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MAIL IN HIV TEST.

I DID A HOME ACCESS HIV TEST KIT AT HOME WHICH I THEN MAILED TO THE LAB. I GAVE THEM A BLOOD SPOT ON A BLOOD SAMPLE COLLECTION CARD. I USED GREY 3M NATURAL RUBBER DUCT TAPE TO SEAL THE FOIL POUCH ( WHICH HOLDS THE BLOOD SAMPLE COLLECTION CARD ), ALSO TO SEAL THE CARDBOARD POUCH WHICH THE FOIL POUCH GOES IN AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE MAILING POUCH. I DID THIS SO NO ONE COULD BE EXPOSED TO MY BLOOD SPOT AND ALSO BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT IT TO GET TAMPERED WITH BY ANYONE. THE DUCT TAPE REALLY SMELLED.   MY QUESTION IS COULD THE SMELL OF THE DUCT TAPE SEEP INTO MY BLOOD SAMPLE OR COULD THE DUCT TAPE SMELL CONTAMINATE MY BLOOD SAMPLE IN ANYWAY ? ALSO, SO YOU KNOW, I HAD TO LET MY BLOOD SAMPLE DRY FOR 30 MINUTES BEFORE IT PUT IT IN THE FOIL POUCH. THE PACKAGE STAYS IN THE MAIL FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.  ***@****  .
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300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes, if the test could not be performed for some reason the company should inform you.  EWH
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER. I WAS JUST CONCERNED. WHEN YOU STATED IN YOUR ANSWER " UNLESS YOU HEAR OTHERWISE WHEN YOU GET YOUR RESULT " -DO YOU MEAN THAT IF THEY (HOME ACCESS) HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH MY BLOOD SAMPLE THAT THEY COULD NOT TEST IT AND I WOULD HAVE TO BE TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT TEST IT BECAUSE OF THE TAPE OR WHATEVER CONTAMINATED IT ? I USE HOME ACCESS BECAUSE IT IS CLEARED BY THE FDA, JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. ALSO, BECAUSE I GOT WORD BACK FROM MY DOCTOR THAT I NOW HAVE DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTROL AND A PROBLEM WITH MY LIVER, COULD ANY OF THAT EFFECT MY RESULTS ? I LOOK FOWARD TO YOUR ANSWER. YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CLINIC BEING GOOD, IT IS JUST VERY HARD TO GET AN APPOINTMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND BEST HOLIDAY WISHES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The smell from the duct tape is organic solvents which are part of the glue on the tape.  I have no idea how such solvents might affect the performance of the test and doubt that you need to worry either.  The foil for the kit should keep the chemicals away from the blood spot that will be used for testing.

Unless you hear otherwise when you get your result, I would urge you to consider your results accurate.  If you still have misgivings, go to your local health department and get a test there, on site. The services at health departments are highly confidential and are very accurate (this is not to suggest that the results through Home Access are not good, just to provide you worth another approach to getting tested).

Hope this helps.  EWH
Helpful - 0

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