Doctor Ordered blood test

[soulium]

Hi HN,

If I ask my family doctor to order a HIV blood test, does it use the conventional method with window period of 3 month or the NAAT pooled method with a window period of 6 weeks?

Would doctored ordered test and STI clinic test use the same testing method for both HIV and syphilis?

 

[Health Nurse]

Hi HN,

If I ask my family doctor to order a HIV blood test, does it use the conventional method with window period of 3 month or the NAAT pooled method with a window period of 6 weeks?

Would doctored ordered test and STI clinic test use the same testing method for both HIV and syphilis?

Hi soulium

If you get a HIV test at your family doctor it would be the HIV antibody test which has a window period of 3 months (95% of people would test positive within 4-6 weeks).

The HIV pooled NAAT test which has a window period of 6 weeks and is 90% accurate by 10 days is only available for men at our two Vancouver STI clinics. The HIV NAAT test is part of a research project at these two clinics.

You would get the same syphilis test (RPR) at any doctor’s office in BC. We also use the same test at our STI clinics.

HN
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