Home AIDS Test

I have had the Home Access HIV-1 Test System that I ordered from Home Health Testing sitting on my dresser for over a week now.  I was tested for HIV over ten years ago and do not have any reason to believe that I have been at risk, but for some reason there is still a hesitancy to take the test.  I chose to take a home aids test for convenience and after learning that it is FDA approved and 99.9% accurate.  My procrastination in taking the test would have been much more prolonged if I needed to make an appointment and go to a doctor or health care facility.  I will say having to look at the box sitting in my home for several days has made me finally sit down and do it.  So if you or someone else has been dragging their feet and putting off taking an HIV test then this is a surefire way to get it done — order a home hiv test and sit it right in front of you for a few days.

The Home Access HIV Test is an anonymous test so you are required to call the 800 number and register the code in your test kit with the lab so later you can retrieve your test results by the code number.  The call to the 800 number is available 24 hours a day and is an automated system.  First you enter your eleven digit code when prompted and then you are required to answer 8-10 questions about your sex, race, zipcode and whether you have tested before.  The questions continue and ask you what you expect your test results to be, if you have had sex with males or females and if you have used needles.  At first the questions came as a surprise to me, but then I remembered the answers are only associated with my eleven digit code — not with my name.  This is really why a home hiv test is more private than going to answer those questions in front of a stranger at a clinic.

The next steps are pretty straight forward, wash your hands, use the lancet to prick your finger and fill the circle with a blood sample.  The circle on the sample card is pretty large and takes 5-10 drops of blood to fill the circle, but the instructions stress that if they do not receive enough of  a blood sample that they will not be able to test it.  The kit has a second lancet in it if you need to prick another finger to get enough blood.  I was able to fill the circle from one finger stick, but it took some squeezing of my finger to produce enough drops.

Allow the sample to dry for thirty minutes and then put it in the sample return pouch and mail in the enclosed mailer.  I purchased the standard kit which means my results will be available in seven business days after I mail it.  There is an Express Home HIV Test that offers next day results after you send the sample in the prepaid FedEx mailer, this kit costs about $10 more than the standard.

My only surprise in taking the test was the number of “survey” type questions when I called in to register my code number.  I anticipated a thirty second phone call to just type in my code at the 800 number, but the phone call was 6 1/2 minutes because of the information they give you and then the questions asked.  If you are taking this test, set aside enough time and privacy to allow for the longer phone call and then to allow your blood sample to dry for thirty minutes — don’t start this test when you are rushing out the door or trying to do it quickly before someone returns home.

I will call the 800 number in seven business days and let you know how the process concludes – oh, also I will let you know what my status is.

Tags: hiv test, home aids test, home hiv test