HIV Test Kit: how to test HIV at home, price in india, where to buy online?

HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection is a leading public health concern globally. Not only does the condition affects millions of people, but it is also still considered taboo. The prevalent stigma surrounding the condition makes it difficult for people to stay educated about the subject and take necessary precautions to prevent further spread.

Despite the prevalence, the advancements in the medical field have made HIV treatments a lot more mainstream, accessible and effective. While HIV+ patients thought it was a death sentence a few decades back, things have now progressed substantially, bringing a lot more positive change.

However, the ongoing stigma still makes it difficult for people to be forthcoming about the testing. To eradicate that barrier, the Government of India has introduced a home HIV test, which allows patients to check their results from the safety and comfort of their homes.

This article will look into these at-home HIV tests, how you can use them, and their availability and pricing in India.

When should you get an HIV Test?

HIV test is not a regular blood test to check your well-being. It is when you have the possibility of being exposed to the virus that you should consider getting the test sorted.

Ideally, you should get an HIV test if you:

• Have multiple sexual partners at a time,
• Engage in unprotected sexual intercourse with your partners,
• Have come in contact with infected needle or syringe,
• Have been near an HIV+ patient while they were bleeding,
• Have a possibility of contracting it genetically.

When testing for HIV, you need to check the window period. This is the time frame from when you contracted the virus and when it should show up on your test results. The window period will vary for different HIV tests.

The rapid at-home HIV tests, commonly antibody tests, have a window period of 18-33 days.

So, if you run the test before that, there are chances that the test reports might show false negatives.

What is Rapid HIV testing?

The rapid HIV test kit available in India is similar to the pregnancy tests kits you find in the market.

They are antibody assessment kits, check for the developed antibodies against HIV in the bloodstream.

All the rapid HIV tests available in India in the different chemists and pharmacy shops are certified by GMP and accredited by the World Health Organization. However, most of them are finger-prick tests.

How to use the HIV test kit?

The HIV self-test kits come with a test strip, lancet, and a needle. You need to use the needle to prick your middle or forefinger to draw out a drop of blood for the test.

• Pour that drop of blood into the small well present in the test strip.
• The blood gets absorbed into the paper strip with the testing chemicals.
• If your blood has antibodies against HIV, the test strip will show positive results. You need to consult your primary care physician for further treatment options.

Also, if you are confused about how to read the HIV test results, here’s what you need to do:

• Each test strip in the kit comes with two prominent lines – control and test.
• Once you drop the blood into the strip, you have to wait for 20-30 minutes for the chemicals to react.
• If both the lines in the test strip change color, it signifies the patient is HIV+. The color of the two bands in the test strip will turn red if the patient has HIV.

Are the HIV Test Kits accurate?

HIV test kits available in India for self-testing at home aren’t always 100% effective. In addition, they can show false negatives if the test is done before the window period.

So, if you know that you are at risk of contracting HIV from someone, it is always better to get a routine lab test to confirm your suspicions. Laboratory tests like nucleic acid tests or antibody-antigen combination tests have better accuracy.

What is the price of an HIV Test Kit in India?

The accessibility of HIV home tests in India is very high. You can get them online, or you can get them from the nearest pharmacy as well.

The one-step home HIV tests in India start from INR 400. It will vary depending on the brand of the test, where you are getting it from, and even the accessibility of the test in the city/state you live in.

Conclusion

If you are worried about how to test HIV at home naturally, the Indian government has self-testing kits available at your disposal. However, given the rising concern surrounding this condition and the ongoing stigma, it is time that we step out of the dark and prioritize testing instead of living a slow death.

HIV is a treatable and preventable disease. So, if you are worried about contracting it, take precautions. If you are concerned that you might have the infection, consult a doctor about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for further prevention.