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Yes, Oraquick makes an at home test for HIV you can buy at the drugstore. And, there are others. However, Oraquick is not as reliable as laboratory blood testing which is close to 100% accurate. Oraquick will show you aren't HIV positive when, in fact, you are about one time in 12.

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Yes, Oraquick makes an at home test for HIV you can buy at the drugstore. And, there are others. However, Oraquick is not as reliable as laboratory blood testing which is close to 100% accurate. Oraquick will show you aren't HIV positive when, in fact, you are about one time in 12.

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The time between when someone is infected with the virus until the can test positive is called the "window period." This amount of time can vary depending on the sensitivity of the test being performed. The most widely used oral HIV test in the United States (OraQuick Advance) has a window period of up to 90 days.

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There are several tests that are used to confirm the prescence of HIV.

In medical settings, the most common tests being used today are rapid tests such as Oraquick which use a sample from the mouth to detect the prescence of antibodies to the HIV virus. Oraquick produces results in 20 minutes.

If Oraquick produces a positive result, a blood sample is usually taken and sent to a laboratory for a confirmatory test. In the laboratory, the ELISA test will be used. If the ELISA is also positive, another test called Western Blot will be used to confirm the results of ELISA.

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There are a number of tests available to detect the presence of HIV. The most common tests involve looking for the virus indirectly via the prescence of antibodies. This can be done through an oral swab test or a blood test. Many clinics offer rapid tests that can yield results in minutes (ex. Oraquick).

If rapid tests yield positive results, it is recommend that another test be performed to confirm those results. In the United States, the Western Blot is the confirmatory test for HIV.

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The blood banks have the most advanced testing methods available to determine if blood donations are HIV positive or negative.

Unlike standard tests used in clinics (ex. Oraquick) which detect antibodies, tests used by blood banks allow for the detection of the genetic material of the virus, which will be present during the "window period."

The window period applies when we are waiting for antibodies to form against the virus. This can take up to several weeks to develop in sufficient numbers to detect by standard antibody tests.

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