The Human immunodeficiency virus incapacitates and increases the chance of acquiring AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Someone who has HIV may not necessarily acquire AIDS; however, with a debilitated immune system, several kind of infections and cancers can easily pounce on.
For many, HIV infected patients, the amelioration to AIDS is pretty slow and it may take several years for AIDS to develop, hence it may call for quite a few hiv tests to diagnose AIDS.
Potential Causes of HIV-
In Australia, unprotected sex and sharing needles are the most common causes of AIDS. Other potential causes of AIDS are:
– Blood transfusions- especially if performed in Australia between 1980-1985
– Unsafe oral sex between male and female can also be a cause of AIDS. It has relatively low transmission rate though.
– Sharing needles or needle stick injury can also cause AIDS to come about.
Symptoms of HIV-
The symptoms of HIV are pretty close to commonly known illnesses. If you suspect that you are suffering from any of the symptoms below, then you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
– Constant and Extreme Tiredness
– Diarrhoea
– Reduced Appetite
– Continuous Coughing
– Meteoric Weight Loss
What If you Are HIV Positive?
Prevention is better than cure, hence if you suspect you may be HIV positive, you must soon get a test done. There are numerous ways of getting HIV testing done, HIV home test kit being one of the safest and confidential methods. A test kit allows you to carry out HIV testing from the comfort of your home without putting confidentiality at risk or worrying about probable humiliation. A positive result can trigger the feelings of anxiety, distress, shock or anger, hence the clinics offering HIV testing must make counselling top priority before and after the test is carried out.
Know Your Rights Before Going For a Test-
Before you choose to get HIV testing done at your doctor’s surgery or a sexual health clinic, you must be aware of your rights. Your test must be voluntary and carried out with your consent. You should be informed about what’s involved in the test, including the procedure and duration. It’s against the law to discriminate against the HIV infected and hence not only tests results but also the fact that one underwent any test must be kept confidential.
HIV infection is epidemic in Australia. Over the years, diagnosed cases increase and are still going up. The statistics only determine the numbers of those who are diagnosed. But what about the undiagnosed ones?
Shame and embarrassment are the most common causes for people to not undergo HIV tests. Because this is contacted most commonly through sexual intercourse, diagnosed patients or even those who are found out to undergo a test are ridiculed and are unpleasantly branded and misjudged.
The misfortunes of the at-risk people are now finally over. If you are at-risk and want to take a test without anyone you don’t want to know knowing, HIV self-test kits are for you.
Self-test kits are exactly what their names imply. They are set of medical tools you can use to perform HIV tests yourself.
In the past, tests are only conducted in clinics and hospitals by physicians. Now, HIV test kits that are mobile and are designed to be used yourself are now available in the market. With its portability, you are given the choice on where to conduct the grueling test which could alter your whole life.
HIV self-test kits appear like pregnancy home test kits found on the shelves on pharmacies. A drop of blood is only needed to generate results which appear for as fast as 10 minutes. They are also accurate and are reliable source in determining your probable HIV diagnosis.
The simple answer is yes, extremely. The HIV home test kits supplied today by companies such as Head Start Testing detect the bodies HIV ant-bodies. These can only be produced as a reaction to the HIV virus. The home HIV test kits also have a “failed test” indicator that will ensure that there is no confusion between a failed test and an actual test result. The HIV home test kits are > 99% accurate and can give you your HIV result in less than 5 minutes. They are produced under ISO and GMP standards in a certified manufacturing plant. Each HIV home test kit contains clear and simple to follow instructions. If you are worried about HIV symptoms or your previous sexual history may have exposed you to the HIV virus then you should test immediately. Either contact your GP or local STD testing center of purchase HIV self-test kits from Head Start testing.
Apart from practicing safe sex, early detection is the most valuable weapon against the spread of HIV. More testing saves lives.
