What types of tests are available for an HIV test?
There are three main types of tests: antibody tests, antigen/antibody tests, and nucleic acid tests (NATs).
Antibody tests, the most common type, look for HIV antibodies in your blood or oral fluid. Because the human body develops these antibodies between 23 and 90 days after infection, this test is usually recommended three months after potential exposure.
In contrast, antigen/antibody tests can detect both HIV antibodies and HIV antigens (a component of the virus) in your blood. The primary advantage of this test is that it detects HIV earlier than the antibody test because the p24 antigen appears within a few weeks of infection.
Nucleic Acid Tests (NATs) look for viruses in your blood. They can detect HIV 1 to 4 weeks after exposure, making them the most accurate but also the most expensive.