False-positive HIV screening test in a healthcare student

Summary This case report describes a 22-year-old female Ambulance Technician student who displayed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) false positivity following a recent hepatitis B vaccination. Occupational health clinicians who work in a healthcare setting (with healthcare staff and/or students) should be aware of the possibility of false-positive HIV screening test results, and where a false positive is suspected, they should consider what the underlying cause could be and should consider whether further medical investigation is required.