Early detection of HIV infection can facilitate timely interventions that improve treatment outcomes and prevent further transmission. Fourth-generation HIV tests, which simultaneously detect both HIV antibodies and p24 antigens, allow healthcare practitioners to detect the virus with greater speed and accuracy than more traditional approaches.

In China, clinical guidelines and laboratory processes are evolving to ensure the accurate use of fourth-generation HIV tests, according to Prof Cai Weiping, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, and Prof Duan Zhaohui, Laboratory Head at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. In the latest edition of the Master Viewpoint series, they discuss changing standards for diagnosis, testing and treatment.

Key topics of discussion are as follows:

• [0:32] – making HIV diagnosis/treatment guidelines, industry standards, and technical specifications work in collaboration with each other
• [4:47] – the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in China and benefits of early diagnosis for patient outcomes and public health
• [9:09] – considerations and protocols around confirmatory testing using the Western blot method or nucleic acid testing (including quantitative and qualitative approaches)