How To Test For HIV and Read The Result – According to United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAids) data, about 210,000 people in Namibia, Africa, are recorded as having the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which developed into the Acquired Immunodeficiency (AIDS) Virus until 3,000-3,400 deaths occurred in 2019.
Namibia was also one of the countries with the highest prevalence of HIV-AIDS in the world. But in the last 15 years, the number of people infected has decreased, but the rate of new infections in young women aged 15-24 has increased.
In order to reduce the disease, Namibia has a program launched by a national NGO. The program involved a Total Control of Epidemic (TCE) team that handled nearly 182 thousand people in Namibia. They went into people’s homes to take blood samples and test people who were positive for HIV.
The only way to know for sure if someone has HIV is by doing a test. Because, you can’t rely on symptoms to see if you have HIV. In addition, knowing the status of HIV gives you strong information so you can take steps to keep yourself and your partner healthy.
If you are positive for HIV, then you can take medication to treat HIV. People with HIV who take HIV medication every day as prescribed can live as normal and healthy and prevent its transmission to others. Without HIV drugs (antiretroviral therapy or ARV), the virus replicates in the body and damages the immune system. This is why a person needs to undergo treatment as soon as possible after a positive test.
How To Test For HIV at Home
You don’t have to be afraid to check yourself because HIV screening is so fast and practical. In fact, you can do it yourself at home using the ONESTEP tool. This HIV detection tool can be an early detection that works qualitatively. Here’s how to use ONESTEP for HIV testing at home.
- Unpack ONESTEP test Device
- Unpack the alco**hol prep pad and apply it to the finger to be sampled by blood. Blood retrieval can use your index finger, middle finger, or ring finger
- Open the lancet lid and point it at the finger. Press, until the finger emits a blood point
- Point the plastic pipette at the finger that has removed the bloody point. Squeeze the base of the pipette and blood suck.
- Prepare cassette, drop one drop of blood in the area that says the letter S
- Prepare the liquid buffer, cut the ends and drop one drop on the cassette that says the letter S.
Wait for results in 10-15 minutes. Positive results if two pink lines appear in areas C and T. Test results indicate anti-HIV detection in the blood. Negative results if there is only one pink line that arises in area C of the test results. Invalid result if there is no color whatsoever on the test result line.
Note that ONESTEP cannot be used to make final decisions or replace laboratory results. The positive results of these tests do not necessarily mean they are infected with HIV, but rather state, there should be additional testing in the laboratory to ascertain the results. As well as negative results, further testing is still needed by experts or doctors if they feel HIV characteristic.
How to read the result of HIV test
After doing the examination, you need how to read the HIV test correctly. Some of the results that can be obtained are:
Negative test results
In HIV-induced diseases, there is a so-called window period. The condition occurred at the time between a person being infected with HIV and when tests can be accurately detected.
This means that if someone performs a test outside of this window period, then the likely result is invalid and needs a repeat of the test again. This window period varies for each person and depends on the type of HIV test used.
This HIV test only applies differently to each person. Therefore, HIV screening should be done separately.
Reactive test results
Results that state positive for HIV may often still need a re-examination to ensure their accuracy. In these cases, usually the doctor will conduct additional laboratory tests before a positive final result can be notified.
When this phase occurs, doctors usually do not inform the patient and the patient will be asked for a re-examination, i.e. Request another blood sample to be sent to the laboratory to be retested.
Once this additional laboratory test is complete, then the diagnosis must be notified by the doctor.
Positive test results
If the test results have been confirmed by the doctor to be positive, then you need to get therapy in the form of the consumption of antiretroviral drugs (ARV). It is the most recommended therapy for the treatment of HIV.
Treatment with ARV drugs is disciplined proven to suppress the development of the virus and prevent the transmission of the virus to others. By inhibiting the development of the HIV virus, a person can survive a long time.
In addition to taking medication, you also still need to think positively and regularly check health conditions to the doctor.
Error in reading the HIV test
These results may occur when a person has an HIV test, while the results can be false negatives and false positives.
False negatives are the failure to detect antibodies or antigens in someone who turns out to be infected with HIV (mistakenly identifying HIV-positive people as negative).
This occurs mostly during the window period, when antibodies and antigens cannot yet be detected.
While for a positive result of a single test, it can in fact be a false positive, then many doctors choose to say the HIV test results are more reactive rather than positive.
Thus a re-test is carried out to ensure the results, as described earlier.
The perfect advice for those of you who want to know the exact results of HIV testing is not to do this test alone without a doctor.
Thnk you very much for reading How To Test For HIV and Read The Result, hopefully useful.
