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HIV Testing
HIV testing
What are the reasons to have an HIV
test?
What does the HIV test involve?
What is HIV home testing?
HIV testing - a personal view
There are three main types of HIV test.
The first type of test is the HIV antibody test.
This test shows whether a person has been infected with HIV, the
virus which causes AIDS. Information on this page concentrates on
HIV antibody testing.
The second type of test is P24 antigen testing. It
is primarily used to screen the blood supply but in some places it
is used for testing for HIV in individuals. P24 antigen is a protein
that is part of the HIV. Early in the infection, it is produced in
excess and can be detected in the blood serum by a commercial test.
The P24 test can detect HIV infection before the HIV antibody test
can. Therefore, P24 antigen testing is used in diagnosing HIV early
in the course of infection.
The third type of test is used when a person knows
that she or he is already infected with HIV. These tests show the
level of virus in the blood (viral load test).
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The HIV test looks for antibodies in a person's
blood. When HIV (which is a virus) enters a person's body, special
chemicals are produced. These are called antibodies. Antibodies are
the body's response to an infection. So if a person has antibodies
to HIV in their blood, it means they have been infected with HIV (an
exception is the case of an HIV negative baby born to a positive
mother, who will retain her antibodies for some months).
For most people it takes 3 months for these
antibodies to develop. In rare cases, it can take up to 6 months. It
would be extremely uncommon to take longer than 6 months for
antibodies to develop.
Getting tested earlier than 3 months may result in
an unclear test result, as an infected person may not yet have
developed antibodies to HIV. The time between infection and the
development of antibodies is called the window period. In the window
period people infected with HIV have no antibodies in their blood
that can be detected by an HIV test. However, the person may already
have high levels of HIV in their blood, sexual fluids or breast
milk. HIV can be passed on to another person during the window
period even though an HIV test will not show that you are infected
with HIV. So it is best to wait for at least three months after the
last time you were at risk before taking the test. Some test centres
may recommend testing again at 6 months, just to be extra sure.
It is also important that you are not at further
risk of getting infected with HIV during this time period. The test
is only accurate if there are no other exposures between the time of
possible exposure to HIV and testing.
The only way to know for sure whether you are
infected with HIV is to have an HIV antibody test. It is not
possible to tell from any symptoms.
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Many people who have an HIV test have been worrying
unnecessarily. Getting a negative result (which means you are not
infected with HIV) can put your mind at rest. If your test result is
positive, many things can be done to help you to cope with the HIV
positive result and look after your health. If your test is
positive, then
• A doctor can keep an eye on your health. Many
people who test positive stay healthy for several years. But if you
fall ill, there are many drugs called antiretrovirals that can help
to slow down the virus and maintain your immune system. You can also
have medicines to prevent and treat some of the illnesses that
people with HIV get. You may also have access to trials of new drugs
and treatments.
• If you do fall ill, the doctor is going to take
your symptoms more seriously if they know that you are HIV positive.
• If you know that you are HIV positive, you can
take steps to protect other people. For example, by practising safe
sex and informing you past sexual partners.
• Knowing that you have HIV may affect some of your
future decisions and plans, for example starting a family.
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In most countries, there are many places that you
can get tested for HIV. It is recommended that you get the HIV test
done at a health clinic, at the doctor's surgery, or at a specialist
HIV/AIDS voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) site. When you
attend to get tested, you will see a doctor, trained counsellor, a
nurse or some other health professional in private. He or she will
explain what the test involves and what the result means.
Normally a small sample of blood will be taken from
your arm, sent to a laboratory and tested. In the USA, oral tests
are also available which do not require the use of needles. The test
is always strictly confidential and only goes ahead if you agree.
Your personal doctor will not be told about the test without your
permission. Depending on the test used, it can take anything from a
few days to a week or longer to get the result back.
A rapid HIV test is also an antibody test. The
advantage of a rapid test is that you do not have return to get your
test result. The test results from a rapid test are usually
available in approximately 30 minutes. Rapid tests are single-use,
and do not require laboratory facilities or highly trained staff.
This makes rapid tests very suitable for use in resource-limited
countries. Read more about voluntary counselling testing in
resource-poor communities.
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It is generally recommended that the HIV test is
done in a health care setting. However, in some countries 'home
sampling' test kits are available. With a home sampling kit, a
person can take a sample (usually a blood sample) and then sent it
off to a laboratory for testing. A few days later, the person phones
up a special number, gives their individual identification code, and
is then given the result over the phone. If the result is positive a
professional health specialist will provide emotional support for
the person.
For 'home sampling', the major advantages are convenience, speed
privacy and anonymity. In countries where HIV tests are not free,
home sampling may be a cost-effective way to get tested. But for
some people the lack of face-to face counselling before and after
the test may be a disadvantage. There is one company in the USA that
offers an FDA approved 'home sampling' test kit for HIV. In the UK,
the sale of any type of HIV testing kit for private use is illegal.
An instant HIV test kit means that the results are
learned on the spot without any counselling. These kinds of tests
are not generally recommended in any case because of their lack of
accuracy and emotional support for the person. At present, this kind
of test cannot be legally sold in many countries.
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This page has so far contained some factual
information about HIV and different types of tests. But testing is
also about the lives people lead, and the personal views they hold,
as Jenny explains below.
"Hi, I am a 30 year old heterosexual woman and I
currently have no children. I am not an intravenous drug user or a
haemophilic. However, I have had unprotected sex with a number of
heterosexual men. I know this behaviour can produce deadly results
and I have had 2 negative HIV tests in the past 10 years with the
last one being in 1996. Since my last HIV test I have had
unprotected sex 5 times."
"I hadn't recently given the subject much thought
until I received notice that a local family had contracted HIV. I
started thinking about my behaviour and how I have been gambling
with my life and also putting the lives of others at risk, since I
did not know my current status. I have been blessed with two prior
negative HIV results. For the past two weeks I have been reading
articles on HIV/AIDS, reading the stories of women who have
contracted the virus and are courageously battling the disease, and
also reading the signs and symptoms. I have prayed for guidance and
for a repeated chance to begin a new pattern in my life if only my
test would come back negative just one more time."
"This morning I went for another HIV test and, thank
god, it came back negative. I urge everyone black, white, gay, and
straight to be tested. I also want to thank the women, men and
children who have contributed their stories to this site. I must
have read your words a thousand times over. You have made a
difference in my life." - Signed Jenny in America
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