What Type of HIV Test is Used in Australia?

If you think that you may have HIV, it is important to go for a test. However, before conducting the HIV test Australia, you need to have a discussion with your health care provider or doctor. The discussion can include the following:

• Meaning of the test and implications of testing positive or negative
• Your behavior since the last test to estimate how much you have been exposed to the condition
• Understanding of HIV, the way it is transmitted and how you can stay protected
• Support available after the result
• What is the window period of the test and whether retesting is required?

Facts to Know before the Test

• Detection of HIV takes time. HIV can be tested within 6 weeks of exposure, although some people may take around 3 months.

• The window period makes the patient highly infectious. The period between HIV infection and antibody production is a highly likely time of transmission for gay men who are unaware that they are in the window period.

• The results of your test are confidential as they are governed by the privacy law.

Rapid HIV Test Australia

This is the most common type of testing method used in Australia. The specialty of the test is that it is done at the point of care viz. the clinic and you can get to know the results within 30 minutes. A preliminary positive or reactive result does not diagnose infection as rapid tests produce not too many false positive results. Hence, the rapid test should always be seconded by a laboratory test. This test is available in particular locations in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The rapid HIV test in Australia has been used in developed and developing countries for more than a decade with positive results on the testing rates especially in people who are at high risk of infection and have never been tested before. Being the first point of care test in Australia, there was some initial confusion about appropriate implementation. The Queensland Department of Health has announced free testing as a part of regular clinical practice and wanted to investigate how to use point of care testing in the best possible manner for complimenting the existing procedures of testing HIV.

The rapid tests for HIV have certain operational strengths and advantages. One of the main targets of conducting the rapid HIV tests is the aspect of decentralization followed by counseling. One of the key advantages of such point of care testing is the fact that it reduces the person’s dependability on laboratory services and extends the scope of testing to the point of care or community sites including mobile testing. If the rapid tests for HIV are available in your neighborhood, you should talk to your doctor about whether Medicare benefits are scheduled on these.

Positive test results should be followed up with counseling as patients may experience distress, anger, shock and depression. Counseling should be provided before the test too.