Donated blood is screened for HIV

After thousands of blood recipients were inadvertently infected with HIV in the 1980s, U.S. and Canadian health authorities now test donated blood for the presence of the virus, according to the Toronto Star.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that donated blood in the U.S. constitutes one of the safest blood supplies on the planet.

Currently, the agency reports that hospitals and blood banks perform four HIV-related tests on every pint of blood donated.

The first ever to be implemented is the HIV/AIDS HIV-1 antibody test, which came into general use in the U.S. in 1985. Healthcare professionals use it to detect human immune cells produced in response to the virus.

Even if a sample of blood does not test positive for these antibodies, it may also be subjected to the HIV-1/2 antibody test and the HIV-1 p24 antigen test, which alerts doctors to the presence of HIV-produced proteins in the body.

The most recently implemented test is the nucleic acid test, which the news source said is very sensitive. It can detect the virus's genetic material relatively early, decreasing the amount of time between infection and diagnosis.

Since HIV is incurable, individuals who worry about unexplained physical symptoms may consider using an online testing service as soon as possible.

More than 1 million Americans are living with HIV, the CDC reports.