Many individuals choose to self-test for HIV with a HIV home test kit from Head Start Testing. By doing so they are of course electing to go through the testing process without the benefit of an experienced counsellor. For many this is a sacrifice they are willing to make in exchange for faster and more private and convenient HIV testing. For others it is a concern. If you are considering HIV self-testing through Head Start testing or any other online supplier of HIV home test kits than please visit http://napwa.org.au/services for details of the services available to you within the HIV landscape. There are numerous pre testing and post testing services that can be beneficial beyond of course the specific medical advise you will require in the event of a positive result.
Worried about HIV status. Here is a common path, with 3 possible outcomes in Australia.
You realise that stupidly you have put yourself at risk of HIV infection. Possibly you are married or in a relationship and this risk was outside that relationship. Privacy is critical for you and seems to be overriding the common sense argument, which is simply to get tested, get tested now. Maybe you just feel embarrassed admitting this to anyone, even your doctor.
Previously, in fact just a few years ago in Australia you had two options. Sadly only two and as a result, tragically many chose option two.
Option 1. Chin up, walk into your doctor or STD clinic and explain your worry about HIV, take the test, wait a day or a few days for the result.
Option 2. Do nothing. Delay testing in the hope that something you know not to make sense will happen, or just time will somehow reduce the gravity of the reality you face. As crazy as this sounds, this is an option many took, It resulted in them, knowing they had potentially been exposed, yet continuing life (including sex) as if they had not.
Fortunately we have option 3.
Purchase a HIV home test kit from www.HeadStartTesting.com and test yourself for HIV in privacy at your own convenience. Nobody will argue that this does not have the down side of no medical assistance and no counselling. But given that option 2 not testing fro HIV was the only alternate to option 1. It is infinitely better than that. More HIV testing saves lives.
Many individuals in Australia grow anxious and concerned directly following potential exposure to the HIV virus. As the anxiety grows so does their desire to test for HIV urgently to see if they have been infected by the HIV virus. This is a perfectly natural response but urgent HIV testing is not the remedy.
Why not test for HIV immediately after potential exposure?
Current HIV testing technology tests for the HIV antibodies, not the HIV virus itself. AS you are testing for HIV antibodies the body must first produce these in response to the virus. This process is referred to as seroconversion and must have occurred to detect the HIV virus by way of an antibody test. This can take up to 3-6 months in some individuals. This period of time between infection and detectable levels of HIV antibodies is commonly referred to as the HIV window period.
So whilst urgent testing is a natural desire, it serves no purpose medically speaking. The patient is better off learning anxiety management skills and becoming educated about the HV infection and antibody process. This will assist in ensuring the patient is not a potential risk to others by practising at risk behaviour.
So when should an individual test for HIV.
As most people develop detectable antibodies approximately 30 days after infection, although some seroconvert later it is logical to test at 30 days. This result is not conclusive but is certainly a useful tool in indicating a probable result and thus relieving anxiety. The most important test comes at 90 days, at which time at 97% of individuals will have detectable level of antibodies to the HIV virus, i.e. they have seroconverted. With this logic many clients of HIV testing devices as sold by Head Start testing purchase 3 HIV test kits and test at 30,60 and 90 days. Of course it is important that they continue to consider their HIV status as uncertain until the 90 day test as they may not have seroconverted and of course if HIV positive they can infect others.
It is worth noting that antiretroviral therapy during the window period will not remove the HIV virus and can delay the formation of HIV antibodies and thus extend the window period beyond 12 months.
Additionally individuals with X-linked agammaglobulinemia should seek medical supervision with testing as antibody testing may not be suitable for them.
HIV test kits now allow users to carry out HIV testing at home with privacy and convenience. They are very accurate and will give results in minutes as to the HIV status of an individual. This not only reduces the chances of HIV spreading but goes a long way to lowering the stress felt by many during the HIV testing process.
