Singapore HIV

HIV Test Kit

The shame and stigma that is attached to being infected with the HIV virus is the thing that stops people from submitting to an HIV test. However, the life-threatening menace of the virus would be the encouragement for an infected individual to seek help. Yet, does it have to invade one’s privacy in order to do that? Would something as convenient and private as an HIV home test kit be available and if so, would it give accurate results?

If you suspect that you have acquired an HIV virus from a recent sexual encounter, the time to act and confirm it is now. If left untested and untreated, the HIV could eventually progress to AIDS and by that time it will be too late. We are all aware that there is no known cure for HIV/AIDS despite the advances in scientific and medical technology and research. The only chance that an HIV-infected individual has is to stop the replication of the virus without it progressing to AIDS and live for a longer period.

The first step that needs to be taken is to have an HIV testing done to confirm whether you have the virus or not. The upside to testing is the availability of HIV home test kits that can be performed in the privacy of your home. Just remember to get the ones that have the approval of FDA which qualifies it to be an HIV home kit that could give accurate results. The downside to the home kits is the state laws. Some states consider them as illegal since home testing could not be tracked. Federal law has sided with the right to privacy of an infected individual, but this has been disregarded by some states. The best way for you to find out before getting an HIV home test kit is to check your state laws.

Just a heads up for you to consider before buying your own HIV home test kit. HIV antigens can only be detected three months after it has infected you. The test would be able to give accurate results when 12 weeks has gone by from the time that you had a suspected sexual encounter. There are also cases where it took more than three months for the HIV antigen to be detected.

An HIV home test kit comes complete with instructions on the proper way to get a blood specimen. What you need to do is to wash your hands before pricking your finger. This is to avoid contamination of other chemicals that may be on your finger to the blood specimen. Some HIV home test kits could provide accurate results in a matter of ten minutes. This is if the period of three months from suspected infection has taken place.

Should the results show that you have acquired the infection, do not look at it as a death sentence. The HIV antigens in your body would not necessarily progress to AIDS as seen in other cases of other infected people who have learned to control it and lead normal lives as well.