New Home Instant HIV Testing Kit

[London_Manila]

There is a new testing kit available for £29.95 and you get the result after 15 minutes
It has the CE mark and they reckon its very accurate
So would it be beyond the pale for me to ask any future partner to take the test?
Of course i would supply the test kit.................

[will1927]

or you could practice safe sex and cover up....it could be a bit cheaper.

will

[KeithD]

It says I'm pregnant .... worse.... it has Joe's DNA in it

[London_Manila]

I would imagine that this testing kit might become an essential item for the discerning single traveler

A few observations

Condom use in the Philippines is very limited
Education of sexual diseases in the Philippines is very poor
All i read in the Manila Times is about how many more cases of HIV there are every month
People in the Philippines rarely get tested for HIV

Ultimately its about protecting ones own health and i don't see that as being selfish

[Terpe]

I would imagine that this testing kit might become an essential item for the discerning single traveler

A few observations

Condom use in the Philippines is very limited
Education of sexual diseases in the Philippines is very poor
All i read in the Manila Times is about how many more cases of HIV there are every month
People in the Philippines rarely get tested for HIV

Ultimately its about protecting ones own health and i don't see that as being selfish

The optimum solution for those intent on promiscuity with strangers is contained in wills post #2

Put something on it.
Protect yourself ......... and others.

[Doc Alan]

The HIV self-test kit is now legally sold in the UK and is indeed claimed to be almost 100% accurate if used correctly. The " CE " mark simply means " Conformite Europeene ", an " indicator of a product’s compliance with EU legislation ".


• Although the result is immediate, it tests for HIV antibodies, which take at least a month after infection to be detected by ANY test - up to three months using this kit. Testing may be done for free on the NHS – either by GP taking a blood sample, or at a local " sexual health clinic ". Treatment is also free – this must be lifelong as there is no cure, and no vaccine. Without treatment, people with HIV may develop AIDS, which simply means acquired immune deficiency syndrome – a collection of illnesses including infections and some cancer types.


• I don’t know most members personally so it’s usually not possible – or wise – to give individual advice or make value judgements .



• However, anyone considering this self-test for any future partner should have an agreed plan for the response, should the test be either positive or negative. If positive, treatment will be required, after counselling by a health professional ( or at least explanation by their doctor ). The partner may also reasonably be entitled to ask for confirmation of the other’s HIV status !


• It’s estimated that a quarter of the 100,000(+) people with HIV infection in the UK don’t know they have it ; the 21,000(+) total reported cases in the Philippines over the past 30 years may well be unrealistically low. For males and females whose lifestyle indicates they might be at increased risk compared to the general population more testing is good - from a public health viewpoint as well as for the individuals concerned - but self-testing at home is not appropriate for all such individuals.


• If only the advice to " wear a condom " ( correctly ) was universally taken ! For the foreseeable future, it’s worth remembering other sexually transmitted diseases. Hepatitis B and C are MUCH more infectious than HIV, and may lead to serious illnesses ( cirrhosis and cancer ). B is also much commoner in the Philippines than the UK, and a vaccine is available ( but not for C ). It’s possible to pay for blood tests and ( if not immune ) Hep B vaccination, followed by repeat blood tests to confirm immunity.


• Clearly for anyone with symptoms and ill, there is no question that their partner should encourage them to attend their doctor.

Screening for a variety of illnesses are covered in separate threads in this section. Apart from pre-immigration TB screening ( which aims to detect active disease ), ALL health screening is for people without symptoms – and in addition to advantages there are less well publicised disadvantages.

[Dedworth]

As Doc rightly says the CE Mark merely indicates that the product complies with EU legislation however it is easy for a rogue manufacturer to print the CE mark on anything he wants and this practice is widespread on products that require the CE mark or not.

If you are serious about buying this sort of product then you should demand copies of the test results, compliance certificates etc . More info here

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/polic...g/index_en.htm

[raynaputi]

or you could practice safe sex and cover up....it could be a bit cheaper.

will

[KeithD]

I always put a condom on my tongue .... I don't want any of that nasty stuff Michael Douglas had

[London_Manila]

The optimum solution for those intent on promiscuity with strangers is contained in wills post #2

Put something on it.
Protect yourself ......... and others.

Surely with my longterm Girlfriend i am not expected to use a condom forever

These kits would be no good for a sex tourist due to the sheer number of liaisons they have

[imagine]

when i was in my teens, a friend tried to convince me, that if you squeeze a little lemon on your finger then test that on your girlfriend, if she flinches its a positive, i said what a load of bull, but he still try to convince me, im sure he thought it true,

[KeithD]

when i was in my teens, a friend tried to convince me, that if you squeeze a little lemon on your finger then test that on your girlfriend, if she flinches its a positive, i said what a load of bull, but he still try to convince me, im sure he thought it true,

I got confused and used a whole MELON

[imagine]

I got confused and used a whole MELON