A college student has been called into the student health office because she tested positive for HIV on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The student asks, "What is this Western blot assay going to tell you?"

Question

The best response by the health care provider is:
A) "We always want two positive test results before we give you medicine."
B) "The Western blot is a more sensitive assay that looks for the presence of antibodies to specific viral antigens."
C) "This assay will actually look at all the individual cells in your blood and count how many HIV cells you have, so we can treat you with the proper medication."
D) "If you are afraid of another blood test, we can do a rapid oral test to see if we get the same results."

Answer 1

Ans: B
Feedback:
The Western blot is a more sensitive assay than the EIA that looks for the presence of antibodies to specific viral antigens. In the case of a false-positive EIA result, the Western blot test can identify the person as uninfected. Technologic advances have led to new forms of testing, such as the oral test, home testing kits, and the new rapid blood test. Oral fluids contain antibodies to HIV. In the late 1990s, the FDA approved the OraSure test. The OraSure uses a cotton swab, which is inserted into the mouth for 2 minutes, placed in a transport container with preservative, and then sent to a laboratory for EIA and Western blot testing.