The test kits work by the introduction of the individual’s blood. This is gathered after a small pin prick using a device included in the test kits. A drop of blood is collected, placed in the test kit along with a diluents liquid (all of which is included). The diluted blood spreads over the internal test strip and reacts with the coating to show a single red line, this indicates the test has worked and that it has enough blood to detect the HIV antibodies it present in the individual’s blood. The 2nd red line which indicates an HIV positive result is only made visible by a reaction with an antigen and the HIV antibodies. If the blood does not have this, then the 2nd line does not appear and the test is a single red line, being negative.
These HIV test kits are very accurate and the results are fast and very clear. HIV testing through this method is convenient and is encouraging many to test who may otherwise put off testing or not test for HIV at all.
And for the future. A new generation of test kits is being tested now that will react with eth virus itself and not the antibodies. This test s can reduce, although not dramatically the HIV testing window and allow for earlier detection. They should be mature enough for general home HIV testing by 2014.
Regrettably this is a common concern for individuals that participate in unprotected sex. Upon layer reflection they’re faced with the reality that their sexual partner may have been HIV positive. And this can be a cause of considerable anxiety as well as of course a risk of HIV infection.
The only way to be truly certain-individual is infected with HIV this through carrying out a suitable HIV test. In Australia individuals can test for the HIV virus through a medical centre where they will receive counseling in addition to the test. Another alternative is through the purchase of an HIV home test kit in Australia. This HIV test kit can be used at home and will deliver accurate results within minutes. Regardless of the testing the effect that the individual selects it is important to remember that it can take between three and six months to develop detectable HIV antibodies. Many individuals will develop antibodies within four weeks and these can be detected with an HIV test. As a result of many individuals using HIV test kits at home in Australia will test at four week intervals until they have passed the antibody window period. Companies such as Head Start Testing supply ISO and GMP quality certified HIV home test kits. These HIV test kits are manufactured under certified quality controlled conditions and will give accurate results to the HIV status of an individual within the minutes. So if you are uncertain of the HIV status of a previous sexual partner it is essential that you take a test as soon as possible.
Of course this is wonderful news for those infected by the HIV virus as potentially it could represent a cure for AIDS. Realistically the this potential cure will be several years away from implementation.
This still leaves us with the situation in Australia with more than 30,000 people that have been diagnosed with HIV. With the disease such as HIV that can present few or no symptoms there will be a much higher number than this that are actually infected with the disease.
Still the greatest weapon against HIV is HIV testing. Once diagnosed with HIV very few individuals will go on to infect others with this potentially deadly virus. Untested and undiagnosed HIV positive individuals represent a severe health risk to the Australian public.
One method of HIV testing that is both convenient and private to individuals and as such growing in popularity is the use of HIV test kits or home test kits as they are sometimes called. Purchasing and HIV home test kit in Australia is a simple and convenient process as they can be readily purchased through online vendors such as Head Start Testing. Using an HIV test kit is a simple process that involves the introduction of a small sample of blood, normally one or two drops into a testing device that contains a reactant to the HIV antibodies. The HIV home test kits clearly display a negative or a positive result to the HIV test and include a third result, they failed test. When purchasing and HIV test kit for private HIV testing it is essential that you select a product that has been manufactured under GMP and ISO standards.
The accuracy of the HIV test kit in Australia depends greatly on the manufacturing process of the test kit. It is essential that you purchased estimates that a manufacturer of under the GMP and ISO quality standards. These standards ensure production of the HIV test kits is carried out in a controlled and supervised environment that is compliant with the governing bodies guidelines. It also ensures that the manufacturer follows consistent practices to ensure the final product is of a consistent quality.
For the HIV home testing kits are sold by Head Start Testing are produced under the standards in as a result of highly accurate easy to use and reliable. They test for both the subtype one and subtype two HIV virus and include a positive and negative and failed test result which removes the risk of an incorrectly carried out test giving a test result that could be a false negative or a false positive. These HIV home testing kits are being widely used by the Australian public in the one valuable step towards increasing the percentage of the population who choose to test for HIV falling risk of possible infection. Regardless of which city in Australia you are in the HIV home testing kits can be shipped to you discreetly so that you may carry out your HIV test in total privacy and actual own convenience.
