Am I Infected? (A Guide to Testing for HIV) en español
What are some of the other tests available?
These are other reliable, government-approved tests which are widely available:
Rapid Testing: Samples are obtained and analyzed using the ELISA test. The results are usually available within ten to sixty minutes. If the result is positive, a follow-up test is required, usually by drawing blood and sending the sample to a laboratory for Western blot testing. If the result is negative, there is no need for additional testing and the result can be considered conclusive.
Convenient and faster, this method is often used in healthcare settings, particularly where urgency is an issue such as with someone who is pregnant or about to give birth. Because it provides a result so quickly, this is an increasingly popular method for testing.
Several rapid HIV tests have been approved for the FDA, all of which can only be performed by healthcare providers (they cannot be purchased directly by consumers). The approved tests are the Oraquick Rapid HIV Antibody Test (using oral fluid or blood samples), the Oraquick Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test (tests for both HIV-1 and HIV-2 using blood samples), the Clearview Complete HIV 1/2 and HIV 1/2 STAT-PAK (a blood sample is used to check for antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2), the Reveal Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Test (requires a blood sample), and the Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV Test (requires a blood sample). While the time to conduct each of these tests do vary, they all yield results in less than an hour. The FDA approved a rapid HIV test in November 2010, called the INSTI kit. It uses blood from a finger stick and provides results within 60 seconds. If you are interested in any of these tests, you should call your healthcare provider to see if he or she conducts these tests and, if not, where you may go to have one done.
The collection of oral fluids to look for HIV antibodies using the Oraquick Rapid HIV Antibody Test may not be as accurate as the other rapid assays that use blood samples. There were reports starting in 2005 that some testing sites in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City had higher rates of false-positive test results than usual, meaning that the Oraquick Rapid HIV Antibody Test using oral fluids (but not blood samples) falsely detected antibodies in people who were not infected with HIV. Most—though not all—of these sites later found that there were problems with how the tests were being handled by providers. However, the test is still highly accurate in terms of detecting antibodies in people who are infected with HIV (it has an extremely low false-negative rate).
It's very important to understand these new tests do not change the length of time you have to wait after a possible exposure to HIV to get a reliable result. You still need to wait three months (13 weeks), to allow time for antibodies to become detectable in the blood for an accurate result.
The Oraquick, Clearview, Reveal Rapid, and Uni-Gold Recombigen tests are not the only rapid tests available. Some hospitals, clinics and a few private doctors' offices have their own in-house rapid tests, which are also completely reliable.
Home Sample Collection Tests: Using a provided safety lancet, you will need to prick your fingertip and place drops of blood on the blood specimen card included in the test kit. You only need enough blood to fill a circle the size of a dime. The kit will contain a unique identifying number that you'll need to have handy to learn the results. The blood specimen card is then sent to a designated laboratory where it is tested using the ELISA/Western blot tests. The results are usually available within three to seven days and are accessed by calling a telephone number provided by the laboratory. The results, along with counseling, are provided by trained counselors over the telephone.
The Home Access Kits are the only home-collection kits approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is the only home sample collection test that should be used to check for HIV infection. The Home Access HIV-1 Test System provides results in seven business days (not including Sundays and Holidays) and The Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System provides results in three business days. These home-collection kits are available at most pharmacies or can be ordered from the manufacturer (Home Access Health Corporation): 1-800-448-8378, or www.homeaccess.com.
Oral Fluid Test: A device is used to collect oral (mouth) fluid (i.e. saliva). Oral fluids can contain antibodies to HIV, which can be detected using the ELISA and Western blot tests. The Oraquick Rapid HIV Antibody Test, which has a high degree of accuracy and produces results in less than an hour, can be conducted using oral specimens. Oral specimens are usually collected using the OraSure HIV-1 Oral Specimen Collection Device, which can then be tested using the rapid assay or traditional testing procedures. Because oral specimen collection is so easy and comfortable to accomplish, this test is often used in clinics, doctors' offices, hospitals, and school-based and university health centers.
Urine-Based Test: A urine sample, collected in a cup, is used for the ELISA/Western blot tests. The results of this noninvasive and non-technical method can be obtained at a return visit, typically in one to two weeks. It's commonly used in community-based and outreach settings, adolescent, school and university-based settings. Anyone with a positive urine result must have a confirmatory blood test.
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