Why aren’t they testing for HIV?

If only the world was prefect, and everyone tested for HIV when they should.  Regrettably it is not, they don’t.

We operate HeadStartTesting, an online supplier of HIV Self-Test Kits for the Australian public. We are often challenged as to the quality of testing for HIV at home versus testing at a medical clinic that can also offer counselling. After 2 years of providing this service, our response is still the same.

Regrettably many individuals who know they have been at risk, delay or decide not to test through a medical centre. Some still continue normal sexual activity and as a result they are the category most likely to infect others. It is a safe assumption to say that most infected with HIV were infected by a partner who did not know they themselves had HIV.  Of course they most likely knew they had been at risk, but decided not to test (and thus infected others). We often receive communication from a client stating their high level of anxiety and concern over their status. Some can’t sleep they are so worried about their HIV status or the HIV status of a recent partner, yet they choose not to consult their doctor.

Why?

As logically anyone who thinks they have contracted a life threatening disease would seek medical assistance, there must be some other factor driving these individuals to not test for HIV.
Our conclusion is that HIV is still seen as a socially embarrassing topic and when the possible contamination method is sexual contact it is more embarrassing or sensitive still. This is a concern as early detection of HIV can greatly increase survival rates. If HIV testing seems so logical and beneficial, why are many not doing it?
Many feel too embarrassed to explain their behaviours to another? Denial, what are the chances, it can’t happen to me? I’ll do it next week. I can’t explain this to my partner so I’ll just hope it’s nothing.  I feel fine, I don’t have any HIV symptoms. I think I have HIV Symptoms but can’t face my doctor.

HIV home test kits, target those individuals who decided not to test, and offer them an alternate to the testing methods they chose not to use.

But…If one of those individuals (the one who decided not to test with his doctor) does test and is HIV positive we have the following scenario. They face the immediate result without counselling at their side. This is clearly difficult for some individuals. However, it is hard to argue it is a worse scenario than if they had just carried on normal activities and infected others.  After all we are talking about an HIV positive person who was putting off testing and had so far decided it did not warrant consulting a medical professional. The objective is simple, get their status known and stop their risk of contaminating others through any reasonable means possible.

Now we have identified the need for HIV testing at home. Can it be done accurately? Are the HIV self-test kits accurate? Yes, they detect both the HIV 1 and 2 sub-virus, have a +99% accuracy and are manufactured under ISO, GMP standards. They are simple to use and give results in 5 minutes. If used incorrectly they will show a failed test result and not a false negative or positive.

If in doubt about your HIV status or you are concerned you have HIV symptoms then please test. Testing as soon as possible for HIV will remove any doubts/anxiety and more importantly ensure your health and the health of others is best protected. Head Start Testing can supply you with HIV Home Test Kits if self-testing is your preference.

Should HIV home test kits be used in Australia?

There is some controversy surrounding the recent availability of HIV self test kits in Australia.  It is a somewhat complicated argument that most certainly both sides of the have some merit.  Those against self testing for HIV in Australia are concerned that individuals testing of their HIV status without medical supervision of doing so without access to counseling to prepare them and assist them in the event of an HIV positive result.  They also foregoing counseling that may assist him in avoiding the necessity for testing by discussing the behavior that put them at risk of HIV infection and helping them understand how to avoid the risk.  These are certainly valuable points however the logic of that would then prevent many individuals from testing if test kits were not available could potentially have a negative effect in the overall percentage of the population the test for HIV after at risk behavior.   

It is logical to assume that most people in Australia infected with HIV as a result of sexual interactions were infected by a person who had not been tested for HIV.  It is also logical to assume that the conflicting individual was aware that they had had at risk sexual behavior yet for some reason they had not tested for HIV.  Given that everyone in Australia has access to a general practitioner and more and HIV testing clinic is also logical to assume that the potential reasons for that individual mark testing are those of convenience and  or privacy.  By giving those individuals and alternative testing method for HIV potentially HIV home tests kits will increase the percentage of at risk individuals testing for HIV.

No single HIV testing method will suit all members of the public.  The objective must certainly be to test as many individuals as possible through which ever HIV testing method they choose to use in Australia.  Only by testing those individuals who are not using traditional HIV testing methods the only hope to reduce the number of HIV positive individuals that have an unknown status carrying on at-risk sexual behavior.

HIV test kits in Australia.

As you may well have noticed in the recent press on HIV testing in Australia, it is now possible to purchase HIV home test kits in Australia through web sites such as www.HeadStartTesting.com.

