Does a positive ANA mean a person has lupus?

A positive ANA (antinuclear antibody) test result can be indicative of an autoimmune disorder, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), but it is not diagnostic on its own. Lupus is a complex autoimmune disorder that can affect many different parts of the body and can manifest with a wide variety of symptoms. A positive ANA test result is a common laboratory finding in people with lupus, but it is also found in many other autoimmune disorders and in healthy people without any known autoimmune disorder. In order to make a diagnosis of lupus, a combination of clinical findings and laboratory tests are used. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) have established criteria for the diagnosis of lupus, which include a combination of clinical symptoms and laboratory test results. A positive ANA test is one of the criteria for lupus, but it is not sufficient for a diagnosis on its own.

It's important to note that ANA testing should be ordered and interpreted by a Rheumatologist, and a positive result should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat any condition.