HIV status. It is the not knowing that will cause unnecessary risk of life.

Many individuals considering an HIV test put off or ignore testing for reasons such as privacy and convenience.  This can cause great unnecessary risk for those individuals and others who may be putting themselves at risk without realizing.  It is important that if you for any reason to believe that you have been at risk of HIV infection that you test as soon as possible.  The early detection and treatment of HIV greatly increases survival rates.  Many individuals carry on normal sexual behavior despite knowing that they have had what would be described as an HIV infection risk.  Given that the overwhelming majority of individuals once diagnosed with HIV take greater measures to ensure that they do not infect others leads us to the following conclusion.  Many individuals infected by HIV have been infected by a partner who had contracted HIV can have not tested and therefore had not been diagnosed.  It would be unlikely to that individual did not realize that they had been at risk of HIV infection.  So a primary cause of the individual going on to infect others is their choice not to have tested for HIV.  Given that there are several testing options available to the Australian public here at Head Start Testing we believe that by offering the public a supplementary HIV testing method that hopefully the instances of the example given can be reduced.  A simple HIV test carried out using a HIV self test kit can give an individual early results leading to early treatment and diminished and risk of infection to others.  As the message is that if you are in any doubt about your HIV status that you should take an HIV test at your earliest convenience.

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 HIV test kits reliable?

We often are asked about the quality of our HIV test kits and this is a very valid question to ask a potential supplier. When buying HIV test kits it is essential that you check the quality of the product.

The test kits we sell through Head Start Testing NZ are manufactured under ISO and GMP standards. This means they are produced in a factory that adheres to specific quality control procedures to ensure consistency of product quality and reliability. Additionally the HIV home test kits are designed with quality as a priority (as opposed to cost or weight). As such the HIV test kits sold through Head Start testing NZ have the following:

-Clear, concise instructions accompany the kits

-An accompany information sheet is also included.

-Everything needed is present within the hygienically sealed pouch.

-The actual testing strip is sealed within a 2^nd pouch.

-The kit has a “fail” reading. In the event of a failed test, no negative or positive result is given and a clear failed reading is given.

When buying HIV test kits it is essential you read and understand the instructions clearly. The test kits can be used only once and incorrect use can result in a failed HIV test. HIV testing is an extremely serious matter and if you are in any doubt about whether home testing is suitable then you should consider contacting a medical professional to oversee your HIV testing. If you have decided to test for HIV at home, then you can purchase high quality test kits that test for both the HIV 1 and 2 sub viruses from our store at HeadStarttesting.co.nz.

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.