My test was positive. Isn't positive supposed to be good?
In medicine positive only means the test found the thing it was looking for. It is not a judgment about good or bad. A positive result for infection means we found the infection.
It is one of the most confusing words we use, and we say it without thinking. If a result is described to you as positive or negative, ask us plainly what was found and what it means for you.
Source: National Cancer Institute, dictionary entry for positive test result
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