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Orasure reliability in 2009-2010
I've honestly exuasted my search about the topic in question, using sources here and outside medhelp on finding info on if Orasure Tech. has updated, modified, or improved their Orasure Oraquick oral HIV-1 test recently in 2009-2010 due to the false positives that were reported at around 1.2% in New York, San Francisco, and one or two other major cities in the past; around 05, 06, and maybe even more recently.
So if I am repeating a question that has been discussed before, my apologies. I am expecting a kit for the Orasure oral HIV test to arrive any day and have grown anxious and upset over these troubling statistics, as HIV is not something that you want to get a false positive result on and create an unnecessary emotional breakdown due to some flaw in the testing equipment. 1% is to large of a margin because a false positive will destroy my current semester at school and just ruin me in the most disturbing way imaginable. I'm sorry if I seem selfish or foolish and you need to know that this is how I really feel about all of this. For the record, I very much most likely don't have HIV but this is just such an enormous fear for me that it makes me very scared to even take an HIV test which I really need to do to feel better.
So I would really like to know two things: That if there have been any changes at all made by Orasure Tech. to make the test even more sensitive, better, and leave a much smaller margin for false positive readings in the recent two years, because I read that in 04, 05, and possibly even up to 08 or even 09 that there may have been some false positive readings reported still.
The other question I have is if brushing my teeth, using mouthwash, or any other chemicals in my mouth before taking the test is going to be an issue. A very simple yes or no response will be enough to suffice this up in the air concern of mine.
So if I am repeating a question that has been discussed before, my apologies. I am expecting a kit for the Orasure oral HIV test to arrive any day and have grown anxious and upset over these troubling statistics, as HIV is not something that you want to get a false positive result on and create an unnecessary emotional breakdown due to some flaw in the testing equipment. 1% is to large of a margin because a false positive will destroy my current semester at school and just ruin me in the most disturbing way imaginable. I'm sorry if I seem selfish or foolish and you need to know that this is how I really feel about all of this. For the record, I very much most likely don't have HIV but this is just such an enormous fear for me that it makes me very scared to even take an HIV test which I really need to do to feel better.
So I would really like to know two things: That if there have been any changes at all made by Orasure Tech. to make the test even more sensitive, better, and leave a much smaller margin for false positive readings in the recent two years, because I read that in 04, 05, and possibly even up to 08 or even 09 that there may have been some false positive readings reported still.
The other question I have is if brushing my teeth, using mouthwash, or any other chemicals in my mouth before taking the test is going to be an issue. A very simple yes or no response will be enough to suffice this up in the air concern of mine.
Be careful. These 3 web sites are a scam by the same author. I ordered from them, they took my money and never delivered
Yeah, I know Teak. There was nothing that you could of told me to convince me otherwise that I was never at risk. You were actually the greatest help for me on the forum because you didn't give my posts any relevance or power by only responding to them with no more then five words. It made me realize for a moment that If this was really a serious issue someone would elaborate about my complaint in question with more words then "you were never at risk" or "were done here." The reason why I felt that I was in risk was because of the fact that this was the first time I had intercourse with a sex worker. It was more of a fear of contamination more then anything and being that my fears center around HIV, I felt that she gave it to me when I got that cold three weeks after I saw her. I just thought it was really eerie and the time frame of the cold didn't sit well for me, and what bothered me the most is I didn't know exactly how I got the cold.
The reason why I wanted the test was a peace of mind type of thing and like I mentioned above I hadn't had a HIV test in nearly 7 years. I mentioned that I have the OCD issues with HIV that make the fears seem real even though I know I am making it up in my head. HIV is actually my biggest fear since I started obsessing about it in the early 90s cause they made such a big deal out of it on t.v. I was only 8 years old in 92 and it wasn't easy for a little kid to make sense of HIV, and naturally I created some irrational fears throughout the years as the epidemic grew. It gave me nightmares where people I knew were poking me with HIV contaminated needles in the dreams, and I would get these dreams every time I was stressed out about something. So I have been creating a lot of hype over this HIV business for many years. Im not the only one who has this problem. This is a scary disease.
