HIV抗體檢測的益處
無論這個檢測結果是陽性還是陰性，知道自己是否感染了HIV自然大有益處：

1. 陰性結果落得一個安心；
2. 陽性結果首先有助於得到早期醫學治療，從而預防某些疾病症狀進一步惡化。那些註定要出現的症狀能夠儘早得到治療；
3. 陽性結果也對HIV/AIDS預防事業有益，自此以後，感染者能夠避免感染他人。

HIV抗體檢測相關的權益問題和預防問題
HIV抗體檢測也引起一些與個人合法權益和預防相關的問題：

1. 隱私擔憂：這些檢測是保密的嗎？去做HIV抗體檢測者應該確保檢測結果的保密性。在大多數國家，回答是肯定的。許多健康服務機構也為那些特別擔心隱私問題者提供匿名檢測。確實也存在著對陽性結果外泄的恐懼，這一結果一旦被雇主、鄰居和熟人獲悉，可能受到歧視。隨著HIV抗體家庭檢測箱的使用，保密性變得更困難了。這種檢測方法可能引誘某些多事者在未經他人知情或同意的情況下，來檢測他人的血液樣本。在大多數國家裏，這樣的做法是違法的；因而，在有保護隱私法律條款的國家，這些法律條款必須嚴格地強制執行；還沒有這些法律條款的國家，必須要立法。
    
2. 諮詢服務問題：去做HIV抗體檢測者也應該確保自己能夠得到適當的諮詢服務。甚至陰性結果也應該與專業諮詢師討論，以獲得有關“安全性行為”指導和其他有關維護健康的知識。陽性結果可能會極大地打擊和催垮獲悉這一悲劇消息的當事人。對於這種情況，專家的勸慰和指導是必不可少的。獲准開業的HIV抗體檢測機構和許多AIDS防治機構已經專門針對一些特殊人員進行了培訓，因為他們原先就能夠詳細解說醫學知識和知道自己的服務物件可能在哪里尋求進一步的幫助。這些經過培訓的諮詢師也能夠在最需要的時候為當事人提供感情支援（樂觀地說，這種培訓在發展中國家可能才起步，中國大陸有不多的預防和醫療機構已經有了這方面的服務，但尚未形成共識和規模——譯者注）。甚至可以說，匿名電話諮詢可能是正確的舉措，已經證明這對許多尋求幫助的人是有益的。然而，其他的人則願意面對一個活生生的諮詢人員，直接獲得認同、理解和幫助。
    
3. 想當然的預防觀念：許多人錯誤的以為每隔一定的時間只要去做HIV抗體檢測就能夠保護自己不感染HIV。只要檢測結果仍然是陰性，他們就想當然地認為沒有什麼可擔心的。這種想法或做法是愚蠢的和危險的，因為與感染者的任何一次新的性接觸都能夠導致感染發生，而且很可能要花上數月時間才能夠檢測到HIV抗體。HIV抗體檢測不能預防任何事情發生，只能告訴我們事情發生之後的實際結果。HIV抗體檢測不能替代“安全的性行為”。

Advantages
Whether the test result is positive or negative, knowing one’s HIV status has its advantages:

1. A negative result brings emotional relief.
2. A positive result helps to get early medical treatment and thus to prevent some health problems from developing in the first place. Those problems that do appear can be treated early.
3. A positive result also serves the cause of prevention, since the patient can now avoid the infection of others.

Concerns
HIV antibody testing also raises some legitimate concerns:

1. Privacy: Are the tests confidential? People who take an HIV antibody test should make certain that the results remain confidential. This is assured in most countries. Many health services also offer anonymous testing for those with particularly strong privacy concerns. There is also a fear that a positive test result, once known to employers, neighbors, and acquaintances could lead to discrimination. Confidentiality has become harder to protect with the arrival of home testing kits. This could tempt some prying person to test other people’s blood samples without their knowledge or consent. This is against the law in most countries, and such laws must be strictly enforced where they exist. Where they do not yet exist, they must be put on the books.
    
2. Counseling: People who get tested should also make certain that they receive adequate counseling. Even a negative test result should be discussed with a knowledgeable counselor who can give individual advice about “safer sex” practices and other hints about staying healthy. A positive test result can greatly distress or even overwhelm the person receiving the news, and in this situation expert advice is essential. Approved testing sites and many AIDS organizations have specially trained counselors who can explain medical details and who know where their clients can find further help. They can also provide emotional support at a moment when it is most needed. This may even be true for anonymous telephone counseling, which has proven helpful to many who sought their advice. Others, however, prefer the empathy of a living person sitting right in front of them.
    
3. Prevention: Many people mistakenly believe that they can protect themselves against HIV infection by simply getting tested at regular intervals. They think they have nothing to worry about as long as test results remain negative. This is a foolish and dangerous notion, because any new sexual contact with an infected person can lead to an infection, and it can take months before a new test detects HIV antibodies. Tests cannot prevent anything; they can only tell you something after the fact. No test is a substitute for “safer sex”.