Kulezindlela ezimbili ezibalulekileyo ongahlolwa ngazo i-HIV. Okokuqala yikuhlola igazi lakho ukuthi alilawo ama-antigen e-HIV yini. Ama-antigens yiwo ayabe engaphandle kwegcikwane. Ayingxenye yegcikwane ngokwawo. Nxa amazinga aphezulu ama-antigen e-HIV etholakala egazini lakho kutsho ukuthi ule-HIV.

Indlela yesibili yokuhlola yikukhangela amasotsha omzimba e-HIV. Amasotsha omzimba ayingxenye yokusabela komzimba wakho lokukhipha umkhuhlane.  Ukuba lamasotsha omzimba e-HIV  amanengi egazini lakho kutshengisa ukuthi umzimba wakho usutholile ukutheleleka nge-HIV futhi uzama ukulwa lakho.

Ukuhlola okunengi kusebenzisa inhlanganisela yalezi izindlela ezimbili, ukukhangela amasotsha omzimba lama-antigen. Ukuhlola okuhlanganisiwe yikho osekusetshenziswa ukuhlola   i-HIV kulezi nsuku.

I-Window period ichaza isikhathi esisithathayo ngemuva kokuba igcikwane likhanye nxa uhlola. Kuzoba lokubambezeleka phakathi kwesikhathi i-HIV ingena ngayo emzimbeni wakho lesikhathi lapho ukuhlolwa kungathola khona igcikwane egazini lakho (noma amathe emlonyweni). Ngamanye amazwi, ukuhlolwa kwe-HIV akukwazi ukukutshela ngokunembile ukuthi ule-HIV kuze kuphele isikhathi seWindow period. Ukuthi iWindow period ithatha isikhathi esingakanani kuya ngendlela yokuhlola esetshenzisiweyo .

Ukuhlolwa kwe-antibody kungathola kuphela i-HIV ngokuthembekile ezinyangeni ezintathu ngemuva kokuvezeka. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi umzimba wakho udinga isikhathi kuqala ukuze uthole i-HIV bese uqala ukulungisa amasotsha omzimba. Izinga lamasotsha omzimba kufanele libe phezulu ngokwanele ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi azabonakala ekuhlolweni. Ngemuva kwezinyanga ezintathu i-99% yabantu bazoba lamazinga e-antibody aphezulu ngokwanele ukuze atholwe ekuhlolweni.

Ukuhlolwa kwe-antigen kuleWindow period emfitshane. Bayakwazi ukubona i-HIV kusukela emasontweni amane ngemva kokuvezeka. Lesi sikhathi sewindow period sivumela isikhathi esithathayo i-HIV ukwenza amakhophi ayo anele ukuze abonakale egazini.

Nxa uthatha i-PrEP noma i-PEP isikhathi sewindow period ekuhlolweni kwakho iHIV singaba side, ngoba leyi mithi ingabambezela ukulungiswa kwamasotsha akho omzimba.