Home Test Kit for HIV
The presence of an HIV virus in the body can now be confidentially taken right in the home. HIV if left untreated could process to full-blown AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome which destroys the immune system of the body making it vulnerable to even the most harmless infections. HIV is the onset of the disease which can lie dormant in the body for years which could surprise some infected people since they have never experienced any symptoms which they have inadvertently passed on to other people. Undergoing an HIV test is very important even when asymptomatic and here’s why:
- Control the infection – Every year there are around 56,000 Americans that get infected with the HIV virus. The reason for the spread of infection is because these infected individuals have no idea that they have the virus and pass it on to their partners. Unexpected HIV blood tests performed for reasons of blood donation or other purposes would often be the way to discover the infection. Having yourself tested at home or laboratories can stop the spread of the infection in the event that you test positive for the HIV virus.
- Confidential and private – The shame and stigma of going to a testing center or laboratory would be enough to discourage anyone from having the tests done. Yet, you feel that having the tests done is imperative for your peace of mind and also for your health as well. The advent of home test kits gives you the convenience of having it done in the privacy of your home. To further protect your privacy, always remember to dispose of the test kit properly after use.
- Convenient and easy to use – The AIDS test could be conveniently bought online and the kit comes with easy-to-follow instructions to get specimens from you. The blood sample is sent to a laboratory’s name attached to the kit which you can call after a few days to find out the results of the test.
- Accurate – The Home test kits bear the stamp of approval from the FDA which means that it has met the standards set for it. It is also very accurate so long as you follow the directions. The laboratory that you send the sample to has met CLIA requirements which are an assurance that the results will be 99% accurate.
- Reassurance – One way to give yourself reassurance is to get an HIV test to find out if you have been infected if you know that you recently had an unprotected sexual activity. In the worst case scenario you discover that you have acquired the virus, it could save your life as well as contain the spread of contaminating other partners.
Choosing to have an HIV test done is a sign of responsibility on your part. Having unprotected sex is your choice and the most responsible thing that you can do for yourself and your future partners is to have yourself tested to confirm or to reassure yourself that you are free from the HIV virus.
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Media attention is no longer focused on Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV that is the precursor to AIDS as it was during the 1980s, not because it does not exist anymore. Far from it because until now there is still no cure for the HIV/AIDS disease, but a sudden rise in the number of infected people has prompted the Centers for Disease Control to re-direct their attention to HIV testing. This action and announcement from the CDC came as a timely issue as it came during the celebration of the World AIDS Day.
The reason for CDC to encourage and implement an HIV testing was the more than 200,000 population in the U.S. infected with the HIV disease and are unaware of the fact. This would mean these 200,000 people could just as easily pass the infection on to more people. Another alarming finding was the 55 percent of adult Americans who have never ever been tested for an HIV infection despite the rising numbers of HIV/AIDS infected people all over the world, if not in the United States. With this issues in mind, CDC is now making it a requirement for all adults to be regularly screened and states further the one of their top priority programs would be HIV testing.
The hindrances that usually make adult Americans to avoid HIV screening would be the expensive cost of the blood testing and the embarrassment of asking for an HIV test from his or her doctor. This situation is known to the CDC when they revealed that there are 47 million adult Americans who forego medical care on some very serious diseases such as HIV, high blood pressure, and diabetes even at great risk to their health because of the costs and stigma.
In a direct line to these health needs, the nation’s leader has responded with the offer of nationwide HIV testing that is affordable, fast, and confidential. Participating labs found everywhere offer the services no matter where individuals live.
The HIV testing packages have been specially created to make it even more affordable and they include HIV-2 EIA, HIV-1 Abs, and HIV-1 Western Block. The HIV-1 Abs is the least expensive which has made it the most popular HIV test in the United States with only one business day fast turnaround time and results. This would mean instant knowledge if tests are positive or negative which do away with the usual stress of waiting for a long time for the result to come. Another great thing about this program is the HIV-1 ICMA antibodies that come with a Western Blot confirmation at no extra charge should the tests show a recurring positive result.
A positive result after an HIV-1 Abs testing has been done is usually backed by the HIV-1 Western Blot test to confirm the result. The different ‘bands’ that make up the different kinds of HIV antigen groups are the areas that the HIV-1 Western Blot test concentrates on should there be a positive result coming in from an HIV test.
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