Regrettably many individuals in Australia are putting themselves and others at risk through unprotected sex. Any sexual interaction that involves the potential exchange of sexual fluids Carries with it the potential for HIV infection. The HIV virus does not necessarily have any identifiable symptoms and as a result the only way to test for HIV is through HIV testing. In Australia individuals have several options available for HIV testing including self testing using the HIV rapid test kit. These test kits are extremely accurate and easy to use and afford the individual privacy and convenience with their HIV test. It is impossible to diagnose an individual with HIV without testing that individual for HIV antibodies.
Recent advances in Medical Technology now allows the individual to do this in the privacy and convenience of their own home using an HIV test kit. These test kits can be purchased online from suppliers such as head start testing in Australia. The test kits are extremely accurate and can be used by the public and give instant results as to the status of the HIV virus in the individual.
When carrying out an HIV test it is important to remember that the test is only testing for your current HIV antibody status so the recent infection that has not yet had time to develop antibodies will not be detected. This rule applies to all testing methods including those carried out by specialist centres. It is for this reason many individuals take her HIV test at one, two and 3 months after possible infection of the HIV virus.
In Australia individuals have various options available to them when deciding to test for HIV. A key factor or involved in this decision is whether or not the individual wishes to accompany their HIV test with professional counseling. If the individual wishes to have assistance during the testing process and to help them cope with a positive result then they should visit a medical profession formal such as the general practitioner or STD Testing clinic.
Many individuals in Australia are now choosing to test at home with an HIV test kit for reasons of privacy and convenience. An HIV home test kit can be purchased online and the test carried out in the privacy of the individual’s home at the time of the convenience. The HIV test kit is easy to use and will give accurate and precise results within 1 to 2 minutes. Of course as the individual has not had any medical assistance with this HIV test, and they will themselves need to be prepared for a possible positive result in which case they will need to seek medical advice and treatment options available.
Of course counseling can also be offered at this time in Australia. In an important consideration when purchasing an HIV home test kit is quality. Be sure to purchase only test kits that have been manufactured in a facility that is ISO and GMP certified. This guarantees of the production quality and ultimately the quality and accuracy of the final product. Additionally you may want to purchase your HIV tests kits from a vendor that is sympathetic to privacy and that can ensure that billing information and packaging do not identify the purchase.
HIV is most certainly still a significant health problem in most of the developed world including Australia. Prostitution, sex tourism and emigration from lesser developed countries presents a risk of infection to the Australian population. Anyone having unprotected sex with a partner whose HIV status is uncertain should themselves carry out an HIV test had at their earliest convenience. To take an HIV test in Australia is a straightforward process with many options. For individuals can consult their general practitioner or visit an STD clinic to request an HIV test. Additionally in Australia it is possible to purchase HIV home test kits for self-testing.
Common search terms in Google such as “HIV test Australia” and “Home HIV test” or “HIV testing” will present the user with a list of on line suppliers of HIV test kits. Be sure to purchase only diskettes that have been produced and certified as ISO and GMP compliant. Of course the best way to reduce the risk of HIV infection in Australia is to practice protected sex and to only have sex with partners with a known HIV negative status. However the reality is that many individuals still practice unprotected sex and place their health and the health of others at significant risk. It is essential that these individuals in Australia carry out an HIV test at the earliest convenience and avoid all sexual or at risk contact with others until their status is known. With the first knowledge it is easy to conclude that the objective for HIV testing in Australian is to simply ensure more individuals test for HIV. For those individuals not wishing to seek medical assistance with testing self-testing at home with a HIV test kit provides them with a convenient and private alternative.
With only a few exceptions generally speaking if you are considering taking an HIV test the most likely you should. Generally individuals become concerned about possible HIV transmission and whether or not to take an HIV test following unprotected sex or needle sharing. This risk of HIV transmission may have occurred recently or may have occurred months or years previously.
