Dried Blood Spot Test
A DBS test is a free, accurate and convenient way to test for HIV in the comfort and privacy of your home.
It involves collecting a few drops of blood from your finger and allowing the blood to dry on a test card. You then send the card away to get tested and wait around a week to get the result back. You can register for a DBS HIV test here.
When To Use An Hiv Poct
It takes up to 12 weeks for the body to producesufficient amounts of HIV antibodies to be detected by the HIV POCT. This isknown as the window period. If you have a test within the window period, thatis within 12 weeks of a potential exposure to HIV, it is recommended you haveanother test 12 weeks after the potential exposure as the result of a testwithin the window period may not be as accurate.
If your most recent potential exposure to HIV was in theprevious 72 hours speak to your care provider about Post-exposure Prophylaxis. PEP is a treatment that may prevent HIV transmission and is available topersons likely to have been exposed to HIV within the past 72 hours. Read thefact sheet on Post-exposure ProphylaxisHIV for more information.
What Happens During An Hiv Test
You will either get a blood test in a lab, or do your own test at home.
For a blood test in a lab:
- A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.
For at home test, you will need to get a sample of saliva from your mouth or a drop of blood from your fingertip.
- The test kit will provide instructions on how to get your sample, package it, and send it to a lab.
- For a saliva test, you will use special spatula-like tool to take a swab from your mouth.
- For a fingertip antibody blood test, you will use a special tool to prick your finger and collect a sample of blood.
For more information on at-home testing, talk to your health care provider.
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What Is An Hiv Point Of Care Test Used For
HIV POCTs are used to provide results quickly to a clientfollowing testing, however it is a preliminary screen only, the test is notused as a diagnostic test for HIV. Test results are referred to as eithernon-reactive or reactive, however more familiar terms may be negative orpositive. If the test result is reactive, a conventional blood test must alsobe performed and sent to a pathology laboratory to confirm the result.
Use of HIV POCTsis recommended for targeted testing of populations where a higher proportion ofthe population have HIV, including men who have sex with men, or the sexualpartners of people from countries where HIV is more common than Australia.
Where Can I Get Tested
You can get tested at your primary care providers office or at a local testing center. If you live in the US, find a local testing center near you on the CDC HIV testing resource site. This site has a feature where you can type in your zip code, and get the names and addresses of testing locations near you. Its sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
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What Happens If The Test Result Is Non
If the HIV POCT produces a non-reactive result, it meansthe test did not detect evidence of HIV in the sample, within the capability ofthe test.
The person performing the HIV POCT will interpret theresult in consideration of the potential exposure you have discussed with them.It is important to provide as much information as you can so the advice youreceive is appropriate for you. If you have had a potential exposure within 12weeks of the test, it is recommended you retest 12 weeks after the exposure haspassed.
If You Have A Negative Test Result Does That Mean That Your Partner Is Hiv
No. Your HIV test result reveals only your HIV status.
HIV is not necessarily transmitted every time you have sex. Therefore, taking an HIV test is not a way to find out if your partner is infected.
It’s important to be open with your partner and ask them to tell you their HIV status. But keep in mind that your partner may not know or may be wrong about their status, and some may not tell you if they have HIV even if they know they’re infected. Consider getting tested together so you can both know your HIV status and take steps to keep yourselves healthy.
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What Does A Negative Hiv Test Result Mean
A negative result doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have HIV. That’s because of the window periodthe time between when a person gets HIV and when a test can accurately detect it. The window period varies from person to person and is also different depending upon the type of HIV test.
Ask your health care provider about the window period for the kind of test youre taking. If youre using a home test, you can get that information from the materials included in the tests package. If you get an HIV test after a potential HIV exposure and the result is negative, get tested again after the window period for the test youre using to be sure. To learn more about the window period and when a person should get retested, see CDCs How soon after an exposure to HIV can an HIV test if I am infected?. If you get an HIV test within 3 months after a potential HIV exposure and the result is negative, get tested again in 3 more months to be sure.
