Indeterminate and discrepant rapid HIV test results in couples' HIV testing and counselling centres in Africa

2011

Resolving Unclear HIV Test Results in Couples

Sample size: 45820 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Debrah I Boeras, Nicole Luisi, Etienne Karita, Shila McKinney, Tyronza Sharkey, Michelle Keeling, Elwyn Chomba, Colleen Kraft, Kristin Wall, Jean Bizimana, William Kilembe, Amanda Tichacek, Angela M Caliendo, Eric Hunter, Susan Allen

Primary Institution: Emory University

Hypothesis

Can an algorithm using three rapid HIV tests effectively resolve indeterminate or discrepant results in cohabiting couples?

Conclusion

Only 5% of individuals with indeterminate or discrepant rapid HIV test results were found to be HIV infected, indicating that the testing algorithm is reliable.

Supporting Evidence

The algorithm showed high reliability with two negative tests indicating a high likelihood of being uninfected.
Only 1% of individuals initially classified as negative were later found to be infected.
The presence of an HIV-positive partner significantly increased the likelihood of being infected.

Takeaway

When couples get unclear HIV test results, a special testing method can help figure out if they are really infected or not, and most of the time, they aren't.