Recently Answered Questions
All the answers published in this website are written by verified medical doctors, therapists and health experts. The Content has been moderated by iCliniq medical review team before publication. Post your medical clarifications on iCliniq by choosing the right specialty and get them answered. Your medical queries will be answered 24/7 by top doctors from iCliniq.
Query: Hello doctor,Are quick testing for HIV and syphilis accurate? And should it be considered affirmative if it is performed after the incubation period? I had a sexual interaction with my fiancé, and after 120 days, I underwent a quick test for syphilis and HIV. The results were unfavorable. All the t... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I read your query and can understand your concern. HIV rapid tests have reasonably good sensitivity and specificity to detect HIV 1 and 2 antibodies. The sensitivity is higher for a serum sample than a whole blood sample. The rapid tests for syphilis have a sensitivit... Read Full »
Can hook effect result in false negative HIV test?
Query: Hi doctor,I had sexual exposure before a year. Yesterday, I took an HIV ELISA test and the report was negative. Can the result be false negative due to the hook effect? I heard that in ELISA, the plates are washed by a diluted buffer after every step. Does washing plates using a diluted buffer in EL... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test will detect antibodies against HIV. One year duration is more than sufficient for the development of antibodies. The sensitivity of the test is more than nin... Read Full »