If you learned you were HIV-negative the last time you were tested, you can only be sure youre still negative if you havent had a potential HIV exposure since your last test. If youre sexually active, continue to take actions to prevent HIV, like using condoms the right way every time you have sex and taking medicines to prevent HIV if youre at high risk.
Why Do I Need An Hiv Test
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. You may also need an HIV test if you are at higher risk for infection. HIV is mainly spread through sexual contact and blood, so you may be at a higher risk for HIV if you:
- Are a man that has had sex with another man
- Have had sex with an HIV-infected partner
- Have had multiple sex partners
- Have injected drugs, such as heroin, or shared drug needles with someone else
HIV can spread from mother to child during birth and through breast milk, so if you are pregnant your doctor may order an HIV test. There are medicines you can take during pregnancy and delivery to greatly reduce your risk of spreading the disease to your baby.
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There Are Three Main Tests:
- Fourth Generation: The 4th generation test, is a type of blood test which takes about 3-5 days to get the results. This test is sensitive enough to detect HIV in your blood 2 weeks after a possible exposure. Offered almost everywhere.
- Rapid test :Both tests take about 20 minutes to get the results. This test will provide you with results 6 to 8 weeks after an exposure.
- Blood test is a finger stick a small amount of blood is taken from the tip of the finger and mixed in a solution. There are both 4th and 3rd generation rapid tests.
- Oral test a small amount of saliva from a persons mouth is obtained using a cotton swab that looks like a toothbrush. You can buy this test at a pharmacy. We strongly encourage people to get tested in a clinic or at your primary care providers office for additional support and education.
If any preliminary test is positive, the NAT blood test is done to confirm that the person is HIV positive.
Its important to know there are three types of results that can come from a rapid test: invalid, non-reactive and reactive.
The third and last part of testing is getting your results and talking about what those results mean for the future. No matter which test a person chooses to do, its very important to always get your results!
What Does Non Reactive Mean
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I Just Read Your Guide On Hiv Testing And It Mentions A Reactive Result Is Considered A Preliminary Positive And Means That Hiv Antibodies Were Found So What Does It Mean If The Second Test Is Negative
Posted
Human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that attacks the bodys immune system. If HIV isnt treated it can progress into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome . However, with early testing and proper medical care its unlikely that HIV will progress into AIDS. Anyone who has unprotected sex and or shares needles or injection drug equipment is at an increased risk for developing HIV/AIDS. The virus is spread through contact with infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and or breast milk. The best way to prevent transmission of HIV always use a condom, this will also help prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections .
There are three different ways you can be tested for HIV fourth generation blood test, rapid test , and confirmatory test nucleic acid testing . The test you are asking about is the rapid test, which takes about 20 minutes to get results, but it will only show accurate results 6 to 8 weeks after exposure. The rapid test can give three different results: invalid, non-reactive, and reactive. A reactive result means exactly what you said it is considered a preliminary positive and means that HIV antibodies were found. If this occurs, a second confirmatory test needs to be performed. If the NAT test results as negative, it is likely that you will need another test to confirm your results. If you are concerned that you have contracted HIV or AIDS, schedule an appointment with your health care provider to receive HIV testing, immediately.
What Does A Positive Test Result Mean
If you receive an HIV-positive result, the healthcare worker will talk to you about what this means and what will happen next. For most people, receiving a positive diagnosis can be a shocking and emotional experience this is completely normal. The healthcare worker is there to support you and to answer any questions that you have.
Treatment means that HIV is now a manageable illness. Your healthcare provider can link you to support and treatment services, and any other health services that you need. Any questions that you have you can ask them its their job to help answer your worries. You will most likely be asked to schedule another appointment with them in the very near future. Its very important to keep appointments and use the support offered to you. You may also be offered screening tests for other sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.
Find out what questions to ask and what support is available to help you cope with the results on our Newly diagnosed page.
It has almost been eight months since I was diagnosed with HIV. I was confused, ashamed, I kept asking, ‘How this could be?’. Slowly but surely Im beginning to accept that HIV is going to be a part of me and I definitely have control over it.
