In late 1985, the Association of State and Territorial Public Health Laboratory Directors (ASTPHLD) first recognized the need for standardization and uniformity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test procedures, interpretation and reporting among public health laboratories. In 1986, the HIV Committee of ASTPHLD conducted its first Consensus Conference, with the objective of promoting quality and uniformity among laboratory programs through the exchange of data, sharing of expertise and formulation of consensus recommendations. There were 41 participants at this conference that addressed four topics: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot, immunofluorescence and methods standardization.