As well as posing a health risk to others and themselves this can also be a great cause of anxiety to the individual. If this scenario applies during any way then the logical step is to take an HIV test at your earliest convenience. Early detection of the HIV virus greatly increases the survival rate and treatment options available to the individual. It also greatly reduces the likelihood of that individual going on to further transmit the HIV virus. In New Zealand you have many options available to you for your HIV test.
Recent medical technology now allows for individuals to test at home using an HIV home test kit. Of these kits are extremely accurate and are easy to use. Results are available within 1 to 2 minutes. If you would like more information on these HIV home test kits then please visit www.HeadStartTesting.co.nz The HIV tests gets solved by Head Start Testing a manufactured under ISO and also GMP quality certifications. This ensures each product and its accuracy a consistent with the original product design. Both payment collection and shipping a discreet ensuring the purchaser’s privacy is respected.
Fortunately in Australia there are several options available to individuals concerned about the HIV status. Quite often the primary point of contact will be your regular medical practitioner. From there you will generally be referred to a medical centre for blood testing and then return to your medical practitioner to receive the results. Addition if you are considering an HIV test you can visit STD clinic or AIDS clinic. Many of these clinics now use the rapid test kits for convenience and speed of results. If you prefer to carry out your HIV test with more privacy or possibly more convenience than you can purchase these HIV test kits online in Australia from suppliers such as Head Start Testing. The test kits are manufactured in a quality controlled environment under the ISO and GMP standards. It is important to remember when self testing for HIV that whilst you enjoy more privacy and convenience you will forgo the valuable service of counseling. Of many individuals testing for HIV in Australia find counseling an essential support to the HIV testing process. Others prefer the privacy of testing by themselves knowing that in the event of a positive result they still have access to the same counseling services after they have consulted by a medical practitioner. Whichever of the HIV testing methods you choose it is essential that you remember that there is a delay between HIV infection and HIV detection. This is referred to as the HIV window or infection window period. As such if you are concerned that you may have been infected with HIV virus it is important that you stop any sexual contact until you are certain of your HIV status. The only way to the truly certain of your HIV status is to carry out an HIV test.
Once in method to reduce HIV infection is the removal of the behavior that spreads the HIV virus. Unfortunately despite greater public awareness it is highly unlikely that individuals will stop having unprotected sex despite the risks. This leads us to a second method of reducing infection, more testing. By carrying out more HIV testing individuals who are infected are of course once aware of that infection much less likely to have unprotected sex. As with all it STD testing in order for this plan to be effective requires the cooperation of the Australian public. In Australia there are numerous STD and HIV testing facilities yet many individuals continue to neglect HIV testing despite knowing they have been at risk of infection. Head Start Solutions provides an alternative testing method in Australia, the purchase online for HIV test kits for HIV testing in the privacy and convenience of your own home. The test kits are shipped in single or multiple test packs so as to allow individuals to test for HIV at regular intervals thus respecting the HIV antibody window.
With this discreet testing option available in Australia there is now one less reason to avoid HIV testing. The HIV test kits can be purchased online are and are delivered promptly and discreetly throughout Australia. As well as HIV test kits Head Start Testing is evaluating other test kits for STD testing. The priority is on quality and reliability. The HIV test kits supplied By Head Start Testing are >99% accurate and detect the HIV 1 and HIV 2 sub virus. They are manufactured under GMP and ISO quality controlled conditions within a medical testing manufacturing facility.
So what’s next? How do I test to see if I have HIV or AIDS?
Well you can’t test to see if you have AIDS. AIDS is an illness that is developed in HIV patients. What we are concerned about here is the possibility of contracting HIV through the incident of unprotected sex. YOU have various HIV testing methods at your disposal and regardless of how you go about having your HIV test the principal is the same. Whether through your doctor, AIDS clinic or an online provider such as HeadStarttesting.co.nz they all test for HIV antibodies. These are not developed until 12 weeks although many individuals will develop them within 4 weeks. So the first essential step to take now if your exposure was recent is to stop all sexual contact until your status is known. Then you should decide which of the HIV testing methods is suitable for you. If buying an HIV test through HeadStartTesting.co.nz you must remember that you will not receive counselling.
