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Reusable Rapid Test?

Hi Doctor,
First, I would like to thank you for the wonderful reassurance you give to many people on this site. For many many months I suffered with the irrational fear that I caught HIV from a low risk situation, so I finally got the courage to go and get tested yesterday. The result was negative, but I am very afraid that the rapid test I took at the public health STD clinic in NYC was reused. I say this because first all the rapid finger pricking devices were in a wicker basket (probably about 20 or more) none were wrapped in plastic and I did not see the lady replace any needles or equipment on the devices. Are these devices used and cleaned? I am very afraid doctor and I would really love to believe that this is all in my head. I truly think that I need to seek professional help because this fear of this illness is stressing me out. Also, they said that at this clinic due to budget and funding that they did not have the latest equipment and tests. Thank you in advance.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for the thanks. I'm glad to have helped.
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much I do appreciate your response. You have relieved a lot of my stress.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
And by the way, the NYC PH clinics provide world-class STD/HIV prevention services. The medical directors of both the STD and HIV programs are friends and colleagues of Dr. Hook and me; the NYC health commisioner, Dr. Tom Farley, also is a past colleague and was once a full-time STD specialist and past head of Louisiana's STD/HIV program.  There is no way any of these three professionals would permit use of anything other than top-of-the-line equipment and procedures.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.  Thanks for your question.

The rapid HIV tests are all designed for single use on individual patients; in fact, by the why the test kits are designed, it would be impossible to use the same one twice. Further, perhaps it will help you to know that in the US and Europe in the past 20 years, probably there has not been a single case of HIV infection occurring as a result of drawing blood, or by use of a finger-stick lancet.

So you can absolutely rely on your negative test result and should not be at all worried about being infected during the testing process.  There's simply no chance of it.

I hope this has helped.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD
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