This can be very difficult as the virus does not show in a blood test until up to three months, or occasionally six months, after a person is exposed to the risk. So, to be sure, a person must have been in a risk-free environment for that length of time before taking the test. This is known as the window period. Then, there may be no symptoms even for years, but during that time the infected person can pass on the disease to others. How does the HIV test work? The most commonly used test is an HIV antibody test. Antibodies are produced by the body in response to the presence of HIV, and this test looks for those antibodies. Can you treat HIV? There is no vaccine or cure for HIV. However, there are some anti-HIV drugs available which can slow down the damaging effect of HIV on the immune system. Some consequences of HIV. Being HIV positive brings its own problems. These are social as well as physical. There is still quite a stigma attached to being HIV positive. Relationships become very difficult, especially if they are intimate. Having children is far more complicated for a parent who is HIV positive. Babies can have the disease transmitted to them at birth, or through breast milk. Any degree of health is only maintained with the support of regular medication. And if the infected person develops full blown AIDS then further complications arise.