The reason why I wanted the test was a peace of mind type of thing and like I mentioned above I hadn't had a HIV test in nearly 7 years. I mentioned that I have the OCD issues with HIV that make the fears seem real even though I know I am making it up in my head. HIV is actually my biggest fear since I started obsessing about it in the early 90s cause they made such a big deal out of it on t.v. I was only 8 years old in 92 and it wasn't easy for a little kid to make sense of HIV, and naturally I created some irrational fears throughout the years as the epidemic grew. It gave me nightmares where people I knew were poking me with HIV contaminated needles in the dreams, and I would get these dreams every time I was stressed out about something. So I have been creating a lot of hype over this HIV business for many years. Im not the only one who has this problem. This is a scary disease.
My home access express HIV test result came back negative for what it's worth.
Home access is the only FDA approved test. What you do is you prick your finger with a lancet and place drops of blood on a circle, which is on this special paper, you let the blood air dry, and you mail it in this air tight sample pouch they provide.
What impresses me the most is I got the result back 25 hours after it was picked up by the FedEx person, so I didn't have to worry to long. They even have nice knowledgeable counselors that listen to your BS too, so it was an overall good experience that I would recommend for $65. They use the ELISA and the more specific confirmatory test, Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) if you get a positive result. I think they use the IFA because it gives less indeterminate results then the Western Blot.
You can get this test at any pharmacy or drug store if anyone reading is interested. I just wanted to provide some information if anyone was interested in a quick accurate result. Sorry if it seems as if I am lobbying for home access, cause those were not my intentions.
This clears up a lot of history for me because the last time I got a test was when I was 18 and I am 25 now, and I have done some questionable things during that time period. I always used condoms though. I have learned my lesson, and that is to stay away from Craig's List because I obviously cannot handle it.
One thing you guys may be interested in is, I talked to the counselor about HIV early symptoms, and he mentioned that he has personally talked to many HIV infected people who have had these symptoms, and he said on average these people get very sick. I asked him about the rash and he didn't really have much info on it surprisingly, and I think he even thought it wasn't as common as people make it out to be. The symptoms that are most strong that he mentioned are fever, muscle aches, drenching night sweats, and malaise, which is an out of sorts type of feeling. I think the rash and sores are hit or miss but are huge indicators that you have it. But it is a specific type of rash. He also said that 1% of people that use home access test positive and they are usually men who have sex with men cases and women. He said it is very rare that men who have sex with women get HIV.
Home access is the only FDA approved test. What you do is you prick your finger with a lancet and place drops of blood on a circle, which is on this special paper, you let the blood air dry, and you mail it in this air tight sample pouch they provide.
What impresses me the most is I got the result back 25 hours after it was picked up by the FedEx person, so I didn't have to worry to long. They even have nice knowledgeable counselors that listen to your BS too, so it was an overall good experience that I would recommend for $65. They use the ELISA and the more specific confirmatory test, Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) if you get a positive result. I think they use the IFA because it gives less indeterminate results then the Western Blot.
You can get this test at any pharmacy or drug store if anyone reading is interested. I just wanted to provide some information if anyone was interested in a quick accurate result. Sorry if it seems as if I am lobbying for home access, cause those were not my intentions.
This clears up a lot of history for me because the last time I got a test was when I was 18 and I am 25 now, and I have done some questionable things during that time period. I always used condoms though. I have learned my lesson, and that is to stay away from Craig's List because I obviously cannot handle it.
One thing you guys may be interested in is, I talked to the counselor about HIV early symptoms, and he mentioned that he has personally talked to many HIV infected people who have had these symptoms, and he said on average these people get very sick. I asked him about the rash and he didn't really have much info on it surprisingly, and I think he even thought it wasn't as common as people make it out to be. The symptoms that are most strong that he mentioned are fever, muscle aches, drenching night sweats, and malaise, which is an out of sorts type of feeling. I think the rash and sores are hit or miss but are huge indicators that you have it. But it is a specific type of rash. He also said that 1% of people that use home access test positive and they are usually men who have sex with men cases and women. He said it is very rare that men who have sex with women get HIV.
get professional mental help, cant u understand english ? first of all you got an unapproved test and then again you are brooding over ifs and buts , without the c line the test is invalid, just be a man and get tested in a lab, i had two false positive tests followed by 10 negative antibody tests up to one year dont repeat the same mistake i made, go to a lab get tested collect your negative test report and finish this mess.
