What is the difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2?
The primary distinction between HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections is in the mechanism of retroviral pathogenesis, which is still unknown. HIV-1 and HIV-2 share many similarities, including intracellular replication pathways, modes of transmission, and clinical effects that result in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
What do I do if my HIV test is positive?
- See a doctor, even if you don’t feel sick. ...
- Have a tuberculosis (TB) test done. ...
- Recreational drugs, alcoholic beverages and smoking can weaken your immune system. ...
- Consider joining a support group for people with HIV infection or finding out about other resources available in your area, such as HIV/AIDS-knowledgeable counselors for one on one therapy. ...
Can HIV 2 be detected by PCR?
Yes, available tests for HIV detects all types of strains prevalent in your area. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test also detects all kinds of viruses. I hope this has helped you. Regards. Thank you for your response. I had sex with a sex worker. Therefore, I was concerned about HIV-2 as well.
How soon can HIV be detected in blood?
- A nucleic acid test (NAT) can usually tell you if you have HIV infection 10 to 33 days after an exposure.
- An antigen/antibody test performed by a laboratory on blood from a vein can usually detect HIV infection 18 to 45 days after an exposure. ...
- Antibody tests can take 23 to 90 days to detect HIV infection after an exposure. ...
What does HIV-2 antibody mean?
Negative HIV-1 antibody but positive HIV-2 antibody results indicates the presence of HIV-2 infection. Together with a reactive initial HIV-1/-2 antigen and antibody screening test results, individuals with such results are presumed to have HIV-2 infection.
What is the difference between HIV and HIV-2?
HIV-1 is the most common type of HIV and accounts for 95% of all infections, whereas HIV-2 is relatively uncommon and less infectious. HIV-2 is mainly concentrated in West Africa and the surrounding countries. HIV-2 is less fatal and progresses more slowly than HIV-1.
What is HIV-2 negative?
Normal results are negative. This means that no antibodies were found and that you may not be infected with HIV. Most people who become infected with HIV will develop antibodies to the virus within 2 months. During this time, you may have HIV, but this test can't detect it.
What is HIV-1 and 2 antibody test?
HIV is a viral infection that attacks the immune system. This test is done to diagnose HIV infection by detecting the HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies in the blood. This is not a screening test as this test does not detect an HIV infection soon after exposure.
The Healthcare Worker There To Help You
Before you test, your healthcare worker will talk to you about your sexual health and why youve decided to test. This is to help them understand your situation so they can offer you the best services and advice.
What Is It Used For
An HIV test is used to find out if you have been infected with HIV. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS . Most people with HIV don’t have AIDS.
Why Do I Need An Hiv Test
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. You may also need an HIV test if you are at higher risk for infection. HIV is mainly spread through sexual contact and blood, so you may be at a higher risk for HIV if you:
Can I Take The Test At Home
At-home HIV tests are a convenient way to take an HIV test in a private location. Testing for HIV at home is a form of HIV screening that requires additional follow-up if preliminary results are positive. At-home HIV tests can be obtained online, at a pharmacy, or at health departments and community-based organizations.
What Do The Results Mean
If your result is negative, it can mean you don’t have HIV. A negative result may also mean you have HIV but it’s too soon to tell. It can take a few weeks for HIV antibodies and antigens to show up in your body. If your result is negative, your health care provider may order additional HIV tests at a later date.
How Is It Used
HIV antibody and HIV antigen testing is used to screen for and diagnose HIV infections. Early detection and treatment of HIV infection and immune system monitoring can greatly improve long-term health and survival. Also, if a person knows his or her HIV status, it may help change behaviors that can put him or her and others at risk.
What Is The Window Period And What Is The Window Period For The Insti Rapid Hiv Test
After exposure to HIV, it can take from 3 to 12 weeks for an infected persons body to make enough antibodies for a screening test to detect them. This is called the window period. IgM antibodies are the first antibodies to be detected by INSTI and are typically present in the bloodstream approximately 3 weeks after infection.
What does a negative HIV antibody test mean?
Negative results for HIV-2 antibodies usually indicate the absence of HIV-2 infection. However, in patients with reactive initial combined HIV-1/-2 antigen and antibody test results, such negative results do not rule-out acute or early HIV-2 infection.
Where did HIV come from?
