reliability of diy HIV test kits

[pjoboy]

Hi,

Just like to start by saying that your site has been very useful and comforting during a very worrying time - it must be a huge help to a lot of people.

I had a fairly low risk encounter 7 weeks ago with a sex worker, me giving her oral sex. Though I notice afterwards that my tongue had an open abrasion on it.

I have been worried about HIV, when my Lymph nodes in my neck became slightly swollen. I also developed a bit of a rash on the top of one arm, not sure though what the rash associated with HIV should look like - this was after about 6 weeks.

I have tested myself twice at 6 weeks with a diy test kit - the type which shows the red lines after 15 min. Both proved negative. My main question is how reliable are these kits?. I ordered from a company with a link on this site, and the literature with the kit claims that it is as accurate and as sensitive as an EIA test. I dont think this question has been raised before on the forums.

Im going for a test this week at the clinic just to make sure, this will be at 7 weeks from exposure. I gather from the forums that the current thinking is that 99 percent of people test positive at 6 weeks..can I rely on this test that Im negative?.

Thanks again for a great site, and apologies if some of my questions may have already been answered in the past.

Yours..worried in UK

[march1]

hello i had protectected sex with a condom on. It was about 10 min the most i pulled out checked the condom a few times it was still on but when i switch position the condom popped so i was un protected for about two min and i just stopped and did not finish what are my chances of catching hiv.

[march1]

hello i had protectected sex with a condom on. It was about 10 min the most i pulled out checked the condom a few times it was still on but when i switch position the condom popped so i was un protected for about two min and i just stopped and did not finish what are my chances of catching hiv.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I am not familiar with that particular test.  But in general all the HIV tests are reliable, and if you were careful to follow the instructions, you probably can be confident you don't have HIV.  It is true that the vast majority--probably 99+% of people--will have positive results with modern HIV tests by 6 weeks after infection.  You are wise to be tested professionally, rather than relying on the home-based self-test.  In any case, the exposure you describe was very low risk; the chance you got HIV probably is in the lottery-winning range.

Good luck--  HHH, MD