HIV Testing FAQ's

1. What is the process of being tested, i.e., what can I expect to happen?
Your representative will establish what testing option is appropriate for you. You will be assigned an ID number and your testing information will be taken along with your payment info. We will then connect you with your testing technician – either immediately via 3-way call while you are still on the line or you will receive a call back within 30 min for an express test, and within 1 hr for a regular test. You and the tester will establish an exact time and place to meet. Testers come to you within several hours or one hour for an express test. You will be tested and given pre and post-test counseling. Counseling and education are a vital part of what we provide. You will receive your results after the 20 minute incubation period while the tester is still with you. You will receive your KNOW CARD™ immediately with your results. You can verify your test results by calling in and referencing your personal ID#. You may be contacted for quality assurance to make sure you were satisfied with your service.

2. What are the various testing options available to me?
We provide a number of testing options for you. Basically they include a Regular and Express test with surcharges for nights/weekends as well as for anonymous testing.

1.Regular Test - Tester comes to you within several hours between the weekday hours of 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Your personal identifying information is obtained, but held strictly confidential.
2.Regular Test conducted at Night - Tester comes to you within several hours after 8 pm and before 7am. Your personal identifying information will be obtained, but is held strictly confidential.
3.Regular Anonymous Test - Tester comes to you within several hours between the weekday hours of 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Your personal identifying information will not be obtained.
4.Regular Anonymous Test conducted at Night - Tester comes to you within several hours after 8 pm and before 7 am. Your personal identifying information will not be obtained.
5.Express Test - Tester comes to you within one hour of dispatch subject to traffic, weather, etc. Allow up to 30 min. for dispatch. Your personal identifying information will be obtained, but is held strictly confidential.
6.Express Test conducted at Night - Tester comes to you within one hour of dispatch after 8 pm and before 7 am, subject to traffic, weather, etc. Allow up to 30 minutes for dispatch. Your personal identifying information will be obtained, but is held strictly confidential.
7.Express Anonymous Test - Tester comes to you within one hour of dispatch between the weekday hours of 7:00 am to 8:00 pm., subject to weather, traffic, etc. Allow up to 30 minutes for dispatch. Your personal identifying information will not be obtained.
8.Express Anonymous Test conducted at Nights - Tester comes to you within one hour of dispatch after 8 pm and before 7am, subject to weather, traffic, etc. Allow up to 30 minutes for dispatch. Your personal identifying information will not be obtained.

3. What test is used and what is its accuracy?
The OraQuick Advance HIV 1 & 2 test for oral fluid. This test was approved by the FDA on March 26, 2004. This is the only rapid HIV test to be approved in the US by the FDA for use with oral fluid. In the clinical studies by the manufacturer, the OraQuick oral fluid test correctly identified 99.3% of people who were infected with HIV (sensitivity) and 99.8 % of people who were not infected with HIV (specificity). The Food and Drug Administration expects clinical laboratories to obtain similar results.

4. What are the advantages of testing oral fluid rather than blood?
The test’s approval for oral fluids provides a safe, accurate, and rapid HIV test for persons who don’t like to have blood drawn or their finger stuck with a lancet. In addition, healthcare workers face a much lower risk of exposure to infectious diseases from oral fluid than from blood. Contact with saliva has never been proven to result in HIV transmission.

5. Why is FDA approval important?
FDA approval means that a rigorous clinical testing process was utilized prior to this test’s approval to verify the accuracy claims of the manufacturer.

6. How quickly can I be tested?
If you choose the Express Test option, you can be tested in as little as an hour from the time you make the call.

7. How long will it take to get results?
You will have your results in 20 minutes. The testing technician will not leave until you have the results and have any questions you have answered to your satisfaction.

8. Where can I be tested?
Because the test is so easy to administer, you can have the test done at the location of your choice. Often we administer the test in public places such as hotel lobbies or coffee shops. We also come to your home, office or wherever you might feel most comfortable.

9. Do the testing technicians look like healthcare workers?
We are very discreet in our procedures. Our testing technicians arrive in regular street clothes and private cars. The test itself is small enough to carry in a purse of jacket pocket. Nothing we do will call attention to you during the testing process. There are no uniforms, no marked vehicles, etc. You will speak with your tester prior to meeting and you both will have the opportunity to describe your appearance, the vehicle you are in, etc.

10. How is the test itself conducted?
To perform the test, either the tester or the person being tested for HIV-1 & 2 takes the device, which has an exposed absorbent pad at one end, and places the pad above the teeth and against the outer gum. The person then gently swabs completely around the outer gums, both upper and lower, one time around. The tester then takes the device and inserts it into a vial containing a solution. In 20 minutes you have the results.

11. How much will it cost?
The actual cost of the test will depend on how fast you want the test, whether you want it afterhours or if you would prefer that the test be conducted anonymously. A mileage surcharge is also assessed for one way trips of greater than 35 miles from out our testing technician’s location.

