Orawell & Urasure Home Tests

Dearest Doctors Handsfield and Hook -

First off - thank you so much for providing this forum! I've already done much research and it's been an unbelievable help!

Overall, I recently got out of a relationship and I think that I was cheated on. I'm also afraid that the woman I was with was a drug user, but in pill-forms, as I saw no injection marks on her wrist. For what it is worth, she was in great athletic shape.

We had plenty of unprotected vaginal sex for about two months (from May to June), but no anal activity. I am circumcised and have no other STDs, based on my last round of testing back in December of 2010. She did share her STD tests with me, which were all negative, but the dates were September of 2010, with HIV in March of 2011.

At this point, it has been just over 8 weeks since the relationship ended. I have tried to do another round of blood tests, but just the thought gave me a panic attack. For the sake of reducing my fears, I thought I should do some take home tests first.

In turn, Amazon.com sells a new set of HIV take-home tests made by a company called OraWell (or OraWellUSA) out of Pennsylvania. To my best knowledge, these tests are not FDA approved, but they seem legit?

With that, I took their ORASURE oral rapid test, as well as their URASURE urine test. Both came out negative.

Can I rest well and assume I'm negative? Or do you think extra measures are needed?

Thank you so much!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the forum.  I'll try to help.

First, contrary to your apparent beliefs, you describe a relatively low risk situation with respect to HIV.  Regardless of other sexual partnerships she might have had, the chance a partner like yours had HIV is low, especially in view of her negative HIV blood test result in March of this year.

Regardless of how risky your partner was or wasn't, your negative Orasure test is 100% reliable evidence that you weren't infected.  (I'm less familiar with Urasure, but I suspect it is equally reliable.)  Eight weeks is sufficient time for the stand-alone HIV antibody tests, and you don't need any additional testing -- even though many agencies recommend testing at 3 months.

I cannot vouch for the Orawell test and you are correct it is not certified -- and its use in fact may not be legal in the US.  I suggest you stay away from it.  As I already said, you don't need any more testing anyway.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[danapointrockstar]

And by the way, her HIV test in March of 2011 was negative, just in case that was unclear.

[danapointrockstar]

Thanks so much Dr Handsfield!

For clarifications sake, both tests were made by OraWell (including the OraSure), but I'm taking from your email that no further testing is needed? I hope they're legal, especially since Amazon sells them!

Nonetheless, thank you again! You and Dr Hook really do a wonderful service. Thank you for being available. It's been a really terrific help!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

For sure no further testing is needed.  You can move on with no worries.

[danapointrockstar]

Awesome! I feel reborn and I'll be sure to play it safe next time.

Thank you Doctor Handsfield! If you are ever in Southern California, let me know, dinner is on me!