Blood Drug Testing

Can HIV be discovered with routine blood tests?

My girlfriend and I are about to become sexually active. I asked her if she had been tested for HIV and whatnot, and she said no...but being that she has health issues, she has frequently been in for blood tests and whatnot and no one ever said anything about her having HIV. Do you specifically have to look for HIV, or can it be discovered while conducting other tests on blood?

Public Comments

1. no, they have to do a specific test.
2. You need to be specifically looking for it. The test won't actually look for HIV, it will look for the antibodies in the blood stream which are produced because of the HIV. You will need to do an HIV antibody test to find it. There are several different kinds of tests, some that don't even involve needles. Most tests are free and confidential. She should get one just to be safe.
3. Good for you for being responsible and asking the hard questions! A routine blood test, usually a CBC ( complete blood count) and, either a BMP ( basic metabolic panel) or CMP( comprehensive metabolic panel) will not detect HIV. If a CBC is performed along with a differential count ( CBC with Diff.), the results may indicate an infectious process if the results are abnormal. The CMP & BMP test your electrolyes, for example, sodium ( salt), potassium, and glucose ( to name a few electrolytes). In order to be tested for HIV, you need to sign a consent form, giving the lab permission to be tested for HIV. The results are confidential, not annoyomous. If you want to be tested annoyomously, there are clinics that can do this. Confidential means that other health care providers may have access to your test results if, it necessary for them to have this information. I hope that this is useful.
4. a specific test is needed. I would say, use safe sex practice methods always, no matter what. You may not be with her long, and then you will have to tell your next partner you had unprotected sex, and you will be the one having to get tested periodically for HIV or STDs.
5. They may see signs in routine blood tests that might suggest HIV or some other disease, but a specific test needs to be done to positively detect HIV/AIDS.
6. HIV is a very specific test and must be requested.
7. HIV can only be performed with the patient's consent. A doctor almost always does a CBC ("Complete Blood Count") which is a basic panel--this panel includes measurements of white blood cells. If the white blood cells are low, means the body is fighting something and loosing so HIV is a "suspect" and this would warrant further testing whereas the patient is notified of the test result and need to perform further testing.