Just before we started to record,
you surprised me with some brand new news about testing.
Why don't you tell us where we stand with, recommendations for testing,
and what's just changed.
>> Sure.
So the previous way HIV testing was performed was with an ELISA test,
it detected HIV1 and HIV2 antibodies.
If that test was positive, it's a colorimetric test, so
basically if it turns a certain color, that would be considered positive, and
then the sample would be refered on for what's called western blot testing,
where they look for anti-bodies against certain HIV capsize entities.
Now, the problem with that approach is that anti-bodies
detected in the western block take time to evolve.
So, there can be a window period of a period a week
to two weeks where those bands may be absent.
It maybe therefore difficult to confirm the presence of HIV,