HIV Instant Test
The HIV finger prick test provides a test result within minutes.
About the test
- Who should get tested: Anyone can take an HIV test. You should get tested for HIV if you may be at risk of HIV, for example you have had unprotected sex with a partner who could be HIV positive.
- When to get tested: This HIV test is not reliable until 90 days after infection. You need to get tested at least 90 days after the date you may have been infected. You can get tested sooner, but your result may not be reliable and you need to re-test to confirm your result once the 90 days have passed.
- How the test is taken: The nurse or pharmacist will use a fine needle to prick your finger and collect a small blood sample.
- How it works: The test picks up antibodies to the HIV virus. Your body produces antibodies as a response to the infection. If the test detects antibodies, this means that you have been exposed to the virus.
- Your results:You will receive your results immediately. The nurse or pharmacist will explain your results and next steps.
- How reliable is the test: The test is over 99.6% accurate if taken at least 90 days after unprotected sex.
- Additional precautions:If you have had unprotected sex in the past 72 hours, seek medical attention immediately as you may need post-exposure treatment.
Prices
| Price | £79 |
How it Works
Frequently Asked Question
Getting tested
To arrange an appointment at a participating Superdrug Health Clinic, call our booking line. Our nurses use a rapid finger-prick test, which means you will receive your result without delay. Your Superdrug nurse or pharmacist will take a small blood sample and explain your test result. If you prefer to take a HIV finger prick test from home, you can order a HIV test kit from Superdrug Online Doctor. The test must be taken more than 4 weeks after sex to get accurate test results.
HIV is transmitted during sex and does not necessarily cause any symptoms within the first months or even years after the infection. The only way to know for sure whether you are HIV positive or not, is to take a test. The Superdrug HIV test is quick, simple and will give you peace of mind. It also ensures that you can seek treatment immediately, should your test result be positive. Early treatment is vital to suppress the virus and allow HIV patients to live a healthy life. If diagnosed early, people carrying the HIV virus can lead a normal life and life expectancy is now near normal . However, if HIV is not diagnosed, the virus spreads and leads to AIDS (the health conditions caused by the HIV virus). Once the infection has broken out, it can be difficult to treat and control
Your results
If you could have been exposed to HIV, you should take an HIV test. HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids (blood, vaginal fluid, semen, anal mucous and breast milk), so you could get HIV from unprotected sex or sharing needles with a person who is infectious. After infection, it can take 90 days for the virus to show in this blood test. If you do this HIV test less than 90 days after the date you believe you may have been infected, you need to repeat the test to confirm your initial result.
The HIV finger prick test is a quick HIV blood test and is 99.96% accurate. It is a same day HIV testing option and you receive your result immediately, so you won’t have to wait for your result. The HIV finger prick test is not painful, you will merely feel a little prick of the needle. The test detects HIV antibodies in the blood sample taken during the test. If HIV antibodies are found, the test result is positive and indicates that a HIV infection is present. If no HIV antibodies are present, your test result is negative, which means you do not have HIV.
About HIV
HIV, or ‘human immunodeficiency virus’, is a sexually transmitted viral infection. HIV can be symptomless for a very longer time (years) and can eventually result in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although recent medical advances mean HIV and AIDS no longer have as much of a severe impact as they used to, it is still requires constant treatment and has long-lasting health implications.
If you have sex with changing partners or have had sex without a condom in the past, you should take a HIV test to make sure you know your status. The recent increase in HIV cases is linked with a decrease in condom use and is partly due to the large number of patients unaware of their condition.
