Can someone PLEASE clarify this for me?

[troubled3]

Ok,

I just want to know why people in the U.S. sometimes only get tested for HIV-1?

I don't think I was tested for HIV-2 but would an HIV-1 test detect HIV-2 if I had it?  I heard that an HIV-1 antibody test will detect HIV-2 antibodies, but then why is there a separate test for HIV-2?   Thanks

I don't know why I was not tested for this also.  Thanks, if anyone can help.

[regularjoey]

Some tests don't look for HIV-2, because HIV-2 is not a problem in the US.  I don't know exact statistics, but something like a few dozen cases in US history.

HIV-1 test probably doesn't detect HIV-2 antibodies because they are two completely different viruses.  Again, I don't know exact statistics on this, HIV-1 test might pick up HIV-2 antibodies at some low frequency.

Bottom line: if your incident happened in the US and did not involve a native of Sub-Saharan Africa forget about HIV-2

[freak_2007]

The tests most commonly go for HIV-1 because this is the most prevalent HIV type.HIV-2 is very rare in most parts of the world and very predominant in western african nations. Unless you had sex with someone in west africa or with some one who got infected in west africa, you don't have to worry about it.