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Avatar universal

Which test and why ?

Hi I have a simple question.

If oral antibody rapid testing is as sensitive/ accurate as blood antibody test (ELISA) - why do people go for latter to confirm ? I do know that if any of these turn out positive, a WB is done for further confirmation.

thanks
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Avatar universal
Rapid tests mean a rapid blood or oral swab testing.

This should be available at a local CDC test center for free or any other medical clinic around your place for a reasonable price.

The tests are available in 20 minutes. A positive test needs to be reconfirmed with a western blot test.
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Avatar universal
.,hmm., What does rapid test mean? I really can’t get it, you know.
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Avatar universal
Hi Teak. I found this website.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/resources/qa/tests_work.htm

To quote:

"A rapid test is a screening test that produces very quick results, in approximately 20 minutes. Rapid tests use blood from a vein or from a finger stick, or oral fluid, to look for the presence of antibodies to HIV. As is true for all screening tests, a reactive rapid HIV test result must be confirmed with a follow-up confirmatory test before a final diagnosis of infection can be made. These tests have similar accuracy rates as traditional EIA screening tests. Please visit the rapid HIV testing section for details."

Still waiting for your comment though.


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Avatar universal
I see. Thanks.

What do you mean by anaylizer ? I thought both rapid and non-rapid tests use the same procedure to detect anti-bhttp://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Prevention/Which-test-and-why-/show/930726?personal_page_id=454349&post_id=post_4381435#ody. I am asking this question because I want to know if there is any advantage to go for more time & money consuming blood test than the rapid tests. This is the motivation behind this question.

thanks.
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Avatar universal
There are no free tests. Taxes pay for those tests. Rapid tests can be done orally or by blood and don't require an anaylizer to process them. Standard ELISA needs processing.
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Avatar universal
I see - but then what is the difference between rapid oral and blood test ? If they are same and have same sensitivity/ accuracy - why do blood tests charge so much more and oral test are available for free ?
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Avatar universal
Rapid tests are ELISA tests. Any and all HIV tests have to have a confirmative test for positive results.
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