- Drug Guide
- Lab Values
- Vital Signs
- Muscles A–Z
- Clinical Signs
- Medical Abbreviations
- Medical Terminology
- Physical Examination
- Surgical Examination
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Skills
- Orthopedics
- Surgery Videos
- Laparoscopy
- Pediatrics
- Funny Videos
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Nursing Videos
- Plastic Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Histology and Histopathology
- Neurosurgery
- Dermatology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Urology
- Dentistry
- Oncology and Cancers
- Anatomy Videos
- Health and Fitness
- Radiology
- Anaesthesia
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacology
- Interventional Radiology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gynecology
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Childbirth Videos
- General Medical Videos
- Nephrology
- Physiology
- Diet and Food Health
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Neurology
- Women Health
- Osteoporosis
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Hematology
- Rheumatology
- Toxicology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Disease
- Reproductive Health
- Burns and Wound Healing
- Kidney Zone Podcast
- Other
Western Blot HIV Test
Educational only: videos on MedicalVideos.com are for general information and are not medical advice. Always consult your own doctor about your health.
The window period is the time from infection until a test can detect any change. The average window period with HIV-1 antibody tests is 25 days for subtype B. Antigen testing cuts the window period to approximately 16 days and nucleic acid testing (NAT) further reduces this period to 12 days.[2] Performance of medical tests is often described in terms of: sensitivity: The percentage of the results that will be positive when HIV is present specificity: The percentage of the results that will be negative when HIV is not present. All diagnostic tests have limitations, and sometimes their use may produce erroneous or questionable results. False positive: The test incorrectly indicates that HIV is present in a non-infected person. False negative: The test incorrectly indicates that HIV is absent in an infected person.
This video in 30 seconds
This video covers HIV testing and the window period, in the context of the Western blot HIV test. It explains the average window periods described for antibody, antigen and nucleic acid testing, and defines sensitivity, specificity, false positive and false negative results.
Key points
- Explains the window period between infection and a test detecting change
- Compares window periods for antibody, antigen and nucleic acid testing as described
- Defines sensitivity and specificity for medical tests
- Defines false positive and false negative results
Medical Videos
Free medical and surgery videos for patients, students and professionals — trusted since 2007.
Founded by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD — physician-scientist.
Follow us on Facebook · Instagram
SORT BY-
Top Comments
-
Latest comments