Are you experiencing symptoms similar to the flu such as fever, general malaise, or skin rash? These may be the early signs of HIV. Later on, you may also experience fatigue, weight loss, fever, night sweats, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. With the HIV self-test from The Tester, you can test yourself for HIV. Our HIV self-test features include:

• Reliability (CE-certified)
• Anonymous
• Easy to use
• Instant results
• Orders placed on weekdays will be delivered the next day

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system and over time, it decreases the body’s ability to fight off infections. If left untreated, HIV can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). There is no cure for HIV or AIDS, but with proper medical treatment, HIV can be controlled to a non-life-threatening condition. Early diagnosis and treatment can make the life expectancy for someone with HIV similar to that of someone without HIV.

HIV can be transmitted through certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, including blood, breast milk, semen, rectal fluids, and vaginal fluids. Transmission can occur if these fluids come into contact with a mucous membrane (in the rectum, vagina, penis, or mouth) or damaged tissue, or are directly injected into the bloodstream (with a needle or syringe). HIV can also be transmitted from an HIV-positive mother to her child during pregnancy or childbirth. The risk of HIV is high in:

• Unprotected sex with someone who has HIV or whose HIV status is unknown.
• Unprotected vaginal or anal sex with multiple partners.
• Using non-sterile needles or injection needles.

The HIV self-test is an immunochromatographic, rapid in-vitro diagnostic test for the detection of antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2) in whole blood. It is intended for use by untrained users in a private setting as a self-test to assist in the diagnosis of infection with HIV-1 and HIV-2 using a finger prick. The device requires a sample size of 10 μl.

Discrete shipment

The test will be shipped in a discreet package after ordering. After receiving the test package, you can perform the test yourself using a clear instruction manual. Then you can read the result within minutes.

If you are interested in additional information, such as the reliability of the HIV self-test, you can find this information below under the headings “Reliability”, “Window phase HIV”, “Results” and/or “Content of the test”.

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Reliability

The HIV self-test is CE certified. Laboratory tests showed that the HIV self-test correctly identified 99.6% (1757 out of 1764) of unique HIV-negative samples (known as the test’s characteristic). Of these samples, the test correctly detected 99.5% of samples with an HIV-1 infection and 100% of samples with an HIV-2 infection. Furthermore, during clinical evaluations in Kenya, 94.3% (33 out of 35) of HIV-positive samples were correctly identified by inexperienced self-test users. In terms of sensitivity and specificity, the reliability values of the HIV test are very high.

Window-phase HIV

After being exposed to HIV, it can take 6 to 12 weeks for the body to produce the antibodies that are detected by this test. This period is called the ‘window-phase’. If you take an HIV self-test during the window-phase, it is possible that you will receive a falsely negative test result. If you think you have been recently exposed to HIV, it is recommended that you re-test after the window-phase has passed.

However, it should be noted that sometimes it can take up to 3 months for HIV antibodies to be detectable in the blood. Therefore, it is recommended to retest for possible infection after 3 months.

Result

The result can be read by yourself within a few seconds.

Positive test result? If the test result is positive, it means that HIV antibodies have been detected in your blood and we recommend that you contact your doctor or an HIV consultant as soon as possible.

Negative test result? If the test result is negative, it means that no HIV antibodies have been detected in the blood. It is important to consider the window phase.

Content of the test

The package contains all the materials needed to perform the test:

• HIV self-test
• Instruction manual
• Bottle of test fluid
• Support card
• Discreet waste bag
• Bandage