HIV home check

If you have had unprotected sex, shared injections or drug injection equipment or have been exposed to HIV, it is advisable to take an HIV test. Instead of visiting a lab, you can now avail of a HIV- home check to check for the condition.

With home check-HIV systems, there is no fear of facing any social stigma as these tests promise anonymity. It is possible to buy these systems anonymously from pharmacies or through mail order from the manufacturers as its code number has no relevance to the person ordering it.

Although some States demand that new HIV infection cases be reported, it is the number of cases and not the identity of the user that is actually reported. The number of HIV positive cases has to be reported so that the state knows the extent of HIV infection in the area and can thus plan appropriate programs to help with provision of treatment.

Use FDA Approved HIV home check Systems

At present, there are quite a few types of home check-HIV systems being advertised. However it is better to buy only the FDA approved home check-HIV systems that are legally marketed. Approved home check-HIV systems work with a single finger prick where dried blood spots are collected on a special type of paper. This blood is then mailed to a lab using an anonymous and confidential personal identification number.

It is then analyzed by expert lab technicians in a certified lab just like tests run in doctor’s surgery. These results are then sent to the home check-HIV user through a toll free number with the allocated PIN. If required, post test counseling will also be provided to the user.

Unapproved HIV home check Sets Do Not Provide Any Counseling

There are some unapproved home check-HIV systems available that advocate using some visual indicators such as red dots for showing positive HIV infection, mostly within minutes of taking the test.

These kits are not usually sent for professional analysis and although its approach looks to be faster and simpler, the results are normally less reliable than those of an approved home check-HIV kit.

Not only are the results of an unapproved home check-HIV kit unreliable, the FDA is also not aware of any data that proves the accuracy of the test. Moreover, these kits do not provide any direct counseling to the user to assist in understanding the results and consequences of HIV better.

Counseling Is an Important Part of HIV home check Tests

With approved home check-HIV tests, there are usually built in mechanisms provided for pre and post test counseling for the user. This counseling is important in HIV testing where the user can learn how to avoid infection if they receive a negative result with the test.

Those with positive results learn how to prevent the transmission of the disease, treatment options they have and even referrals to doctors who treat HIV in their area. So if you want to check for HIV with complete anonymity and safety, the best option you have is to use an approved home check-HIV kit.

Back to HIV Home Test Kit Articles Page