About HIV Saliva Test
HIV Saliva Test
The HIV saliva test is a part of the quick HIV testing methods, and it has been approved along with other ways to quick test for the presence of the HIV virus, in 2002.
The saliva test is not actually a saliva test. As all the information held on the HIV virus shows, the RNA of the virus is not found in saliva, tears or in body sweat. So how can one get tested for HIV from saliva?
HIV Saliva Test
The test actually relies on plasma. Plasma is a component found in blood, but also in saliva. What medical personnel is looking for is not the actual virus inside the saliva, but specific antibodies which the body starts to develop once the infection took place. This test lasts longer than the quick test to determine HIV infection using blood, and it can last up to 1 hour to show a relevant result.
For the HIV saliva test the patient will be given a saliva sample on a cotton bond. The cotton bond touches the inside of the cheeks, the gums and the tongue; this way plasma samples will be collected. The cotton bond will then be placed in the regular chemical solution which turns blue in the presence of specific HIV antibodies.
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