– Raya
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Repeat Testing Based On Risk
While the CDC recommends that all people between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once, they also recommend yearly HIV testing for the following people:
- those having vaginal or anal sex without a condom or barrier method, especially men who have sex with men
- sexual partners of individuals living with HIV
- those who share needles
There are many steps that can be taken to prevent contracting HIV. These include:
- Using a condom.Using a condom during sex can help prevent transmission of the virus.
- Not sharing needles. Its important not to share needles or other injection drug equipment.
- Taking pre-exposure prophylaxis .PrEP is a daily oral medication. It can help to prevent contracting HIV during sex or when using injection drugs.
- Getting tested. Being aware of HIV status is a valuable tool in prevention. Testing for other STIs is also important because some STIs can increase the risk of HIV transmission. Encourage sexual partners to be tested as well.
- Asking about post-exposure prophylaxis .PEP is an emergency medication that can help prevent HIV after potential exposure. To be effective, it must be started within 72 hours after a possible exposure.
What Is An Hiv Test
An HIV test shows whether you are infected with HIV . HIV is a virus that attacks and destroys cells in the immune system. These cells protect your body against disease-causing germs, such as bacteria and viruses. If you lose too many immune cells, your body will have trouble fighting off infections and other diseases.
There are three main types of HIV tests:
- Antibody Test. This test looks for HIV antibodies in your blood or saliva. Your immune system makes antibodies when you are exposed to bacteria or viruses, like HIV. An HIV antibody test can determine if you have HIV from 312 weeks after infection. That’s because it can take a few weeks or longer for your immune system to make antibodies to HIV. You may be able to do an HIV antibody test in the privacy of your home. Ask your health care provider about at-home HIV test kits.
- HIV Antibody/Antigen Test. This test looks for HIV antibodies and antigens in the blood. An antigen is a part of a virus that triggers an immune response. If you’ve been exposed to HIV, antigens will show up in your blood before HIV antibodies are made. This test can usually find HIV within 26 weeks of infection. The HIV antibody/antigen test is one of the most common types of HIV tests.
- HIV Viral Load. This test measures the amount of the HIV virus in the blood. It can find HIV faster than antibody and antibody/antigen tests, but it is very expensive. It is mostly used for monitoring HIV infections.
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What Does My Hiv Elisa Test Report Mean
Answered by: Dr LM Nath | Consultant, Community Medicine,New Delhi
Q: I am a 27 years old male. Cited below is my ELISA test report:-Result: non-reactiveNon Reactive result implies that no Anti HIV-1 or Anti HIV -2 Antibodies have been detected This means that either the patients has not been exposed to HIV or HIV 2 infection or the sample has been tested during the Window phase .Can you please explain the meaning of this report?
A:It means that at the time of getting the test there was no evidence of HIV infection. If the time since the last risk exposure was less than 12 weeks I suggest you wait until sufficient time has elapsed before having another test. If that too is negative or if sufficient time had passed since the last exposure, then you have been fortunate and there is no infection. Please remember that if you have been lucky earlier it does not mean that you are immune or will be fortunate the next time you are exposed. Please also remember that if the test is positive, do not believe you are positive until the test is repeated and again comes positive. Also if by any chance you are found to be really HIV infected, keep in mind that you have a long life ahead of you, with the recent medicines and management methods while there is no true cure still, life and wellbeing can be prolonged for many, many years.
What Is A Test Like
There are many places to get HIV tests, such as your primary care providers office or a special testing site. Youll first receive information about HIV, risk factors for HIV, and the types of different tests. You will have time to ask questions and talk about any concerns about getting tested. Its your choice to get tested.
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What Is It Used For
An HIV test is used to find out if you have been infected with HIV. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS . Most people with HIV don’t have AIDS. People with AIDS have an extremely low number of immune cells and are at risk for life-threatening illnesses, including dangerous infections, a severe type of pneumonia, and certain cancers, including Kaposi sarcoma.
If HIV is found early, you can get medicines to protect your immune system. HIV medicines may prevent you from getting AIDS.