found on a foreign body or germ that trigger the production of antibodies in the body. The antigen on HIV that most commonly provokes an antibody response is the protein P24. Early in the infection, P24 is produced in excess and can be detected in the blood serum by a commercial test (although as HIV becomes fully established in the body it will fade to undetectable levels). P24 antigen tests are sometimes used to screen donated blood, but they can also be used for testing for HIV in individuals, as they can detect HIV earlier than standard antibody tests. Some of the most modern HIV tests combine P24 and other antigen tests with standard antibody identification methods to enable earlier and more accurate HIV detection.
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