Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) -WHO. Revised recommendations for the selection and use of HIV antibody tests
Releve Epidemiologique Hebdomadaire 72(12): 81-87
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0049-8114 PMID: 9238418 Document Number: 263523
Recommendations for the selection and use of HIV antibody tests were first issued by WHO in 1992. Since then the range of HIV antibody tests available has expanded. New types of assays have been developed and the overall quality has improved. These updated guidelines, which apply only to tests using serum or plasma, set out the main objectives of HIV antibody testing and discuss: the effect of sensitivity and specificity on accuracy of antibody tests; HIV prevalence and predictive value; and the need for a quality assurance programme. Three strategies for HIV antibody testing are proposed and detailed.