Many choose home testing as it allows for convenient and private testing and they have resigned themselves to going through testing without counselling. Of course if your test result is positive you will need immediate medical supervision. Many individuals test for HIV at 4, 8 and 12 weeks in order to reduce worry whilst waiting for the 12 weeks to pass. Most online stores selling HIV test kits offer discounted rates for multi-packs for this reason.
Whichever testing method you choose, the important point to stress is that if you have been at risk, do not risk others until you are certain of your HIV status.
Today you have various HIV testing methods to choose from. All will test you for the HIV anti-bodies and not the actual virus itself so before you test you need to understand the HIV window period.
Regardless of which one of the HIV testing methods you choose to use, it is essential that you understand the HIV anti-bodies are produced in response to the virus and this can take up to 12 weeks in a normal adult. This means that if you had unprotected sex last night, that it may take up to 12 weeks to show up in your blood or saliva. The majority of adults will show within 4 weeks but 12 weeks is seen as the critical cut off period to be certain you are HIV negative. As such many people that test through STD clinics or through online HIV test kit vendors like HeadStartTesting.com will test at 4, 8 and 12 weeks.
An HIV test is the only certain way to know if you have the HIV virus. No HIV symptoms are specific enough or reliable enough to act as a diagnosis.
Bearing in mind the above information, and respecting the testing intervals you have the following HIV testing methods available to you. Remember you may choose to test 3 times if your exposure is recent and you do not want to wait until 12 weeks.
-Consult your doctor who will either arrange a test of refer you to a testing centre.
-Visit an STD clinic for testing.
-Locate your city’s HIV or AIDS foundation and enquire if they have a testing centre.
-Buy an HIV self- test kit (or HIV rapid test kit) from an online supplier such as Head Start Testing. These HIV test kits are not available yet over the counter.
If you thought you had a life threatening disease that responded to treatment, would you go to the doctor or would you risk leaving it undetected?
Chances are that your immediate answer is Yes. However if that concern is that you may be showing symptoms of HIV or you had un-protected sex and are worried you may have been exposed to the HIV virus, then you may be one of many people who don’t seek medical advice.
Std testing is a very common practice so why are so many individuals putting of their HIV test.
It seems logical to assume that those who know they have been at risk of contracting HIV, and chose not to test do so for reasons of privacy and convenience. After all, in Australia we have a variety of reliable, fairly accessible HIV testing options available to us. These facilities are normally accompanied with pre and post result counselling. Often there is no charge for these tests and they can also be carried out anonymously. But still, many at risk choose to not test, or simply put it off until it is too late and they have infected others. The only logical reason for doing that must be a privacy issue. Many who are worried about HIV symptoms or HIV infection simply can’t bring themselves to face another (even their doctor) and explain their situation.
With that assumption in place it is impossible to not see value in HIV home testing kits as offered by Head Start Testing. Properly manufactured, supplied and used they are accurate, private and fast. Whatever % of those at risk who do not test for privacy, they now have an alternate way to test for HIV at home. If http://www.HeadStartTesting.com can get x% of them tested, we are making progress.
Should individuals be allowed to test for HIV at home?
Before I discuss the topic, let me start by stating the following assumptions about the HIV testing environment.
Assumption 1. “The ‘majority’ of individuals being treated for HIV in the developed world, were infected by an individual who did NOT know they were HIV +.”
Assumption 2. “Most likely, that HIV+ individual would have been aware that at some stage they had potentially been exposed to HIV. Yet they had chosen for some personal reason not to test.”
Assumption 3. “Most individuals worried about exposure who delay testing, do so because they feel embarrassed discussing it with their doctor or they consider testing to be a low priority”.