It was first isolated in 1986 in West Africa, where it is currently endemic. As of June 2010, CDC has reported a total of 166 cases that met the CDC case definition of HIV-2 infection in the United States. Most of these cases were found in the northeastern United States, and the majority had a West African origin or connection.
Is there a test for HIV-1 and 2 antibodies?
Although there are several FDA-approved screening assays to detect combined HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies or HIV-2 antibodies alone, currently there is only one FDA-approved supplemental (confirmatory) HIV-2 serologic assay for clinical use in the United States.
Is HIV-2 a non-progressor?
Up to 95% of HIV-2-infected individuals are long-term nonprogressors, and individuals with undetectable HIV-2 viral load have similar survival rates as that of the uninfected population. However, HIV-2 does cause immunosuppression as well as AIDS with the same signs, symptoms, and opportunistic infections seen in HIV-1. Due to the rarity of HIV-2, there are scant data from controlled trials to inform management decisions.
Can you order a confirmatory assay on a specimen that is repeatedly reactive?
This confirmatory assay should be ordered only on specimens that are repeatedly reactive by HIV-2 antibody screening immunoassay.
Overview
HIV-2 infection is endemic in West Africa, with certain countries experiencing a population prevalence of >1%.
Clinical Course of HIV-2 Infection
The clinical course of HIV-2 infection is generally characterized by a longer asymptomatic stage, lower plasma viral loads, and a lower mortality rate than HIV-1 infection. 2,3 However, without effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-2 infection will progress to AIDS and death in the majority of individuals.
Diagnostic and Monitoring Assays for HIV-2 Infection
In the appropriate epidemiologic setting, HIV-2 infection should be suspected in persons who have clinical conditions that suggest HIV infection but who have atypical serologic results (e.g., a positive screening assay with an indeterminate HIV-1 Western blot).
Treatment of HIV-2 Infection
To date, no randomized controlled trials that address when to start ART or the choice of initial or subsequent ART regimens for HIV-2 have been completed; 11 thus, the optimal treatment strategy has not been defined.
What is HIV antibody test?
This virus attacks the body's immune system that helps fight disease. The HIV antibody test is a blood test to see if you have antibodies to the HIV virus. An antibody is material made by your body when it tries to fight off an infection.
What does a positive HIV test mean?
What do the test results mean? 1 A positive test means that you may have the HIV virus. It does not necessarily mean you have AIDS. Once a person is infected with this virus, you will remain infected for life. Some people infected with HIV seem healthy and show no symptoms for several years. Others may get sick with AIDS or have symptoms of an HIV infection. You cannot get rid of the virus and it will not go away. There is no cure for HIV infection. There are medicines to help slow down the infection. There are also medicines to help fight other infections that HIV positive people may get. 2 A negative test means that you probably do not have the HIV virus. However, you may need to follow up with repeat tests. These tests are especially important if you have done things during the last year that put you at high-risk to get HIV. Your body takes from 6 to 8 weeks (and sometimes longer) to develop the antibodies to HIV.
What does it mean if you have a positive HIV test?
A positive test means that you may have the HIV virus. It does not necessarily mean you have AIDS. Once a person is infected with this virus, you will remain infected for life. Some people infected with HIV seem healthy and show no symptoms for several years. Others may get sick with AIDS or have symptoms of an HIV infection. You cannot get rid of the virus and it will not go away. There is no cure for HIV infection. There are medicines to help slow down the infection. There are also medicines to help fight other infections that HIV positive people may get.
Can HIV be cured?
There is no cure for HIV infection. There are medicines to help slow down the infection. There are also medicines to help fight other infections that HIV positive people may get. A negative test means that you probably do not have the HIV virus. However, you may need to follow up with repeat tests.
Can you get pregnant with HIV?
Women should not get pregnant if HIV positive.
Can a test tell if you have AIDS?
This test cannot tell you if you have AIDS now or when you might develop AIDS. It just tells if you have the HIV virus in your body. With AIDS, your body has trouble fighting off germs or cancer. You can get infected with germs that do not bother most people.
What is the test for HIV?from drtanandpartners.com
Antigen/antibody tests. This type of test looks for antibodies to HIV as well as a viral protein called p24. It’s actually possible to detect p24 before antibodies develop.
How does HIV-1 treatment work?from healthline.com
HIV-1 treatment involves the daily use of antiretroviral drugs. These drugs work to prevent the virus from infecting new cells and making more of itself. When this happens, a person’s viral load can be greatly reduced. There are several types of antiretroviral drugs.