Thanks john. I realize it is invalid. In fact, the control line (C) and the test line (T) both did not appear at all. What happened was after like 20-30 minutes after nothing happened (test says read after 10 minutes) I put the test cassette underneath a bright lamp and noticed inside the cassette near the T part that there was a slight pinkish hue. So I took the cassette apart with pliers and noticed that the strip was slightly pink due to possible color change reaction.
It troubles me because I associate the T portion with HIV because that is how the damn test works, right. So I freaked out because that is what happens when the strips bind to HIV antibodies, they change colors. So in my mind I am thinking the worst case scenario. To make things worst I didn't even take a good saliva sample because the cotton applicator fell apart it was so cheap and I ended up licking my gums and just spitting on the well and mixing buffer solution. So Im thinking being that I gave such a low concentrated sample I got a weaker reaction in the test strip.
My mind is just playing tricks on me. I don't want to f***ing die ya know and I want to have a family. I just want to know what happened and if the damn strip changed colors. I realized before I posted this that I couldn't get much help, but I just wanted to tell someone so I could feel better because Im really scared. Im taking the home access blood test tomorrow and should have my results the next day. A big part of me is thinking my worst nightmare is going to come true. I just keep repeating a Mark Twain quote over and over in my head. He said something like "some of our worst fears usually never come true.
It troubles me because I associate the T portion with HIV because that is how the damn test works, right. So I freaked out because that is what happens when the strips bind to HIV antibodies, they change colors. So in my mind I am thinking the worst case scenario. To make things worst I didn't even take a good saliva sample because the cotton applicator fell apart it was so cheap and I ended up licking my gums and just spitting on the well and mixing buffer solution. So Im thinking being that I gave such a low concentrated sample I got a weaker reaction in the test strip.
My mind is just playing tricks on me. I don't want to f***ing die ya know and I want to have a family. I just want to know what happened and if the damn strip changed colors. I realized before I posted this that I couldn't get much help, but I just wanted to tell someone so I could feel better because Im really scared. Im taking the home access blood test tomorrow and should have my results the next day. A big part of me is thinking my worst nightmare is going to come true. I just keep repeating a Mark Twain quote over and over in my head. He said something like "some of our worst fears usually never come true.
relax , the test is invalid as the inbuilt control line did not apear, so throw it away and never use a unapproved test, go to a lab and take the test.
Don't want to hear about some unapproved test that you took. You want to discuss your anxiety issues YOU created take it to the anxiety forum.
I wish I never used it. I already bought an home access HIV express at a pharmacy. I just need to get tested to stop worrying.
I tracked down the Orawell company to somewhere in China on alibaba.com, which is like some commodity trade site, which Im not knowledgeable on. The companies product descriptions read and look legit. They describe the products using scientific and accurate info. Are they just posing to look legit?
How unreliable are these tests? Is it even worth a minute of my worries?
Look I promise to never talk about this again. I really just posted this because I have know one else to talk to about this, my Dad thinks Im nuts and he has no idea what I am talking about with this color change reaction. Can you or someone just tell me what I want to hear because I cant stop thinking about this. Anything.
I tracked down the Orawell company to somewhere in China on alibaba.com, which is like some commodity trade site, which Im not knowledgeable on. The companies product descriptions read and look legit. They describe the products using scientific and accurate info. Are they just posing to look legit?
How unreliable are these tests? Is it even worth a minute of my worries?
Look I promise to never talk about this again. I really just posted this because I have know one else to talk to about this, my Dad thinks Im nuts and he has no idea what I am talking about with this color change reaction. Can you or someone just tell me what I want to hear because I cant stop thinking about this. Anything.
