Test guide
HIV Viral Load
An HIV viral load test measures the amount of HIV in a sample of your blood. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The test looks for genetic material from the virus in your blood. These tests are called molecular tests or nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT or NAT). There are several types of NAAT tests. A PCR test is one type of NAAT that may be used to find HIV.
What it is for
An HIV viral load test is mainly used after you're diagnosed with HIV to: HIV viral load testing is also used to test newborn babies when they are born to a person who has HIV. That's because HIV can be passed to a fetus during pregnancy , a baby during childbirth, and through breast milk. Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Medical test information is public domain. Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-18. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Limitations
Reference intervals and interpretation depend on the laboratory, specimen, method and clinical context. This source definition is educational information; it does not establish a diagnosis, product approval or suitability for an individual.
Also known as
- nucleic acid testing, NAT, nucleic acid amplification test, NAAT, HIV PCR, RNA Test, HIV quantification
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