How does HIV-1 affect the immune system?from healthline.com
Common ways this can happen are during sex without a condom and through sharing injection drug equipment. HIV-1 infects immune cells called CD4 cells. When it’s not treated, the virus can gradually damage the immune system. The late stages of HIV-1 are characterized by low CD4 cell counts and opportunistic infections.
Why is access to antiretroviral drugs important?from healthline.com
This is because receiving antiretroviral therapy can both prevent HIV-1 from further harming the immune system and prevent the transmission of the virus to others. A 2020 cohort study.
What percentage of people with HIV are LTNPs?from healthline.com
About 5 to 15 percent of people living with HIV are LTNPs. LTNPs can also be broken down further based off their viral load:
How many antiretroviral drugs are used for HIV?from healthline.com
HIV treatment typically involves the use of three or more antiretroviral drugs. Some of these drugs will be from different drug types to both better inhibit the virus and to prevent drug resistance.
What is an antibody test?from healthline.com
Antibody tests. An antibody test detects antibodies to HIV. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes in response to foreign invaders, such as a HIV. Most HIV rapid or at-home tests are antibody tests.
What is the antigen test for 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.
What is the only HIV test approved?
Most rapid tests and the only currently approved HIV self-test are antibody tests. Talk to your health care provider about what type of HIV test is right for you.
How long does it take for a finger prick to detect HIV?
Antigen/ antibody tests done with blood from a finger prick can take longer to detect HIV (18 to 90 days after an exposure). Antibody tests can take 23 to 90 days to detect HIV infection after an exposure. Most rapid tests and self-tests are antibody tests.
What are the different types of HIV tests?
What kinds of tests are available, and how do they work? There are three types of tests available: nucleic acid tests (NAT), antigen/antibody tests, and antibody tests. HIV tests are typically performed on blood or oral fluid. They may also be performed on urine. A NAT looks for the actual virus in the blood and involves drawing blood from a vein.
How long does it take to get results from a rapid antibody test?
The rapid antigen/antibody test is done with a finger prick and takes 30 minutes or less. The oral fluid antibody self-test provides results within 20 minutes. How soon after an exposure to HIV can a test detect if I have the virus? No HIV test can detect HIV immediately after infection.
What is the time between HIV exposure and a test?
The time between when a person may have been exposed to HIV and when a test can tell for sure whether they have the virus is called the window period. The window period varies from person to person and depends on the type of test used to detect HIV. Ask your health care provider or test counselor about the window period for the test you’re taking.
How long does it take to get tested for HIV?
A nucleic acid test (NAT) can usually tell you if you have HIV infection 10 to 33 days after an exposure.
How long does it take to get a result from HIV 1 and 2?
The HIV 1 and 2 Antibodies (AIDS Screening) test is used to detect the presence of HIV infection. The test can be performed post 3 to 12 weeks of exposure. In the test, a blood sample or an oral sample is collected. In case of oral sample testing, the result can be obtained within 20 minutes.
How does early detection help with HIV?
Early detection and diagnosis could help in controlling sexual activity. This also helps in monitoring the immune system functioning and can thereby help in long term survival is detected early. HIV 1 type infection is mainly detected in patients across the USA. However, HIV2 is mainly found in African countries.
Can you do HIV testing at home?
This can be done at home as well. The test is suggested in cases where the individual has consum ed drugs through un-sanitized syringe, or has had unprotected sex with unknown partner. Early testing in above cases can help control sexual activity and help long term survival. Preparation for HIV 1 and 2 Antibodies (AIDS Screening) Test.
What does HIV-2 mean?
People with HIV-2 tend to have a lower viral load, or how much of the virus is in their blood, than people with HIV-1. Together with CD4 cell count, which is a way of determining how healthy the immune system is, viral load tells a healthcare provider how well a person’s treatment is working.
What is the difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2?
Differences between HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system. There are two main types of this virus: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Both types of HIV are long-term but manageable health conditions. With effective treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives.
Why do we take HIV medications?
Taking these medications daily as they instruct can slow progression of HIV, prevent transmission, and help protect the immune system. Because of the genetic differences, a healthcare provider may prescribe different drug combinations for treating HIV-1 and HIV-2.
How many types of HIV are there?
There are two main types of this virus: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Both types of HIV are long-term but manageable health conditions. With effective treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives. Understanding the different types of HIV helps increase awareness of the condition.