This is basically the “it’s probably nothing”, “I’ll do that later”, “I don’t know where to get tested for HIV” or “they seemed low risk to me” syndrome. Sadly it can lead to that person, being HIV+ and status unknown.
So…to the subject of this blog. Advances in medical testing technology have allowed for the production of extremely accurate and easy to use HIV self testing devices for use at home. These HIV self test kits can be easily purchased online. They provide individuals with the ability to test for HIV at home, in privacy and with convenience. But without counselling and supervision. Should this be permitted?
Assuming that we all are aware of the benefits of HIV testing for anyone concerned about exposure, I will get directly to the debate regarding an individuals choice to self test as opposed to requiring the assistance of a medical professional.
Our company has been selling quality HIV self-test kits now for over 2 years and as such we have gained some insight into the market for this product. Additionally we have been involved in the self-test debate and in evaluating both sides of this argument. We have encountered strong resistance from some assisted testing providers and strong support from others and from many individuals seeking an alternate testing option.
Obviously our company HeadStartTesting.com believes in the individuals rights to self-test. But why?
There are several valid reasons why to self-test and just as many reasons why to test with medical assistance. Most certainly if you are confused by the process of self-testing, worried about coping emotionally with the result, or if you can’t answer either of these questions, then medically assisted testing is for you. You should consult your doctor or testing center and be tested for HIV as soon as possible. But what if you do understand the testing procedure? After all its very simple. What if you are able to cope in the short-term with the result. As regardless of your testing method, either way a + result will require follow up medical attention and with that will come counselling (if you personally desire it). Surely then you have the right to test for HIV in privacy (if privacy is of concern to you) and with convenience (if you are putting off testing as a result). Those against self testing will argue it is not accurate, but they are wrong. The same technology is now widely used in medical testing facilities. If the simple to follow test is not carried out correctly it will give a failed test indication, not a false positive or a false negative.
An interesting and valid argument though point is the misuse of an HIV negative test result. An individual could show a negative HIV test result to a future sex-partner to justify unprotected sex. Of course this is unethical and of course dangerous. But this applies to any test result, from any testing method, including your blood results from your doctor. The test result itself is unable to validate any recent exposure that would not be detected when it is within the window period for anti-body production. The argument is about the individual, not the testing method. An individual planning to misuse or misrepresent a negative test result is just as likely to do that with any test result , regardless of how is was acquired.
Another point made is that HIV self-testing leaves the individual without important emotional support. And in this matter they are right, in the short term at least. HIV Counselling is a serious matter. For some it is not wanted or needed, in fact privacy would be their preference, but for others counselling is essential.
So….Remembering assumption 1, 2 and 3 please. Bottom line is people don’t test when they should. They delay and it is those individuals who infect.
When looking at whether their is a place in the HIV community for HIV self test kits, the key question for us is this.
Assuming that individual knows they have been potentially exposed to HIV and like the individual in the assumption above, they are not testing through their doctor and they are considering an HIV self-test. Would you or they for that matter rather:
a) They find out they are HIV+ but without immediate emotional support, emotional support that will follow shortly afterwards anyhow.
or
b) They continue normal life, not knowing they are HIV+ and simply “thinking” that some day, they should really get tested. This leads to forgoing early treatment and ongoing infection of others.
Our logic points to the reality that many of those infected with HIV today in the developed world, were infected by those who took option B. What is needed is a solution that will counter the assumptions made in the opening of this blog. A tool that will reduce by whatever % possible the individuals who know they are at risk but who don’t seek out medically assisted testing. Anything is better than the HIV+ individual remaining status unknown.
HIV Home Test Kits as available from Head Start Testing are just one part of the fight to increase HIV testing in the community.
What are your thoughts.
Have you ever delayed testing for any reason? Possibly you have used a self-test kit from a site like HeadStartTesting.com and have feedback about your experience.
hivtestingchoices 