12. What payment options are available to me?
We accept credit cards, debit cards, PayPal and cash. Yes, we accept cash for those of you who want to remain completely anonymous.

13. How often should I be tested?
It depends on the level of risky behaviors you practice. Even sex with a condom can still put you at risk for an HIV infection. If you lead an active lifestyle, i.e., more than one sex partner, we recommend you be tested every 3-4 months. If you are involved in the adult entertainment industry, porn, or participate regularly in the swinging lifestyle we recommend being tested at least once a month.

14. What should I do if the test is positive?
A reactive HIV positive test result on oral fluid is a preliminary positive and needs to be confirmed by an additional blood test to verify whether HIV antibodies are present. You have the choice of using your own physician or utilizing one of our physicians in our network. Your testing technician/counselor can provide you more information.

15. If my test is negative, does that mean my partner is HIV negative as well? No. Your HIV test result reveals only your HIV status. Your negative test result does not tell you whether your partner has HIV. HIV is not necessarily transmitted every time there is an exposure. Therefore, your taking an HIV test should not be seen as a method to find out if your partner is infected. Testing should never take the place of protecting yourself from HIV infection. If your behaviors are putting you at risk for exposure to HIV, it is important to reduce your risks.

16. What is a "Know Card" and why is it important?
The Know Card is a logical, convenient and discreet way to keep written documentation of your negative HIV status. It signifies your priority of safe sex and good sexual health habits. Its disclosure to any potentially new sexual partner gives you the leverage and credibility to comfortably ask that they disclose their HIV and STD status– preferably BEFORE you engage in sex with them. While condom and other safe-sex practices are paramount, you should act responsibly and know your status and that of your partner. Knowing that anyone you may have sexual relations with has been tested and is HIV negative can bring you the peace of mind you need to thoroughly enjoy your experience. Condoms should ALWAYS be used unless you are in a long-term monogamous relationship in which you have both been tested and see one-another’s results. We recommend keeping the KNOW CARD in your wallet or somewhere else where it is readily accessible. That way, even during a spur of the moment sexual encounter or when the subject or opportunity presents itself, you have your HIV status documentation that can give your partner their peace of mind. If they do not have status documentation, our Express Test option can fix that within an hour.

17. How common is the HIV/AIDS virus?
Experts estimated at the end of 2002 that 42 million people in the world were living with HIV/AIDS. The Center for Disease Control estimates that approximately one million people in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS. In 2008, the CDC revised the number of new cases that occur each year in the U.S. from 40,000 to 54,000, 40 percent higher than previously thought.

18. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
Someone who is "HIV positive" does not necessarily have AIDS, but is infected with the HIV virus that can lead to the development of AIDS. HIV is said to have advanced to AIDS when an infected person develops an AIDS-defining illness (one or more of the conditions currently recognized by the Centers for Disease Control), or certain results on their blood tests, even if they have not yet developed symptoms. How quickly or slowly HIV progresses to AIDS vary from one person to another. As is the case with other diseases, early detection by a healthcare provider is essential to preventing or slowing the development of AIDS.

19. How is the HIV virus spread?
The HIV or AIDS virus passes from person to person through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. Transmission occurs when these body fluids are exchanged during intimate sexual contact or while sharing infected hypodermic needles during IV drug use. An infected woman can also pass HIV to her unborn child. HIV can also be transmitted through a blood transfusion with contaminated blood or blood products. New testing has all but eliminated transfusions as a transmission vehicle. In theory, other objects that come into contact with blood, such as shared toothbrushes or razors, can pass along HIV to subsequent users. Currently, however, nothing indicates that transmission of the virus is possible through sneezing, a hug or handshake, or other casual contact.

20. How do I know if I have the HIV/AIDS virus?
Early infection with HIV usually causes no symptoms at all. The only way to know for sure is to be tested. A doctor or healthcare provider can test for HIV by examining a sample of oral fluid or blood for antibodies and the presence of the virus.

21. Why is swift HIV detection so Important?
By testing early, a person can take immediate steps to develop a medical care plan with their physician or health care provider. Early testing also alerts an HIV-infected person to avoid high-risk behaviors that may pass along the virus to others. Sadly however, many who are tested for HIV in clinics are never alerted to their HIV status. In fact, each year 8,000 HIV-infected people who come to clinics for HIV testing do not return a week later to receive their test results. With the OraQuick ADVANCE HIV-1/2 Antibody Test, results are available on the spot in about 20 minutes. Widespread rapid HIV testing is likely to decrease the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are unaware they are infected with the HIV virus. Early testing enables infected individuals to obtain medical care earlier in the course of their infection, potentially saving lives and limiting the spread of this deadly virus.

22. What about home test kits?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved home-use HIV test kits that allow consumers to interpret their own HIV test results in a few minutes. The Federal Trade Commission has warned that these home-use HIV test kits, many of which are available on the Internet, supply inaccurate results.

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