Social Work & Prevention : H.I.V. Testing F.A.Q.
HIV Pre- and Post-Test Counseling Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is Uni-Gold Recombigen© HIV and how does it work?
A. Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV is a rapid test for detecting antibodies to HIV and will provide you with very fast results in 10 minutes. There are other testing options available when speed is not an issue; however, these tests will provide you with results in 2 weeks. Southwest CARE Center uses the OraSure mouth swab for those who do not wish to use Uni-Gold Recombigen.
The Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV antibody test is a fast and accurate test that provides an easy-to-read test result in 10 minutes. Uni-Gold is used to see if there are antibodies to HIV in a sample of your blood. It is performed with a finger stick.
Q. What does my test result mean?
A. A preliminary positive result suggests that antibodies to HIV may be present in your blood. If you receive a preliminary positive result on the test, the result must be confirmed with a blood draw with results confirmed in 2 weeks.
A negative test result means that HIV antibodies were not detected in your blood at the time of testing. However, this does not completely rule out the possibility of being infected with HIV. If, in the last 3 months, you have engaged in high risk behavior, there is a possibility that you may still be infected with HIV. A recent infection may not produce enough antibodies to be detected by this test. Ask you healthcare provider if you should consider getting tested again in the next 3 to 6 months to be sure that you are not infected.
Q. If my result is a preliminary positive, what are the next tests that are done?
A. There are two tests that can be performed on the blood sample that will be drawn should you test preliminary positive: The first is called the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay). The ELISA is a very sensitive test that will come up positive if it detects H.I.V antibodies. For this reason, if a positive (or reactive) result comes from the 1st ELISA, a second ELISA is done. If the second Elisa is reactive, the Western Blot is done. The Western blot is both sensitive and specific. It will only be reactive if HIV antibodies are present.
Q. What does a positive result mean?
A. A positive result indicates that all three tests (two ELISAs and a Western blot) were reactive and that H.I.V. antibodies were detected in the sample.
Q. What is the window period?
A. The window period is the period between HIV infection and the time the body produces antibodies to HIV in sufficient quantities to be detected by an HIV antibody test.
Q. Do I need to test again?
A. It is possible that someone who tests negative four weeks after exposure may be infected but his/her body has not had sufficient time to develop antibodies. Therefore, to rule out HIV infection, it is important to re-test three months after exposure. It is extremely rare for an HIV - infected individual not to develop antibodies by three months. An individual who tests negative three months after an exposure does not require further testing unless he/she may have had repeated exposures or their antibody test results are incompatible with their clinical history.
Q. If I am exposed to HIV, does that automatically mean I am infected?
A.No. Contact with HIV - infected fluids or sexual contact with an HIV - positive individual does not equal infection. There are a number of variables that contribute to infection, including the amount of virus in the fluid and the access of the virus to the blood stream (mucous membrane; direct entry, as with needles; etc.).
Q. I am not in a high-risk group. Do I really need to worry?
A. There is really no such thing as "high-risk groups" there are only high risk behaviors. What behaviors have you engaged in that might put you at risk for HIV infection?
Q. Can the virus live outside the body?
A. HIV cannot remain active outside the body for very long. It does not survive when exposed directly to air. HIV is packaged in a delicate outer wrapping or envelope. In the natural world HIV is quickly destroyed, such as in tap or pool water. HIV's envelope is extremely sensitive to even mild chemicals, like detergents or small amounts of chlorine bleach.
Q. Can using a mouthwash or douching reduce the risk of HIV infection?
A. No. Although some people believe that oral, vaginal or anal cleansing after intercourse can reduce the risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases, there is no evidence to support these ideas, In fact, it is likely that cleansing may actually facilitate HIV infection by washing infected semen deeper into the vagina or anus.
Q. Is deep kissing a risky behavior?
A. All of the available evidence shows that there are no known cases of HIV transmission from kissing. There is very little HIV in saliva-not enough to cause infection. There will be a risk involved if either partner has mouth sores or bleeding gums.
Q. Are lambskin condoms effective protection against HIV?
A. HIV and other viruses are many times smaller than sperm cells, so they can pass through the pores of lambskin and natural-skin condoms. Thus, natural-skin condoms offer no protection against HIV.
Q. What if I am allergic to latex? What if my partner is?
A. If you want to use condoms but have a reaction to latex a polyurethane (plastic) condom is now available. Lab studies show that these condoms have the same barrier qualities as latex. A disadvantage is that they are much more likely to slip or break than latex condoms.
Q. If I am not the receiving partner in anal sex, am I still at risk?
A. Without the protection of a latex condom, the skin covering the penis and the mucous lining of the urethral opening (the hole at the tip of the penis) are exposed to the lining of the rectum, which is likely to bleed during anal intercourse. Small scratches can occur on the penis during intercourse to provide another point of entry into the bloodstream. However, little cuts or scratches are not even necessary for HIV transmission to occur. Like the walls of the rectum, the mucous membranes of the urethra are rich with cells that transport foreign material to the immune system for elimination. However, risk for HIV infection is at least two times greater for the receiving partner compared with the inserting partner during intercourse.
Q. How risky is oral-anal, mouth to anus sex? A. Oral-anal sex, sometimes called rimming, does not appear to carry a high risk for HIV infection unless there is blood present. However, oral-anal sex is a high risk for a number of other diseases, including hepatitis B virus, hepatitis A virus, herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and a number of parasites.
