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Can HIV test be positive if the viral load is zero?

Dr Anuj Sharma
World Health Organization,
Country Office for India,
New Delhi

Q: If one is taking medication for AIDS and the viral load is zero, then will one still get a positive result?

A:The usual HIV/AIDS test is the ELISA for antibodies to HIV 1 & 2. This would be positive in an HIV infected patient, even when the viral load has been reduced to an undetectable limit with treatment, provided the test was positive initially.