A member asked:

Can men get false positives for std ?

4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

POSSIBLE: Men and women can get false positives for std testing. For example: the specificity rate for enzyme immunoassay HIV screening tests indicates that, in 1, 000 HIV test results of healthy individuals, about 15 of these results will be a false positive!

Answered 6/10/2014

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Dr. Simon Kimm answered

Specializes in Urology

Yes.: Any medical test can yield a false positive result, and is related to the particular test's sensitivity and specificity. In HIV testing, for example, the false positive rate depends on the type of assay performed (antibody screen vs western blot). Some tests, such as dark-field microscopy for syphillis, have vanishingly low rates of false positives. This is why a confirmatory test is often used.

Answered 6/10/2014

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