I need some help. This is going to annoy you guys but please tell me what you think.
I used the bootleg Orasure test called Orawell.
It says to read after ten minutes. What you do is you mix saliva with the buffer solution provided with the kit and you pour the saliva/buffer solution into a small well into the cassette. The cassette is the plastic test device which looks similar to other cassettes on other tests.
Ok, so there are also a C and a T on the indicator (results) portion of this cassette, which means test and control. This indicator that I am describing is the only visible portion of the cassette unless you take it apart.
I wasn't going to use the test but I figured why not since I already had it. So I follow the instructions and after 15 minutes there are no results at all on the indicator. A positive result is two red lines, one on the C portion and the other on the T portion of the indicator and a negative result is one red line on the C portion. So I didn't get any actual colored lines on the indicator of the cassette.
After around 20 minutes I put the cassette underneath my lamp to view the indicator more closely and I noticed that on the inside of the cassette, on the side of the T portion of the indicator, I noticed a slight pinkinsh color inside the cassette after I held it under a light. So I took apart the cassette with a pair of pliers and noticed that by the T (test portion) of the cassette on this strip a very light pinkish color at the end of the strip.
I dont know if it changed colors because I didn't notice it before but it was slightly pink at the end of the strip, right before the the indicator, which is once again the only visible portion of the cassette unless you take the damn thing apart like I did; so this wouldn't of been noticeable unless you have taken it apart. The pink color covered a 4mm portion of the strip.
When you open the cassette it appears as if there are two strips that are on each side of the indicator, the indicator is what makes the center of the cassette. So this is what happens, you pour the saliva solution in the well it migrates until it reaches the indicator (this makes up the T portion). After the solution reaches the indicator it migrates across to the second half of the cassette which is the C area. Hope that makes sense.
I do know a color change is a reaction due to the presence of the antibodies in the HIV virus so I am naturally freaking out and don't know what this means. The test was invalid anyways but this pink color by the T portion is telling me that bad things are happening to me.
What does this mean? There was no color change by the C part of the strip inside the cassette but I don't think the saliva/buffer solution migrated across the indicator in order to soak the strip on the C portion part of the strip. I also felt very disgusted opening up and touching this cloth strip because of the possible HIV viral antigens on it, or whatever they make these testing strips out of. I didn't have any cuts on my fingers and I used hand sanitizer after and was very careful.
Should I worry about this. Look Im not going to drag this out and bother you guys but I really do need some support here because I am very scared.
I used the bootleg Orasure test called Orawell.
It says to read after ten minutes. What you do is you mix saliva with the buffer solution provided with the kit and you pour the saliva/buffer solution into a small well into the cassette. The cassette is the plastic test device which looks similar to other cassettes on other tests.
Ok, so there are also a C and a T on the indicator (results) portion of this cassette, which means test and control. This indicator that I am describing is the only visible portion of the cassette unless you take it apart.
I wasn't going to use the test but I figured why not since I already had it. So I follow the instructions and after 15 minutes there are no results at all on the indicator. A positive result is two red lines, one on the C portion and the other on the T portion of the indicator and a negative result is one red line on the C portion. So I didn't get any actual colored lines on the indicator of the cassette.
After around 20 minutes I put the cassette underneath my lamp to view the indicator more closely and I noticed that on the inside of the cassette, on the side of the T portion of the indicator, I noticed a slight pinkinsh color inside the cassette after I held it under a light. So I took apart the cassette with a pair of pliers and noticed that by the T (test portion) of the cassette on this strip a very light pinkish color at the end of the strip.
I dont know if it changed colors because I didn't notice it before but it was slightly pink at the end of the strip, right before the the indicator, which is once again the only visible portion of the cassette unless you take the damn thing apart like I did; so this wouldn't of been noticeable unless you have taken it apart. The pink color covered a 4mm portion of the strip.
