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If the test is taken too close to the time of potential exposure, the results may be wrong. If test results are positive, you can connect with the Everlywell physician network at no additional cost. Ookla supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media ownership. Group Black's collective includes BlackWomenTalkTech, Empower Onyx, and Cxmmunity. Preferred by clinicians and consumers around the globe.
No — and this is important for users of the test to understand. The test is not reliable at detecting HIV infection until at least three months after infection. In addition, even after three months, there can also be false negative results because no test is perfect. Also, individuals taking medicine to treat or prevent HIV infection may get false negative results because the medicines may affect antibody levels. This means that it’s important not to rely on a negative test result to decide whether to engage in behavior that puts you at risk for HIV infection. More testing done through a lab is needed to confirm your HIV status.
HIV — why you should get tested
A person can purchase either type at a pharmacy or online. However, a person’s state of residence may affect which tests are available. Not everyone at risk of HIV has access to a doctors’ office to get tested. However, the Food and Drug Administration has approved one at-home test for HIV — the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test. If people can’t get to a clinic for testing, or have concerns about their privacy, there is a home testing kit that has been evaluated and approved by the U.S.
Research suggests that home HIV testing has an accuracy rate of around 92%. In comparison, tests in a doctor’s office are accurate 99% of the time. The accuracy of an at-home HIV test can depend on how closely a person follows the test kit instructions. Inaccurate results can occur if a person collects a sample incorrectly. A person needs to use an oral swab to perform the test. They take a sample at home, and results are usually available within 20–40 minutes.
Results in 3 Easy Steps
LetsGetChecked has nurses available to follow up on positive test results. LetsGetChecked offers a variety of home tests that they send directly to a person’s home. If a person has concerns about their results, they may wish to undergo a new test or contact a doctor.
After 20 to 40 minutes, one line will appear if the test is negative. Two lines indicate that HIV antibodies were detected and that you may be HIV positive. A positive at-home test doesn’t necessarily mean you have HIV. However, it’s important schedule an appointment with your healthcare professional for additional testing. The FDA says that the approved OraQuick test is only effective after 3 months following exposure to the virus, and around 1 in 12 people will receive a false negative. Other tests require a person to take a small sample of blood, often from their finger.
Should I take an at-home HIV test or get one at the doctor’s office?
According to the company, the test is the same that healthcare professionals have used for many years. The company offers two products for a wider range of STI testing. Each testing pack provides complete instructions for the test and how to return samples to the lab.
The company states a person will receive their results within 2–5 business days. For people who are HIV positive, there are FDA-approved medicines that can help keep the virus under control. These medicines do not cure HIV, but they can help people live longer, healthier lives and reduce the chance they’ll spread the virus to someone else. For people who are HIV negative, there are FDA-approved PrEP (or pre-exposure prophylaxis) drugs that may help protect against infection.
According to a 2019 paper in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, blood is more sensitive than saliva. If the HIV self-test is invalid, then the test did not work. You will need to use another HIV self-test, use a mail-in HIV test, or find testing at a health care provider or testing center. We understand you may want to learn more about HIV self testing. Review our frequently asked questions to learn about at home HIV testing and support available. Oral rapid tests can produce false positives in 1 out of every 5,000 and false negatives in 1 out of every 12 tests.
All shipments arrive at your door in discreet packaging. Read on to learn about the different types of at-home HIV tests, plus our recommendations. We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. At-home medical testing is becoming more popular, and people can now purchase HIV tests to use at home. Studies have found numerous benefits to home HIV testing, stating that they can be accurate. However, there has been no definite conclusion on the accuracy of home HIV tests to date. Research suggests that home HIV testing has an accuracy rate of around 92 percent, while a test at a doctor’s office is about 99 percent accurate.
Once they complete the test, they need to send the sample to their nominated lab, after which they should receive their results within 1–3 business days. While nonapproved rapid tests or mail-in tests are available, research has not reached a consensus on the accuracy of home HIV tests. However, some studies point to home tests having slightly less accurate results than a doctor’s office. HIV tests are offered at many types of places including your health care provider’s office. The CDC web page on HIV testing has information on where you can get screened, the different types of tests and what you can expect.
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Tracee Herbaugh is a writer and journalist who lives in the Boston area. She writes about culture, lifestyle, health, and family relationships. You can view her work online or find her on Twitter. It’s also a good idea for pregnant people to get tested.
To compile this list, we looked at at-home HIV tests offered by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certified labs. We also looked at each test’s cost, results for delivery time, insurance or health savings spending approval, and ease of purchasing. You can buy an HIV self-test at a pharmacy or online. Your local health department or another organization near you may offer free or reduced cost self-tests, which you can find using the locator below. The only FDA-approved HIV self-test currently available in the United States is an oral fluid test.
STIs can pass through any skin-to-skin contact, which means oral sex still poses a risk of STI transmission. Here's how to figure out what type of test you need, which products to consider, and when to see a doctor in person. Federal law now prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to people who have HIV or AIDS. And there may be a waiting period before insurance covers a chronic condition. The results of at-home HIV tests are about 92 percent accurate.
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