What is the most common mode of transmission of HIV-2?
Trusted Source. , the most common mode of HIV-2 transmission is heterosexual sex. However, heterosexual transmission rates of HIV-2 are five to 10 times lower than those of HIV-1. Between mothers and babies, transmission rates of HIV-2 are 20–30 times lower. Trusted Source.
Where does HIV occur?
type of HIV and occurs all over the world. According to the HIV awareness charity Avert, around 95 percent of people living with HIV have HIV-1. in West Africa, but it is slowly starting to appear in other regions, including the United States, Europe, and India.
Which is more difficult to transmit: HIV-1 or HIV-2?
Both types of HIV weaken the immune system, but HIV-2 tends develop more slowly and is less easy for people to transmit than HIV-1.
What is the HIV antibody test?
The HIV antibody test advised by the CDC is the HIV-1/2 antigen/antibody combination immunoassay test. If you test positive for HIV, the CDC advises the following follow-up tests: HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation immunoassay. This test is to confirm HIV and find out if you have HIV-1 or HIV-2. HIV-1 NAT (nucleic acid test).
What are the symptoms of HIV?
You may need this test if you have symptoms of an HIV-1 infection. Early symptoms are flu-like and include: 1 Fever 2 Cough 3 Sore throat 4 Rash 5 Runny or stuffy nose 6 Muscle and joint aches 7 Diarrhea 8 Headaches
What is NAT test for HIV?
HIV-1 NAT (nucleic acid test). You will need this test to confirm the HIV-1 infection if you test positive on the first antigen/antibody combination immunoassay test and negative or undetermined on the antibody differentiation immunoassay. Other follow-up tests, such as ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and Western blot, ...
What to do if you test positive for HIV?
If you test positive for HIV on this test, you will need one of the follow-up tests to confirm that you have an HIV infection. Depending on your results, your healthcare provider may suggest that you speak with an HIV counselor.
Does this test have other names?
HIV test; human immunodeficiency virus antibody test, type 1, HIV p 24 antigen
Overview
Clinical Course of HIV-2 Infection
- The clinical course of HIV-2 infection is generally characterized by a longer asymptomatic stage, lower plasma viral loads, and a lower mortality rate than HIV-1 infection.2,3 However, without effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-2 infection will progress to AIDS and death in the majority of individuals.4Concomitant HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection...
Diagnostic and Monitoring Assays For HIV-2 Infection
- In the appropriate epidemiologic setting, HIV-2 infection should be suspected in persons who have clinical conditions that suggest HIV infection but who have atypical serologic results (e.g., a positive screening assay with an indeterminate HIV-1 Western blot).5The possibility of HIV-2 infection should also be considered in the appropriate epidemiologic setting in persons who hav…
Treatment of HIV-2 Infection
- To date, no randomized controlled trials that address when to start ART or the choice of initial or subsequent ART regimens for HIV-2 have been completed;11 thus, the optimal treatment strategy has not been defined. Existing data on the treatment of HIV-2 and extrapolation from data on the treatment of HIV-1 suggest that ART should be started at or soon after HIV-2 diagnosis in order t…
References
- Gottlieb GS, Raugi DN, Smith RA. 90-90-90 for HIV-2? Ending the HIV-2 epidemic by enhancing care and clinical management of patients infected with HIV-2.Lancet HIV. 2018;5(7):e390-e399. Available a...
- Matheron S, Pueyo S, Damond F, et al. Factors associated with clinical progression in HIV-2 infected-patients: the French ANRS cohort. AIDS. 2003;17(18):2593-2601. Available at: https:…
- Gottlieb GS, Raugi DN, Smith RA. 90-90-90 for HIV-2? Ending the HIV-2 epidemic by enhancing care and clinical management of patients infected with HIV-2.Lancet HIV. 2018;5(7):e390-e399. Available a...
- Matheron S, Pueyo S, Damond F, et al. Factors associated with clinical progression in HIV-2 infected-patients: the French ANRS cohort. AIDS. 2003;17(18):2593-2601. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nl...
- Marlink R, Kanki P, Thior I, et al. Reduced rate of disease development after HIV-2 infection as compared to HIV-1.Science. 1994;265(5178):1587-1590. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubm...
- Esbjornsson J, Mansson F, Kvist A, et al. Long-term follow-up of HIV-2-related AIDS and mor…