When you open the cassette it appears as if there are two strips that are on each side of the indicator, the indicator is what makes the center of the cassette. So this is what happens, you pour the saliva solution in the well it migrates until it reaches the indicator (this makes up the T portion). After the solution reaches the indicator it migrates across to the second half of the cassette which is the C area. Hope that makes sense.
I do know a color change is a reaction due to the presence of the antibodies in the HIV virus so I am naturally freaking out and don't know what this means. The test was invalid anyways but this pink color by the T portion is telling me that bad things are happening to me.
What does this mean? There was no color change by the C part of the strip inside the cassette but I don't think the saliva/buffer solution migrated across the indicator in order to soak the strip on the C portion part of the strip. I also felt very disgusted opening up and touching this cloth strip because of the possible HIV viral antigens on it, or whatever they make these testing strips out of. I didn't have any cuts on my fingers and I used hand sanitizer after and was very careful.
Should I worry about this. Look Im not going to drag this out and bother you guys but I really do need some support here because I am very scared.
It's time to move along. Your asking questions that no one is going to have a clue about.
If I do take a test, I will go to a doctors office. I don't trust that test. Im just not going to use it. I don't want to throw it away though.
Does anyone know by any chance if the contents of the saliva buffer solution contains HIV components and if they have any dangers?
Does anyone know by any chance if the contents of the saliva buffer solution contains HIV components and if they have any dangers?
I take that back, www.oral-aids-testing.com is not it. It is www.oral-aids-tests.com.
I dont think it was ever testing actually. So type in tests. I apologize, I am getting very confused with all this.
I think it has always been tests so never try to type in testing.
I dont think it was ever testing actually. So type in tests. I apologize, I am getting very confused with all this.
I think it has always been tests so never try to type in testing.
Im pretty sure it was the oral-hiv-testing or oral-aids-testing.com. Who knows though because they keep switching their address. I don't know what they are doing but they're doing something sinister.
Anyways, it came in the mail and it isn't the same Orasure test that they were marketing. It says Orawell on it.
I don't even feel comfortable using it because they sent me something that I didn't order. On the site they were advertising the Orasure brand so should I throw it away.
I did some quick research on the Orawell saliva test and it appears to be made in China and it looks like materials they send me look appropriate. They send me a sponge collector, the buffer solution, and the testing device.
No instructions though. This is such BS. I did find some instructions though on this other ******* website.
Teak, if you want to go look at the site where I ordered it. They are at www.oral-aids-testing.com at the moment, but who knows what they will go to later.
So far they have been oral-hiv-testing, home-hiv-testing, and oral-aids-testing.
Their website was also one of the first suggestions to choose from when I typed in -buy orasure hiv test- on a search engine.
Bottom line should I use this product?
Anyways, it came in the mail and it isn't the same Orasure test that they were marketing. It says Orawell on it.
I don't even feel comfortable using it because they sent me something that I didn't order. On the site they were advertising the Orasure brand so should I throw it away.
I did some quick research on the Orawell saliva test and it appears to be made in China and it looks like materials they send me look appropriate. They send me a sponge collector, the buffer solution, and the testing device.
No instructions though. This is such BS. I did find some instructions though on this other ******* website.
Teak, if you want to go look at the site where I ordered it. They are at www.oral-aids-testing.com at the moment, but who knows what they will go to later.
So far they have been oral-hiv-testing, home-hiv-testing, and oral-aids-testing.
Their website was also one of the first suggestions to choose from when I typed in -buy orasure hiv test- on a search engine.
Bottom line should I use this product?
This keeps getting better and better. I just realized that the address is oral-aids-tests.com instead of oral-hiv-tests.com now and the oral-hiv-tests is a broken link now.
Either I am confused or they are switching these addresses.
Either I am confused or they are switching these addresses.
How would I be able to cancel the order after 3 days. It is supposed to be here today according to the billing info.
If I were to cancel the order though through my CC company, how would I do that anyways. Can I do that online or should I call customer service.
If I were to cancel the order though through my CC company, how would I do that anyways. Can I do that online or should I call customer service.
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