HIV 1 & 2 Antibodies with P24 Antigen
This fourth-generation HIV test detects both HIV antibodies and the p24 antigen, enabling earlier detection than antibody-only tests: typically within 2–4 weeks of exposure. Completely confidential.
- DHA-licensed lab
- Includes Doctor Consultation
- Physician-reviewed
- Same Day Collection
24 hours
Turnaround
Blood
Sample
What the HIV 1 & 2 Antibodies with P24 Antigen test tells you
This is a combined test, and that is the whole point of it. It looks at the same time for antibodies against HIV-1 and HIV-2 and for p24, a protein that forms part of the virus itself. Because p24 appears in the blood before the immune system has finished making antibodies, including it shortens the period after a possible exposure during which an infection could be present but not yet detectable.
The most important thing to understand before you see a result is this: it is a screening test, and a reactive result is not a diagnosis. Screening assays are deliberately built to miss as few true infections as possible, and that design means a small number of reactive results come from something other than HIV: other antibodies circulating in the blood, pregnancy, an autoimmune condition, a recent vaccination. Every reactive result is followed by a more specific confirmatory test, which separates HIV-1 from HIV-2 or looks for the virus's genetic material directly. Nothing is concluded until that confirmation is complete.
Timing is the other thing worth knowing. For a period after any possible exposure, the body has not yet produced enough of what this test measures, so a non-reactive result taken early does not settle the question, and your doctor will advise whether and when to repeat it. And if a confirmed diagnosis does follow, two facts are worth having in advance rather than discovering later. HIV today is a manageable long-term condition: people who start treatment and stay on it can expect a normal life expectancy and good health. And someone on effective treatment whose virus is suppressed to undetectable levels does not pass HIV on to sexual partners.
Recommended for routine screening, post-exposure assessment, STI screening, and pregnancy care. Early detection enables timely treatment initiation.
- Detects infection earlier
Adding p24 antigen means an infection can be identified sooner than with an antibody-only test, shortening the wait after a possible exposure.
- Covers HIV-1 and HIV-2
The test screens for antibodies to both types at once, so the less common HIV-2 is not overlooked.
- Part of routine health checks
It belongs in ordinary sexual health screening and in pregnancy care, and is worth doing whether or not there are any symptoms.
- Early treatment protects health
Finding HIV early allows treatment to start early, which preserves long-term health and prevents onward transmission.
Reasons your doctor may request the HIV 1 & 2 Antibodies with P24 Antigen test
Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.
Routine sexual health screening
- Routine sexual health screening, including when you feel completely well.
After a possible exposure
- A situation where testing is advised, such as a possible exposure or a partner who is living with HIV.
- A flu-like illness with fever, rash, sore throat or swollen glands after a possible exposure.
Pregnancy, PrEP & workplace exposure
- Pregnancy or planning a pregnancy, where knowing early protects both parent and baby.
- Before starting pre-exposure prophylaxis, and after a needlestick or other contact with blood at work.
This screening test looks for HIV antibodies and for p24 antigen, which appears earlier, and is reported as "Non-Reactive / Negative" or "Reactive / Positive". A "Reactive / Positive" result is a screening signal, not a diagnosis, and is confirmed with a more specific test. It usually reflects HIV-1 infection, sometimes HIV-2, and sometimes a very recent infection caught by p24 before antibodies form. Cross-reacting antibodies in pregnancy, in autoimmune conditions or after some vaccinations can give a falsely reactive result. A "Non-Reactive / Negative" result soon after a possible exposure does not exclude infection, because there is a period during which it cannot yet be detected; your doctor will advise on repeating. It does not separate HIV-1 from HIV-2 or measure how much virus is present. Your doctor interprets it in confidence, alongside your history and the confirmatory test.
Medically reviewed by Dr Nirupama Sabhapathy
This test is reported descriptively rather than on a numeric scale: each finding below explains what your report may say.
No HIV antibodies or p24 antigen found; soon after an exposure, your doctor may advise a repeat test.
Reactive HIV screen: a signal, not a diagnosis; a more specific confirmatory test always follows.
Ranges are a guide: your physician interprets your result alongside your symptoms and history.
What a higher result can point to
- HIV-1 infection, the most common reason for a reactive result.
- HIV-2 infection, which this test also covers.
- A very recent infection in which p24 antigen is present before antibodies have formed.
- A false reactive result from cross-reacting antibodies, which is seen at times in pregnancy, in autoimmune conditions and after some vaccinations.
- Antibodies passed from parent to infant, which can be present in a baby's blood without meaning the baby is infected.
