A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Accuracy of Early HIV Tests

The robust technological advancements in today’s medical world have unleashed fast-track early HIV detection tests. This HIV test enhances your life expectancy and safeguards your health against complications of HIV.  

HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks the immune system in your body. It mainly affects the CD4 cells, a type of white blood cells. White blood cells play an important role in defending our body from different forms of infections like cancer or tuberculosis.

The destruction of these WBCs leads to the weakening of our body’s immunity. The Early HIV Detection Test is necessary for identifying the risks of HIV infection and taking preventing control before it causes huge complications.

Now let’s have a look into the accuracy of an Early HIV Detection Test.           

Analysing the Reliability and Accuracy of Early HIV Detection Test

An Early HIV Detection Test produces accurate results in about 98% of the cases. Moreover, the degree of accuracy of an HIV test largely depends on different factors like:

• How sooner or later you are undertaking the test after HIV exposure
• The type of HIV test you are undergoing
• The responsiveness of the individual’s body towards HIV

At initial stages of HIV, it is quite difficult to detect the presence of the virus. As the infection intensifies from acute to chronic, doctors can easily diagnose you with the virus and present accurate test results.

The 2022 statistical reports by WHO reveal that nearly 39 million people globally were living with HIV. This indicates a significant portion of the global population undertakes the Early HIV Detection Test. Due to early detection and intervention; many people infected with HIV do not progress to AIDS for 8 to 10 years or longer, enabling them to manage the virus and lead healthier lives.

For more details, you can refer to the WHO fact sheet on HIV/AIDS here.

What are the types of Early HIV Detection Test available?

Early HIV Detection Test basically includes different types of diagnosis methods. You can get a brief overview from the following:

• Rapid PCR HIV Test

The rapid PCR HIV test requires you to get an Early HIV Detection Test from 10 days after exposure to the virus. HIV tests during this period present approximately 98.2% accurate results of the diagnosis. The rapid results of the test also help in immediate initiation of the treatment.   

• Blood or Antigen Test for HIV

Blood sample is the main element for performing the HIV Detection Test. The antigen HIV test basically detects the present of certain antigens of HIV in your blood. After exposure to the HIV virus, you should undertake this antibody HIV test within 18 to 45 days. You can get your test results within a few days and with 99% accuracy.

• Home Sampling Kit for HIV Test

The main use of home sampling kit for an HIV test is to collect the sample of blood or saliva at home and send it to a laboratory for an Early HIV Detection Test. After few days, the laboratory will contact you regarding your test results.

This kind of home sampling HIV tests generally produces 99% accurate results. However, you have to wait for around 90 days from the day of your HIV exposure to get an accurate diagnosis.      

• Home Testing Kit for Rapid HIV Test

Home testing kit, on the other hand, refers to self-administration of the HIV test. Just like the home sampling kit, the home testing kit requires the self-collection of your blood or saliva sample. This procedure gives you the fastest results within few minutes. The test results are mostly 99.7% accurate. However, you need to wait for around 90 days from your HIV exposure for this procedure of test as well.

What is the right time to take an HIV test?

There are no rapid tests to detect the presence of HIV on an immediate basis. The minimum days for undertaking an early HIV detection test are 10. You cannot get an accurate HIV test before 10 days from your HIV exposure. The maximum days required to get an early HIV detection test after the viral exposure may range up to 90.   

Where can you get an early HIV detection Test?

Different healthcare organisations offer services of early HIV detection test for free these days. However, you can book an early HIV test at our sexual health clinic today for private HIV tests. This provides you a confidential and more discreet experience of undertaking an HIV test.

Private sexual health clinic also offers other benefits like:

• Less waiting times
• Get access to highly qualified healthcare professionals
• Get the best medical and diagnostic services from accredited laboratories

What to do if you test positive for HIV?

You can book an early HIV test at our sexual health clinic today to get the most accurate results of your Early HIV detection test. If the results show you HIV-positive, you can make GP appointment to get the best healthcare guide.

You will encounter a thorough physical examination of your entire body along with the study of your medical history. A swab test will examine your HIV infection. Nest you shall receive guidelines on making effective decisions for your health management.

How long can you live without knowing about your HIV?

Unless you get to realise that you have come in contact with someone infected with HIV, you cannot easily detect symptoms of HIV. This causes you HIV infection to remain unnoticed for a long period of time.

Due to this asymptomatic nature of the virus, you cannot have the idea of HIV growing inside the body. However, the prolonged exposure of the body to HIV for nearly 10 to 15 years can finally lead to AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).  

Conclusion:

It is important to check your health profile on a routine basis for a safe and healthy lifestyle. Early HIV Detection Test enables you to assess your risks of HIV infection and delivers security against lifetime disease like AIDS. Book an early HIV test at our sexual health clinic today to safeguard your health against the spread of HIV. Choose your HIV test method widely to get the most accurate health results.