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Are you experiencing symptoms similar to the flu such as fever, general malaise, or skin rash? These may be the early signs of HIV. Later on, you may also experience fatigue, weight loss, fever, night sweats, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. With the HIV self-test from The Tester, you can test yourself for HIV. Our HIV self-test features include:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system and over time, it decreases the body’s ability to fight off infections. If left untreated, HIV can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). There is no cure for HIV or AIDS, but with proper medical treatment, HIV can be controlled to a non-life-threatening condition. Early diagnosis and treatment can make the life expectancy for someone with HIV similar to that of someone without HIV.
HIV can be transmitted through certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, including blood, breast milk, semen, rectal fluids, and vaginal fluids. Transmission can occur if these fluids come into contact with a mucous membrane (in the rectum, vagina, penis, or mouth) or damaged tissue, or are directly injected into the bloodstream (with a needle or syringe). HIV can also be transmitted from an HIV-positive mother to her child during pregnancy or childbirth. The risk of HIV is high in:
The HIV self-test is an immunochromatographic, rapid in-vitro diagnostic test for the detection of antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2) in whole blood. It is intended for use by untrained users in a private setting as a self-test to assist in the diagnosis of infection with HIV-1 and HIV-2 using a finger prick. The device requires a sample size of 10 μl.
The test will be shipped in a discreet package after ordering. After receiving the test package, you can perform the test yourself using a clear instruction manual. Then you can read the result within minutes.
If you are interested in additional information, such as the reliability of the HIV self-test, you can find this information below under the headings “Reliability”, “Window phase HIV”, “Results” and/or “Content of the test”.
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What is the accuracy of the HIV 1 & 2 self-test?
Looking at sensitivity and specificity, the reliability values of the HIV test are very high. In addition, the test is also IVD certified.
The sensitivity of a medical test is the percentage of correctly positive results among sick people.
Sensitivity = 99.3%
The specificity of a test is the percentage of correctly negative test results among non-sick people.
Specificity = 99.7%
Overall accuracy = 99.6% with respect to the laboratory standard test
After being exposed to HIV, it can take 6 to 12 weeks for the body to produce the antibodies that are detected by this test. This period is called the ‘window-phase’. If you take an HIV self-test during the window-phase, it is possible that you will receive a falsely negative test result. If you think you have been recently exposed to HIV, it is recommended that you re-test after the window-phase has passed.
However, it should be noted that sometimes it can take up to 3 months for HIV antibodies to be detectable in the blood. Therefore, it is recommended to retest for possible infection after 3 months.
The result can be read by yourself within a few seconds.
Positive test result? If the test result is positive, it means that HIV antibodies have been detected in your blood and we recommend that you contact your doctor or an HIV consultant as soon as possible.
Negative test result? If the test result is negative, it means that no HIV antibodies have been detected in the blood. It is important to consider the window phase.
1 hermetically sealed aluminium pouch containing: 1 HIV 1/2 TEST cassette,
1 desiccant bag,
1 vial with dropper tip containing the HIV 1/2 TEST DILUENT required for 1 test,
2 sterile lancets for self-drawing blood,
1 transparent plastic bag containing a pipette for collecting blood,
1 alcoholic cleansing gauze,
1 instructions for use leaflet.
All the above-mentioned components are packed in a protective plastic bag.
Laboratory testing showed that the HIV self-test correctly identified 99.6% (1757 out of 1764) unique HIV-negative samples (known as the hallmark of the test). Of these samples, the test correctly detected 99.5% of HIV-1 infected samples and 100% of HIV-2 infected samples. Furthermore, in clinical evaluations in Kenya, 94.3% (33 out of 35) of HIV-positive samples were correctly identified when tested by inexperienced self-test users.
Looking at sensitivity and specificity, the confidence values of the HIV test are very high. In addition, the test is also CE certified.
The sensitivity of a medical test is the percentage of true positive results among sick persons.
Sensitivity = 99.5-99.99%
The specificity of a test is the percentage of true negative test results among non-ill persons.
Specificity = 99.5-99.99%
The window phase is the time between contracting HIV and when the HIV test can give a positive result .
The HIV test we offer has a window phase of 22 days, which means that after 22 days our test gives a positive result if you have contracted an HIV infection.
Nevertheless, you should take into account that it can sometimes take up to 3 months before HIV antibodies are detectable in the blood. It is therefore recommended to test again after 3 months for a possible infection.
If you are a user of prep, we do not recommend this test.
The result can be read by yourself within a few seconds.
If the test result is positive, this means that HIV antibodies have been detected in your blood and we recommend that you contact your GP or an HIV consultant as soon as possible.
If the test result is negative, this means that no HIV antibodies have been detected in the blood. It is important that the window phase is taken into account.
The blank envelope contains all the materials needed to perform the test. For the HIV test the materials supplied are:
– 2 x user manual
– 1 x HIV self-test
– 1 x bottle of test liquid (diluent)
– 1 x Garbage Bag for Discreet Disposal
– 1 x Support Card
– 1 x plaster
By offering reliable and quality tests directly, we want to take the first step in making care more accessible and improved.