Today we have to find out everything that the analysis for HIV is fraught with. The terms of readiness, the procedure, as well as the place for its delivery - all these components excite many citizens. It will not be superfluous to understand in which situations such an analysis should be taken necessarily. Indeed, in Russia there are a number of procedures that require a citizen to confirm their state of health. In addition, for the maximum result, you will have to properly prepare for the process. Each person should know about all this in advance. Otherwise, the analysis may not give the desired result.
Disease definition
First you need to understand what kind of disease is involved. Maybe the analysis is not required at all? If the disease is not too dangerous and not contagious, then everyone has the right to refuse this study.
In fact, HIV infection is extremely dangerous for a person. A disease is characterized by an infection that affects the body's immune system, destroying it. As a rule, HIV is a favorable environment for the development of AIDS. That is why it is important to understand how dangerous the disease is. AIDS is the last stage of this disease. This is an acquired and developed immunodeficiency.
When is a test needed?
Many people wonder when to get tested for HIV. In fact, a citizen has the right to independently apply to one or another institution. That is, of their own free will. Nevertheless, there are a number of situations in which a certificate of absence of HIV infection is required.
Among them are:
- pregnancy planning;
- recruitment;
- pregnancy (including accidental);
- preparation for hospitalization / operation;
- weight loss, moreover, sharp and rapid;
- fever that arose for no reason and cannot be explained by the presence of other diseases;
- prolonged diarrhea;
- frequent occasional sexual intercourse;
- the presence of sexually transmitted infections;
- blood transfusion (after the process);
- birth (an HIV test is done right away).
Accordingly, quite often this analysis is assigned. There is nothing special or dangerous in it. Often, citizens themselves agree to conduct such a study, worrying about their health. But what else do patients need to know?
Where to go?
For example, where to go in order to get the named service. At the moment, there are a lot of options for the development of events. It all depends on the age of the patient and his preferences.
An HIV test is done:
- in maternity hospitals;
- hospitals
- clinics (adults and children);
- private clinics;
- private laboratories;
- other medical facilities.
Where exactly to apply? There are no exact recommendations. Each citizen decides how and where to take an HIV test. The timing of readiness often depends not only on the research system, but also on the place of treatment. As practice shows, in public institutions the test results have to wait longer. In addition, private medical centers, clinics and laboratories sometimes offer a wider range of diagnosis of the disease. Therefore, it must be borne in mind that HIV testing can be done in several ways.
Signs to contact
Before you learn about the methods of diagnosing the disease, it is recommended to understand the signs with which you should go to the hospital in order to do the test. Situations in which it is necessary to be tested for HIV have already been said. But quite often in ordinary life there are a number of symptoms that make a person think about their own state of health.
What cases require this? Blood for HIV infection must be donated if a citizen has the following phenomena:
- enlargement of several lymph nodes, and quickly and immediately;
- persistent diarrhea, which has long troubled a person;
- signs of ARVI or ARI that are not treatable;
- persistent night sweats;
- sharp weight loss;
- persistent fever.
These are troubling moments in which you need to be tested for HIV for your own safety. Readiness dates and diagnostic methods will be presented below.
PCR diagnostics
The first and most common test option is PCR diagnostics. It is used very often to identify any disease. As practice shows, it is an extremely informative study when it comes to taking sputum for analysis (for example, with hepatitis or tuberculosis).
Nevertheless, often PCR diagnosis is when they take blood for HIV infection. It should be borne in mind that there are several types of this disease. PCR analysis detects with high accuracy only the presence of infection. But he does not determine its type. Therefore, far from always people agree to this study.
Immunoblotting
What else is an HIV test? Readiness dates will be announced later. First, you should understand the methods of diagnosing the disease. In addition to the test already mentioned, immunoblotting is very popular. This is a kind of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
It helps to determine the blood antibodies to certain infections. More specifically, to their proteins. Typically, this diagnosis is used after PCR to confirm the result. It helps to determine the specific type of HIV infection that has entered the human body and is in great demand among the population.