(Taken verbatim from New York State and New York City Department of Health Joint Recommendations for H.I.V. Testing and Retesting)
A. Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV is a rapid test for detecting antibodies to HIV and will provide you with very fast results in 10 minutes. There are other testing options available when speed is not an issue; however, these tests will provide you with results in 2 weeks. Southwest CARE Center uses the OraSure mouth swab for those who do not wish to use Uni-Gold Recombigen.
The Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV antibody test is a fast and accurate test that provides an easy-to-read test result in 10 minutes. Uni-Gold is used to see if there are antibodies to HIV in a sample of your blood. It is performed with a finger stick.
Q. What does my test result mean?
A. A preliminary positive result suggests that antibodies to HIV may be present in your blood. If you receive a preliminary positive result on the test, the result must be confirmed with a blood draw with results confirmed in 2 weeks.
A negative test result means that HIV antibodies were not detected in your blood at the time of testing. However, this does not completely rule out the possibility of being infected with HIV. If, in the last 3 months, you have engaged in high risk behavior, there is a possibility that you may still be infected with HIV. A recent infection may not produce enough antibodies to be detected by this test. Ask you healthcare provider if you should consider getting tested again in the next 3 to 6 months to be sure that you are not infected.
Q. If my result is a preliminary positive, what are the next tests that are done?
A. There are two tests that can be performed on the blood sample that will be drawn should you test preliminary positive: The first is called the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay). The ELISA is a very sensitive test that will come up positive if it detects H.I.V antibodies. For this reason, if a positive (or reactive) result comes from the 1st ELISA, a second ELISA is done. If the second Elisa is reactive, the Western Blot is done. The Western blot is both sensitive and specific. It will only be reactive if HIV antibodies are present.
Q. What does a positive result mean?
A. A positive result indicates that all three tests (two ELISAs and a Western blot) were reactive and that H.I.V. antibodies were detected in the sample.
Q. What is the window period?
A. The window period is the period between HIV infection and the time the body produces antibodies to HIV in sufficient quantities to be detected by an HIV antibody test.
Q. Do I need to test again?
A. It is possible that someone who tests negative four weeks after exposure may be infected but his/her body has not had sufficient time to develop antibodies. Therefore, to rule out HIV infection, it is important to re-test three months after exposure. It is extremely rare for an HIV - infected individual not to develop antibodies by three months. An individual who tests negative three months after an exposure does not require further testing unless he/she may have had repeated exposures or their antibody test results are incompatible with their clinical history.
Q. If I am exposed to HIV, does that automatically mean I am infected?
A.No. Contact with HIV - infected fluids or sexual contact with an HIV - positive individual does not equal infection. There are a number of variables that contribute to infection, including the amount of virus in the fluid and the access of the virus to the blood stream (mucous membrane; direct entry, as with needles; etc.).
Q. I am not in a high-risk group. Do I really need to worry?
A. There is really no such thing as "high-risk groups" there are only high risk behaviors. What behaviors have you engaged in that might put you at risk for HIV infection?
Q. Can the virus live outside the body?
A. HIV cannot remain active outside the body for very long. It does not survive when exposed directly to air. HIV is packaged in a delicate outer wrapping or envelope. In the natural world HIV is quickly destroyed, such as in tap or pool water. HIV's envelope is extremely sensitive to even mild chemicals, like detergents or small amounts of chlorine bleach.
Q. Can using a mouthwash or douching reduce the risk of HIV infection?
A. No. Although some people believe that oral, vaginal or anal cleansing after intercourse can reduce the risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases, there is no evidence to support these ideas, In fact, it is likely that cleansing may actually facilitate HIV infection by washing infected semen deeper into the vagina or anus.
Q. Is deep kissing a risky behavior?
A. All of the available evidence shows that there are no known cases of HIV transmission from kissing. There is very little HIV in saliva-not enough to cause infection. There will be a risk involved if either partner has mouth sores or bleeding gums.
Q. Are lambskin condoms effective protection against HIV?
A. HIV and other viruses are many times smaller than sperm cells, so they can pass through the pores of lambskin and natural-skin condoms. Thus, natural-skin condoms offer no protection against HIV.
Q. What if I am allergic to latex? What if my partner is?
A. If you want to use condoms but have a reaction to latex a polyurethane (plastic) condom is now available. Lab studies show that these condoms have the same barrier qualities as latex. A disadvantage is that they are much more likely to slip or break than latex condoms.
Q. If I am not the receiving partner in anal sex, am I still at risk?
A. Without the protection of a latex condom, the skin covering the penis and the mucous lining of the urethral opening (the hole at the tip of the penis) are exposed to the lining of the rectum, which is likely to bleed during anal intercourse. Small scratches can occur on the penis during intercourse to provide another point of entry into the bloodstream. However, little cuts or scratches are not even necessary for HIV transmission to occur. Like the walls of the rectum, the mucous membranes of the urethra are rich with cells that transport foreign material to the immune system for elimination. However, risk for HIV infection is at least two times greater for the receiving partner compared with the inserting partner during intercourse.
Q. How risky is oral-anal, mouth to anus sex? A. Oral-anal sex, sometimes called rimming, does not appear to carry a high risk for HIV infection unless there is blood present. However, oral-anal sex is a high risk for a number of other diseases, including hepatitis B virus, hepatitis A virus, herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and a number of parasites.
(Taken verbatim from New York State and New York City Department of Health Joint Recommendations for H.I.V. Testing and Retesting)
