The Western blot is no longer recommended as a confirmatory test for HIV infection. Read more in
HIV and ID Observations.
It has been clear for years that for detecting early HIV infection, the Western blot is markedly inferior to the latest generations of HIV screening tests, asserts Dr. Paul Sax in the latest HIV and ID Observations blog post. The assay is no longer recommended as a confirmatory test for HIV infection. This important change is now reflected in the CDC's updated test recommendations.