For immunology
The next analysis that allows you to determine the presence of HIV in a person is a study that allows you to check the state of human immunity.
The fact is that HIV reduces the concentration of CD-4 cells. They are called beneficial bacteria that allow the body to fight a particular disease. How can you understand that a person has HIV?
The results of the immunology test are extremely easy to understand. Normally, a person has between 500 and 1,500 CD-4 cells in the body. If this indicator is below 500, then HIV does occur, but the infection has appeared relatively recently. Results that indicate fewer than 200 CD-4 cells are an alarming sign. This means that the disease has long been in the body.
Express
Sometimes you can get an HIV test right away. Express diagnostic readiness is about 5 minutes. This is not a completely accurate, but still effective study. It is used extremely rarely in Russia.
What is meant by this analysis? The most common rapid test. It has the appearance of a special strip on which you want to drip blood. After 5-10 minutes, look at the result. It can be either positive or negative. The effect of this type of diagnosis can be compared with a pregnancy test.
Such an HIV study is not in high demand. This is because there is a high probability of errors and inaccurate results. In addition, the type of infection such a test does not help determine.
IFA
Along with PCR diagnostics, ELISA analysis is often prescribed . It, like immunoblotting, allows you to determine the presence of antibodies to HIV infection proteins. Typically, such an analysis does not allow a definitive diagnosis. It is not distinguished by its accuracy.
Doctors point out that very often IFA gives a false-positive result. This phenomenon is caused by the molecular structure of antibodies. In most infections, it is similar to the structure of antibodies to HIV. Therefore, you can get a positive result of a blood test, but at the same time, the real picture will say the opposite. In this case, the analysis is repeated or a different diagnostic method is prescribed.
Readiness dates
The timing of blood tests for HIV is different. It is impossible to say exactly how much it will have to wait for the results. After all, the answer will depend on many factors. Among them, the following are often distinguished:
- type of institution;
- laboratory workload;
- selected diagnostic option.
It has already been said that in public hospitals results will have to wait longer than in private centers. That is why many people prefer the latter. Usually they allow you to get the most accurate research result as soon as possible.
In the state clinic, on average, the availability dates for HIV / hepatitis tests are set within 4-5 days. Moreover, as practice shows, this interval is valid for any type of study. After all, express tests in state institutions of the Russian Federation are not provided.
But the term for the production of blood tests for HIV in private clinics is often 2-3 days. But in practice, this indicator is reduced to a day. That is, the very next day, in some private clinics, the result of an HIV test will be ready. If there is an express test, then, as already mentioned, you can get one or another answer in 5-10 minutes. Nevertheless, despite the speed of obtaining the result, it is not recommended to use this type of study.
Preparation
Now it’s clear how many HIV tests are ready. An important point is the preparation for the test. The fact is that if certain rules are not followed, you can get an inaccurate result. And this is independent of the chosen diagnostic technique.
What advice and recommendations do doctors give? Firstly, a few days before the test, it is recommended to establish a diet. Eliminate allergens as well as fatty foods. Secondly, it’s best to take an HIV test on an empty stomach in the morning. Neither drinking nor eating is recommended. It is advisable that the hunger strike is 8 hours. Then you can hope for the most accurate result.
Where does the blood come from for analysis? There are 2 options - from the finger and vein. The most accurate result is venous blood. It is taken from a vein, which is located at the elbow. The procedure is almost completely painless. Blood from a finger, as modern doctors say, does not give the desired result.
Perhaps these are all the features that the patient should know about. At the moment, HIV testing in Russia can be done anonymously. Every citizen has this right. Also, in medical institutions, now, before conducting a diagnosis, it is necessary to sign a separate consent to take an analysis. Without this, a person will not be given blood for HIV.
On average, the cost of diagnosis is from 300 to 2,500 or more rubles. It all depends on the clinic, as well as on the method of blood testing. This information is best clarified individually. The timing of HIV testing may also depend on the cost of the procedure.