The difference between HIV negative and positive
A negative or positive HIV antibody test indicates whether or not a person has been infected with the HIV virus. A negative result, denoted by "−", means that the person has not been infected with HIV, while a positive result, indicated by "+", means that the person has been infected. However, if this result comes from an initial screening test, a positive screening requires further confirmatory testing. Only if the confirmatory test is positive can it be definitively confirmed that the person has been infected with HIV. If the confirmatory test is negative, but the individual has engaged in high-risk sexual behavior, it is recommended to undergo another screening test after three months. If this test is also negative, HIV infection can be ruled out.