These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests: your doctor decides what it means for you.
What this test cannot tell you
- A reactive result is a screening signal, not a diagnosis, and must be confirmed with a more specific test before it means anything.
- There is a period after a possible exposure during which infection cannot yet be detected, so an early non-reactive result does not rule it out; your doctor will advise on repeating.
- The test does not separate HIV-1 from HIV-2 on its own, and it does not measure how much virus is present or how treatment is working.
- In babies born to a parent living with HIV, transferred antibodies make this test unreliable, so testing for the virus's genetic material is used instead.
Risks of the blood draw
- Mild bruising or brief soreness where the needle went in.
- Occasional lightheadedness, which settles after a few minutes of rest.
- Bleeding or infection at the site, which is rare with sterile single-use equipment.
- 1A reactive screening result is not a diagnosis: a more specific confirmatory test always comes first.
- 2Combining antibody and p24 antigen detection finds infection earlier than antibody testing alone.
- 3A non-reactive result taken soon after a possible exposure may need repeating, and your doctor will advise when.
- 4With modern treatment, HIV is a manageable long-term condition and life expectancy is normal.
- 5Someone on effective treatment whose virus is suppressed to undetectable levels does not pass HIV on to sexual partners.
HIV 1 & 2 Antibodies with P24 Antigen also comes in these focused packages, which pair it with the tests usually read alongside it.
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HIV-2 PCR specifically detects HIV-2 viral RNA. It is used when HIV-2 infection is suspected, particularly in individuals from or with connections to…
549View - STI & STDRPR (Rapid Plasma Reagin)
RPR is a screening test for syphilis that detects antibodies to tissue damage caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. A positive result requires…
55View - STI & STDHepatitis C Antibody (Anti-HCV)
This test detects antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. A positive result means you have been exposed to HCV, but does not distinguish past from…
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the HIV 1 & 2 Antibodies with P24 Antigen test. Can't find what you're looking for?
Talk to our team→This fourth-generation test typically detects infection within 2 to 4 weeks of exposure. A non-reactive result taken earlier than that, or soon after a recent exposure, does not rule infection out, because the markers may not yet be measurable. Mention the timing of any exposure when you book, and your doctor will advise whether and when to repeat.
An antibody-only test waits for the body to make antibodies against HIV. This fourth-generation test also looks for p24 antigen, part of the virus itself, which appears in the blood before antibodies form. That lets it pick up a very recent infection earlier, although it still cannot detect infection in the first stretch after exposure.
Cross-reacting antibodies are the usual reason. They are seen at times in pregnancy, in autoimmune conditions and after some vaccinations, and they can make the screening test reactive without HIV being present. This is why every reactive result goes on to a more specific confirmatory test, which clears these cases. Mention pregnancy or an autoimmune condition when you give the sample.
Your doctor arranges viral load and CD4 testing to see how much virus is present and how the immune system is coping, and the confirmatory test establishes whether it is HIV-1 or HIV-2. Treatment can then start promptly. With modern treatment HIV is a manageable long-term condition with normal life expectancy, and someone whose virus is suppressed to undetectable levels does not pass it on to sexual partners.
Not reliably for a baby born to a parent living with HIV. Antibodies pass from parent to infant and can be present in the baby's blood without the baby being infected, so the test can be reactive for that reason alone. Instead, testing for the virus's genetic material is used to find out whether the baby is infected.
No, not on its own. This test is designed to be very sensitive, which means it occasionally reacts to antibodies that have nothing to do with HIV. A reactive result means one thing only: a second, more specific test is needed. Wait for that result before drawing any conclusion, and go through it with your doctor.
It is the stretch of time just after infection when the virus is present but the markers this test looks for have not yet risen enough to be measured. Including p24 shortens that stretch but does not remove it, which is why a test taken very soon after a possible exposure may need repeating. Your doctor will advise on timing.
Not by itself: it screens for both together. If the result is reactive, confirmatory testing establishes which virus is involved, and that distinction matters because it influences which treatments are used.
No. It answers a yes-or-no question. How much virus is circulating and how the immune system is coping are measured by viral load and CD4 testing, which your doctor arranges separately if they are needed.
No. No fasting or special preparation is needed, and you can eat and take your usual medicines as normal. Tell the team if you are taking pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis or any HIV medicine, as these affect how the result is interpreted.
The HIV test is AED 150, including a physician-reviewed report, with results usually within 24 hours. Home collection anywhere in Dubai is free when your order reaches AED 300 or includes a package; below that, a AED 100 home collection fee applies (AED 50 for a lab walk-in).