Home Test

With the incidence of HIV infection on the rise in Australia we must look at where the disease is coming from and focus on better education around HIV testing and HIV prevention to prevent this situation. In Australia 2011 showed an 85 % increase in infection rates and over the last 10 years a 50% increase. To solely attribute this to Australians returning from overseas travel with HIV is far from accurate. However we should of course take note to the following realities: -Thailand and Bali are extremely popular destinations for Australians seeking sun, fun and often a sexual encounteror...

Firstly, please consider this…”THE United States has authorised sales of the first over-the-counter home testing kit for HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.” This means if you are concerned about HIV and wish to take an HIV test, you can purchase from an HIV home test kit from your local pharmacy. It’s convenient, safe and accurate. It simply leads to more people being tested for HIV and sooner. Sadly in Australia we are still some way from this and only recently has Australia started using rapid test kits, something most developed countries have been using for several years now....

Let us look at what is available in the market place for HIV test kits. Diagnosis of HIV infection generally focuses on detecting the antibody to HIV. These are the test kits offered in Australia by online suppliers such as Head Start Testing and in the UK by Freedom Testing. These test kits are extremely accurate and can be used without medical supervision but they require that the individual has produced HIV antibodies in reaction to being infected with the HIV virus. With an antibody test the window period is expected to be between 4 and 12 weeks although the...

Sexually Transmitted Disease could be a very irritating and stressful experience. Contracting a STD is not just the actual physical affliction, but additionally a psychological struggle. Inflammation, tingling and foul odor, along with overall painful feeling accompany the STD menace. You certainly need to get rid of the disease as soon as possible to live a healthy life again. If you are sexually active, notably with several partners, it is imperative you get tested because people can have a STD with no knowledge of it. In several cases, there are no signs and symptoms to alert them. Perhaps you are...

Many individuals considering an HIV test will do so because they are worried about risk of infection and believe they may be showing HIV symptoms. HIV is a virus that enters the body through an exchange of bodily fluids and then like any virus produces a reaction within the body. This can be a typical viral reaction such as flu like symptoms or more sever such as fevers and rashes or it may produce no symptoms. At some stage, normally around 4-12 weeks the body will produce antibodies to the HIV virus. At this stage a 3rd generation HIV test...