B7.3 Matching the Right HIV Test to the Right Population: When Are Rapid Tests Not Good Enough?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012: 3:55 PM
Greenway Ballroom A/B/C
Jo-Anne Stekler, MD

Clinicians and public health programs that test patients for HIV infection can utilize different HIV tests, including several different enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), rapid point-of-care tests, and HIV RNA tests.  Each type of test has advantages and disadvantages, and the best test or combination of tests to use in a particular population or testing setting varies.  This talk will review the operating characteristics of different HIV tests and discuss when each test is most appropriately used.