About HIV Test (2)

Rapid HIV tests

OraQuick HIV-1/2 rapid test kit
These tests are based on the same technology as ELISA tests, but instead of sending the sample to a laboratory to be analysed, the rapid test can produce results within 20 minutes.

Rapid tests can use either a blood sample or oral fluids. They are easy to use and do not require laboratory facilities or highly trained staff.

All positive results from a rapid test must be followed up with a confirmatory test, the results of which can take from a few days to a few weeks.

Antigen test (P24 test)
Antigens are the substances found on a foreign body or germ that trigger the production of antibodies in the body. The antigen on HIV that most commonly provokes an antibody response is the protein P24. Early in HIV infection, P24 is produced in excess and can be detected in the blood serum (although as HIV becomes fully established in the body it will fade to undetectable levels).

P24 antigen tests are not usually used for general HIV diagnostic purposes, as they have a very low sensitivity and they only work before antibodies are produced in the period immediately after HIV infection. They are now most often used as a component of 'fourth generation' tests.

Fourth generation tests
Some of the most modern HIV tests combine P24 antigen tests with standard antibody tests to reduce the ‘diagnostic window’. Testing for antibodies and P24 antigen simultaneously has the advantage of enabling earlier and more accurate HIV detection.

About HIV Test (1)

HIV antibody test

HIV antibody tests are the most appropriate test for routine diagnosis of HIV among adults. Antibody tests are inexpensive and very accurate. The ELISA antibody test (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent) also known as EIA (enzyme immunoassay) was the first HIV test to be widely used.

How do antibody tests work?
When a person is infected with HIV, their body responds by producing special proteins that fight infection, called antibodies. An HIV antibody test looks for these antibodies in blood, saliva or urine. If antibodies to HIV are detected, it means a person has been infected with HIV. There are only two exceptions to this rule:

Babies born to HIV infected mothers retain their mother's antibodies for up to 18 months, which means they may test positive on an HIV antibody test, even if they are actually HIV negative. Normally babies who are born to HIV positive mothers receive a PCR test (see below) after birth. Some people who have taken part in HIV vaccine trials may have HIV antibodies even if they are not infected with the virus.

Most people develop detectable HIV antibodies within 6 to 12 weeks of infection. In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months and there are nearly always very particular reasons for antibodies developing so late such as other auto-immune disorders. It is exceedingly unlikely that someone would take longer than 6 months to develop antibodies.

What is a window period?
The ‘window period’ is a term used to describe the period of time between HIV infection and the production of antibodies. During this time, an antibody test may give a ‘false negative’ result, which means the test will be negative, even though a person is infected with HIV. To avoid false negative results, antibody tests are recommended three months after potential exposure to HIV infection.

A negative test at three months will almost always mean a person is not infected with HIV. If an individual’s test is still negative at six months, and they have not been at risk of HIV infection in the meantime, it means they are not infected with HIV.

It is very important to note that if a person is infected with HIV, they can still transmit the virus to others during the window period.

HIV & Pregnancy

Doctors recommend all pregnant women get tested for HIV. Medications are available to prevent the spread of the virus to your unborn baby. In addition, steps can be taken during delivery to prevent spreading the infection. Some studies show a woman can further reduce the risk of spreading the virus to her baby by having acesarean section before her water breaks. Moreover, your health care provider can take steps to help you stay healthy longer.

There are a number of interventions that can reduce the risk of HIV transmission between a couple when attempting to conceive a child.


Orasure is a non-invasive, quick, accurate way to test for HIV-1 antibodies without blood, needles, or lancets. It's the only FDA approved HIV-1 collection device that may be legally marketed in the U.S. It has a complete diagnostic system that is approved for professional use.Orasure is a rapid HIV diagnostic tool with over 99% accuracy.


If the woman is HIV positive and the man is HIV negative
An HIV positive woman and an HIV negative man can conceive without HIV transmission occurring by using artificial insemination (the process by which sperm is placed into a female's genital tract using artificial means rather than by natural sexual intercourse). This simple technique provides total protection for the man, but does nothing to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to the baby.

If the man is HIV positive and the woman is HIV negative
Sperm washing is a process used to prevent HIV transmission from an HIV positive man to his partner during conception. Sperm washing involves separating sperm cells from seminal fluid, testing these cells for HIV, then inserting the cells into the woman's womb (intrauterine insemination), or directly into the egg (in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Sperm washing is a very effective way to reduce the risk of HIV transmission during conception, but it is not widely available and can be difficult to access, even in well resourced countries. Alternatives to sperm washing have been researched, such as the method of using PrEP and timed intercourse when the HIV-positive male partner is taking antiretroviral drugs.

If both man and woman are HIV positive
When both partners are HIV positive, it might still be sensible for them not to engage in frequent unprotected sex, because there might be a small risk of one re-infecting the other with a different strain of HIV.

If a pregnant woman is infected with HIV, she can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or breastfeeding. Without treatment, around 15-30 percent of babies born to HIV-infected women will become infected with HIV during pregnancy and delivery. A further 5-20 percent will become infected through breastfeeding.

