Military Blood Tests

[Solomon]

By chance, is someone familiar with the specific tests performed on the blood samples that are taken at MEPS stations (for both enlisted and officer selectees)? Specifically, I am interested in learning what HIV detection tests are performed. One test is the Western Blot Test; but there is at least one other.
In my previous experience attempting to enlist, my blood returned "indeterminate" for HIV with the military but when my blood is analyzed at a third-party healthcare provider it returns definitively "negative." I cannot be certain that the HIV tests performed through a MEPS station and at an outside healthcare provider are the same - there are, after all, more than a dozen tests for HIV. If I am selected at the March '10 Boards, I will then once again need an outside agency to confirm my "negative" HIV status, yet finding anyone who knows just what HIV tests the military performs on blood samples is near impossible...not even the personnel in the army, navy, air force, etc. offices AT the MEPS know what HIV tests are performed.
Any thoughts (or knowledge) one has on this subject is most appreciated.

 

[MIDNJAC]

So do you have any reason to believe that the military results are invalid?

 

[fc2spyguy]

Here I thought this was going to be a 'what drugs do they test for question' certainly didn't see this one coming . . .

 

[CRJockey]

I was told that they perform a preliminary test that can rule it out, but sometimes returns false positives (never a false negative). If it comes back positive or indeterminate, then they run a whole slew of tests on the blood. It's not just one test. I have no med expertise, this is just what the flight doc told us.

 

[jtmedli]

Why not just go back and get the blood test re-done?

 

[Tomodachi]

Why not just go back and get the blood test re-done?

It may be quite troublesome to go back to MEPS only for the blood test. It is probably up to the recruiter.

 

[BACONATOR]

Don't recall seeing a specific name of the HIV test they did, but haven't looked at my record in a couple weeks. Like was said above... if they see a positive and it's a simple prelim test... they'll put you through the ringer with other tests, most likely.

 

[A4sForever]

We didn't have HIV tests when I went through ....

But then again, the NAVY had my blood mis-typed for 12+ years ...

 

[BACONATOR]

We didn't have HIV tests when I went through ....

But then again, the NAVY had my blood mis-typed for 12+ years ...

Good thing they never gave you a typed transfusion.

 

[RadicalDude]

We didn't have HIV tests when I went through ....

But then again, the NAVY had my blood mis-typed for 12+ years ...

Did they think it wasn't piss and vinegar?

 

[fc2spyguy]

We didn't have HIV tests when I went through ....

But then again, the NAVY had my blood mis-typed for 12+ years ...

Well, back when leonardo was still figuring out his flying machine I'm pretty sure that the blood types were still being determined . . . just saying . . .

Or did you guys just call him Leo in your circle of friends?

 

[A4sForever]

....Or did you guys just call him Leo in your circle of friends?

Leo?? Nope ... we just called him "Howard" ...

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[fc2spyguy]

Yeah, I was more thinking along the lines of this one

 

[Solomon]

My recruiter with another branch informed me earlier this week that I am disqualified from the service due to my two indeterminate blood tests in 2008 & 2009. Showing documentation from a healthcare organization indicating that I am "negative" for HIV doesn't mean anything (thus why the surgeon general denied my waiver and subsequent congressional inquiry). I don't understand why any entity would DQ someone for such a petty, uncontrollable offense like an indeterminate blood test result. I don't harbor any infectious diseases. I donate blood regularly and those samples are tested, nothing ever turns up. Being barred from the military due to an offense which does not harm anyone and which is, again, not in my control feels un-American.

 

[MIDNJAC]

My recruiter with another branch informed me earlier this week that I am disqualified from the service due to my two indeterminate blood tests in 2008 & 2009. Showing documentation from a healthcare organization indicating that I am "negative" for HIV doesn't mean anything (thus why the surgeon general denied my waiver and subsequent congressional inquiry). I don't understand why any entity would DQ someone for such a petty, uncontrollable offense like an indeterminate blood test result. I don't harbor any infectious diseases. I donate blood regularly and those samples are tested, nothing ever turns up. Being barred from the military due to an offense which does not harm anyone and which is, again, not in my control feels un-American.

While I understand your frustration, you would certainly not be the first person barred from service for medical reasons. You don't have a "right" to serve, but rather a priviledge, so I'd suggest that you continue pursuing constructive ways of working with the system to accept you. At the end of the day, it does suck, and it sounds like there is the distinct possibility that this is a closed door for you. Don't give up though; I know people who have perservered and gotten waivers (for various things) when they had been told it wasn't possible.