The home test kits test for HIV 1 and 2 sub-virus and promise > 99% accuracy in detecting the HIV virus. AS with all HIV testing methods it is important to remember the HIV test kits test for HIV anti-bodies and these take time to develop in the bloodstream after possible infection.

Head Start testing supply the iCare and EZ trust HIV test kits under their marketing campaign B-clear which aims to motivate individuals to not put off testing. The sites intention is to broadcast the message about HIV testing Australia “If in doubt about possible HIV infection, then please test”.

Any Australian, who has had a potential risk of exposure to the HIV virus and is putting off testing, is putting their health and the health of others at serious risk. In Australia if HIV is detected early, the survival rate is greatly increased through HIV ant-viral medications.

At present you cannot purchase HIV test kits in an Australian pharmacy so if you do not wish to test through a medical professional and prefer the privacy of self-testing then an online purchase is your only option in Australia.

If you or anyone you know in Australia may be at risk of HIV infection then it is wise to select the testing method suited to you and carry out an HIV test.

Are you losing sleep over your sexual encounter and potential risk of HIV exposure?

Many individuals are, yet they elect not to seek medical advice and carry out a HIV test through their doctor or testing clinic. Sadly, this is high risk behavior as in many cases those individuals carry on their normal sexual behavior, potentially infecting others.

If you have had unprotected sex with an individual who you cannot be certain to be HIV negative, i.e. you know and trust their sexual history (something nearly impossible to do) then you should test for HIV.

If you choose not to do so through medical professionals then you can test buy buying a test kit, called a rapid HIV test kit, or HIV home test kit. These HIV test kits as sold by online stores such as Head Start Testing are >99% accurate and give results within minutes. Buying HIV test kits online is legal, convenient and safe. When buying HIV test kits you must ensure the product is ISO certified to guarantee production quality.

To worry about your HIV status and to not test is an illogical course of action (or inaction). A simple test using with a HIV test kits will give you a result in minutes and you can then be sure you are acting responsibly and that you are not worrying unduly. In the case of HIV, to not know, is far worse for everyone involved than knowing.

Technology Helps Prevent HIV

HIV testing is being greatly assisted with the arrival of new technologies. Most recently it has become possible to test for HIV using a home hiv test kit. The technology allows the user to deposit 1 or 2 drops of blood into the HIV test cassette and to see the results of their HIV status within minutes.

The test kits supplied by Head Start Testing are manufactured under ISO and GMP standards to ensure reliability. The HIV test kits are > 99% accurate, test for type 1 and 2 sub virus and have a 2rd reading to display a failed test. The HIV test kits come with full, easy to follow instructions and are safe to use.

This new technology allows individuals to test for hiv status in the privacy of their own homes at their convenience. This removes two significant barriers to HIV testing in the community. Many individuals are concerned they may be showing HIV symptoms, have been exposed to an HIV positive sexual partner or simply want to be 100% sure of their own status. Often they put off testing at an HIV test centre and these HIV home test kits offer a safe alternative.

Technology is assisting us in many ways to improve the quality of our lives. It now seems that with HIV home test kits it can help us ensure that HIV is easily detected. Currently all tests for HIV detect the HIV anti bodies but science is working on a test to detect the HIV pathogen itself.

HIV Home Test - False Positive V2

Is testing for HIV at home reliable?

With the fairly recent availability of HIV home test kits such as those available in Australia through Head Start Testing has come new concerns.

Typically these kits are purchased online as users search for popular terms such as “Hiv Test Australia” and “Hiv home test” among others. They then proceed to buy test kits online.

But, Are they reliable, what if they give me the wrong result?

These are valid concerns and highlight an important quality issue surrounding the HIV home test kits. If you are worried about HIV symptoms or your sexual partner’s previous history the last thing you need to worry about is the quality of your test.

We can confirm the following in regards to the HIV home test kits available in Australia through Head Start Testing.

-They are manufactured under GMP and ISO quality controls. This ensures strict quality control of the test kits and their sourced components.

-The HIV home test kits are >99% accurate and detect both type 1 and 2 sub virus.

-The underlying technology is the same technology as used in modern HIV testing facilities who use rapid-test kits

-The test kits supplied by Head Start Testing include a failed test result. This ensures that if the test has failed for technical reason, or a user error or contamination that a 3^rd result is shown. A negative or a positive are only shown if the test kit has been supplied correctly with the sample and has detected a true negative or a true positive.

The above ensures the overall reliability of the HIV test kits as supplied online through Head Start testing. This allows thoseworried about their HIV test results, to carry out their HIV test with privacy and confidence.