HIV Testing for Pregnant Women

In many countries across the world, women are tested for HIV during pregnancy. There are a number of important reasons for this:

Assessing Your HIV or STD Risk

How does HIV relate to chlamydia and gonorrhea?
All STDs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, are spread by having unprotected sex. HIV, itself, is an STD! If you have had unprotected sex, it is even more likely that you might be infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea than with HIV because these STDs are easier to catch than HIV.

What type of test would be done?
AIDS tests are now made simple, easy and are available right from the privacy of your own home. OraQuick is an antibody test that provides results in 20 minutes. The blood, plasma or oral fluid is mixed in a vial with developing solution, and the results are read from a sticklike testing device. Usually detects HIV 1 and HIV 2. Orasure is an HIV test that uses mucosal transudate from the tissues of cheeks and gums. It is an antibody test that first employs ELISA, then western blot.

When can I get my results?
OraQuick is an antibody test that provides results in 20 minutes.

What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia (cla-mid-ee-ah) is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a type of bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia can infect men, women, and children. It is passed from one person to another during vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Chlamydia can also be spread to the eyes by touching vaginal fluids or semen and then touching your eyes. Babies of infected mothers can get eye and lung infections during delivery.

Common Q&A of Oral Aids Test

What is the significance of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the OraQuick rapid HIV test for oral fluid on March 26, 2004?
The FDA has approved the OraQuick Advance HIV1/2 Antibody Test for use with oral fluid and for use on plasma specimens. Until now, the test, manufactured by OraSure Technologies, Inc., was approved only for whole blood specimens. This is the only rapid HIV test to be approved in the US by the FDA for use with oral fluid.

What is the difference between the OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody Test for oral fluid and the OraQuick Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Test for blood approved by the Food and Drug Administration in November 2002?
The FDA approved the new version of the test for the detection of HIV-2 antibodies and for use with additional types of specimens. Until now, the OraQuick rapid HIV antibody test required a whole blood specimen, either from a fingerstick or a tube of blood. The OraQuick Advance test can now be used with oral fluid specimens taken from the mouth, with plasma, and with whole blood. Additionally, the new version of the test can be performed in a wider range of operating temperatures (59°F to 99°F).

Is the OraQuick test a saliva test?
No. The test uses oral fluid, which is slightly different from saliva. To perform the test, the person being tested for HIV gently swabs the device completely around the outer gums, both upper and lower, one time around and inserts it into a vial containing a developer solution. After 20 minutes, the test device will indicate if HIV antibodies are present in the solution by displaying two reddish-purple lines in a small window in the device.

What does a reactive or preliminary positive result mean?
A reactive HIV test result on oral fluid is a preliminary positive and needs to be confirmed by an additional, more specific test to verify whether HIV antibodies are present.

How well does the test work?
In the clinical studies by the manufacturer, the OraQuick oral fluid test correctly identified 99.3% of people who were infected with HIV (sensitivity) and 99.8 % of people who were not infected with HIV (specificity). The Food and Drug Administration expects clinical laboratories to obtain similar results.

We Provide Personal Gonorrhea Rapid Test for You

Rapid Gonorrhea test is an easy to use, accurate and reliable assay that will detect antibodies to the bacteria that cause gonorrhea present on swab samples collected from the cervix or the urethra.
The test is easy to use and the result is available within minutes – in the privacy of your own home.
Our test kits are the same as those used by doctors and other healthcare professionals to screen for infection with gonorrhea. The test is specific for Neisseria gonorrhea bacteria and has an accuracy of greater than 99.8%.
Using the swab provided, a sample is taken from the cervix (women) or urethra (men) and transferred to the extraction solution. A second solution is added and then the test strip is briefly into the solution and removed. The easy to read result will develop after ten minutes and you will learn if you have a gonorrhea infection or not.
The test comes with an easy to understand instruction sheet.

Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhea, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in mucus membranes of the body. Gonorrhea bacteria can grow in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body) in women and men. The bacteria can also grow in the mouth, throat, and anus.
Gonorrhea another common sexually transmitted disease, often occur together, so you may be tested and treated for both.

Using A Rapid Chalmydia Test, Best Test Equipment

Chlamydia is a disease caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. It's most commonly contracted during sexual contact. If Chlamydia is left untreated it may cause scarring of the fallopian tube, internal urethral infections, and can result in infertility. In pregnant women Chlamydia can cause premature labor and delivery. Chlamydia is a curable disease so it needs to be tested for anytime a check is needed.

It is not easy to tell if you are infected with chlamydia since symptoms are usually not apparent. But when they do occur, they are usually noticeable within 1-3 weeks of contact and can include the following :

Symptoms in Women
Abnormal vaginal discharge that may have an odor
Bleeding between periods
Painful periods
Abdominal pain with fever
Pain when having sex
Itching or burning in or around the vagina
Pain when urinating

Symptoms in Man
Small amounts of clear or cloudy discharge from the tip of the penis
Painful urination
Burning and itching around the opening of the penis
Pain and swelling around the testicles