My blood keeps testing a false positive for HIV help?!?!
Question:
My blood keeps testing a false positive for HIV help?!?
first two tests are positive and confirmatory test is negative what the heck does that mean? Could i have something wrong? how does that just happen? my doctor was out again but i spoke with another doctor who today told me she wants me to get another blood tests in 6 weeks but my other dr. told me that if i got the same results again i should go see a specialist!!! AHH??
Answers:
I'm so glad you're OK!!! Thanks for sharing your results with us, your "Yahoo Answers" friends!!
I did a little research on HIV false positives. What I learned is this: HIV testing is done in two stages: First, the Elisa test is given. This is a test for HIV antibodies, but it often confuses other proteins for HIV antibodies, so if someone gets a positive Elisa, they follow it up with a Western Blot Assay (much more specific test) to verify the result. The Western Blot is 99% specific for HIV antibodies and does not "confuse" other antibodies with HIV antibodies the way the Elisa does. It is a much more expensive test, which is probably why the Elisa is used for screening. If someone gets a negative Elisa, then they are negative, and the testing is done. If they get a positive Elisa then they have to go on to the Western Blot.
It looks like false positives on the Elisa are a more common thing than most people realize. Some of the things that can cause a false positive HIV result on the Elisa would be:
allergies
recent flu shot
pregnancy
alcoholism/alcoholic hepatitis
infection with other retroviruses
One site stated that there are 70 diseases and conditions that can cause a false positive Elisa.
Because the Elisa is so prone to false positives, a result of "HIV positive" can never be given unless the confirmatory test (Western Blot Assay) is also positive.
Most likely the doctor will want to send you to an infectious disease specialist to test you for a variety of other viruses and conditions to see if you have anything that might be causing these false positive results on the Elisa.
But it's not HIV!! Good for you!!!!! :)