HIV Self Test FAQ:
My HIV test is negative
(-). Why do I need to retest?
You need to
retest in case you are in the "window period", the time
between exposure to HIV and the presence of detectable antibody
to HIV in the blood. This can take from 2 to 12 weeks for
the majority of people, and occasionally, as long as 6 months.
What is a false positive
HIV test?
Occasionally,
a person will get a positive (+) blood test to a disease
which he or she does not have. Science has a name for this--"biological
false positive". This is why it is so important that a positive
(+) HIV test be followed by more HIV testings by a doctor
to confirm whether the person is infected or not.
How does
HIV SELF TEST KITS
work?
You stick
your finger with the one-time use lancet and allow one drop
of blood to fall into the sample well. Then 2 drops of a
developer solution are added. Over the next few minutes,
your blood migrates up into the test area. If your blood
contains the antibody to HIV (present only if you have been
exposed to and infected by HIV), it will attach at an area
marked "T" for "test". A pink line appears to show that
this has occurred. If there is no pink line next to "T",
then there is no HIV detected in the blood at this HIV testing.
How accurate is HIV SELF
TEST KITS?
The overall
accuracy is 99.6%.
What is the significance
of the pink line next to the "C"?
"C" stands
for "Control". The purpose of the control line is to let
you know that you have a functional test and that you have
performed the steps correctly. If there is no pink line
next to "C", then the test is invalid and should be repeated
using another HIV SELF TEST KITS test device.
What do I do with the "Invalid"
test?
You may mail
the invalid test back to us for replacement or refund.
Please visit our
Return Policy page
for more detail.
May I use any parts of
the HIV SELF TEST KITS more than once?
The lancet
is for one-time use only. It has an instantly retracted
point to insure no accidental sticks to others.
The test device
is for one-time use only.
The developer
solution is good for two years at room temperature and may
be used for future tests.
How long may I store the
components at room temperature?
Test device,
inside its sealed foil packet - until the expiration date
printed
on the packet.
Expired, unused test devices will be replaced free of
charge.
Developer
solution - 2 years
Blood sampling
device - 3 years
Where can I get information
on prevention, treatment and counseling for HIV/AIDS?
Please visit our
Links page
Home
Access HIV Test
FAQ:
The HIV Home
Access HIV test is an at-home FDA approved doctor recommended
test that offers over 99.9% accuracy. Each home test kit
comes with collection supplies for collecting and mailing
your sample of blood to a certified laboratory for analysis.
All shipping is prepaid. Confidential results will be made
available in approximately 7-10 business days from the date
you mail-back your specimen sample to the laboratory. You
will be responsible for calling the toll free 800# and entering
your code # to obtain your confidential and anonymous results.
Counselors will review the results with you and provide
post counseling support and referrals to doctors if requested.