Avidity testing

[Souledout]

Got back some more results today, including a test which is starting to be used for checking how recent an infection is called avidity testing. There's not much info out there that I can see, does anyone have any experience if it? According to this test I acquired the virus less than 6 months before my date of diagnosis.

Other news is good, only low possibility of resistance to one drug, everything else doing a-ok.

[Ann]

There's a fairly decent description/definition here.

[newt]

The test is in fact a test and an interpretation to make a perhaps 2/3rd accurate guess at whether you acquired HIV in the last 6 months or before that time. The test works by looking for specific antibody markers, which give different results in the months immediately following infection. If a test gives a result below a pre-determined cut-off point, it is deemed to be a recent infection (approximately the last six months). It's an informed guess that's all. Some people find it useful. Some public health monitoring programmes find it useful eg to compare new with longtime cases of HIV.

- matt

[Souledout]

Thanks, that's pretty much the info I had already. Just making sure I had my facts right really. Ta guys and gals.