HIV self-test

One single blue dot at the top of the circle

If there’s only one blue dot at the top of the circle, the test is considered non-reactive. That means it has not detected the presence of HIV antibodies and your result is negative.

Two blue dots

If there are two blue dots, the test is reactive. That means the test has detected the presence of HIV antibodies, and your test result is positive. If you get a positive test result, you need to see a health professional to get retested using a blood draw in order to confirm the test results.

No dots, or one single dot at the bottom of the circle

Sometimes, no dots appear, or only one dot appears, at the bottom of the circle. In these cases, the test is invalid. If that happens, don’t re-use the kit, because it’s only meant for single use. To redo the test and get a valid result, you need to get a new self-test kit.

Regardless of the result, don’t re-use the test. It’s a single-use test.

While you can live with HIV for a long time without having many health problems, it’s not an easy thing to find out that you’re living with HIV. So, what should you do if you get a positive result when using a self-test kit?

• It can be very beneficial to get support from someone you trust.
• See a doctor as soon as possible in order to:
  • Confirm the positive result using a standard HIV test (blood draw)
  • Get appropriate care
  • Start HIV treatment

Getting medical care quickly helps better control the infection.

• As needed, contact the HIV organization closest to you for psychosocial support or for accompaniment as you navigate the health system.
• With your partner(s), choose the most effective prevention methods to avoid transmitting the virus until your test result is confirmed by a doctor.

To find the HIV community organization or health centre closest to you, use the postal code search tool.

You may have heard about the “window period.” This is the time that needs to pass before a test can detect the presence of HIV in the blood. Once HIV enters the body and begins to infect its cells, it can be detected in some cases after three weeks, but it may also take as long as 12 weeks after infection before HIV becomes detectable by a test.

To better explain: If you’re exposed to HIV (say, on June 1), you need to wait for three weeks before using the self-test (starting on June 22). If the result is negative, it’s best to redo the test nine weeks later (around August 24), using a new kit, in order to confirm the result.

If the self-test result is positive, you don’t need to do a second self-test. Make an appointment to get a confirmation test, meaning a blood draw that confirms the diagnosis.

Probable exposures include:

• Anal, frontal and vaginal sex without a condom with an HIV-positive partner whose viral load is detectable, or with a partner of unknown HIV status;
• Sharing drug injection equipment.

You can obtain an HIV self-test kit free of charge from your nearest participating community organization, or online from the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC). If you live in Montreal, you can get self-test kits from RÉZO.

You can also obtain the INSTI® HIV self-test kit for a fee, by ordering directly from the website of BioLytical Laboratories, the company that produces the test.

The cost is around $35 each, plus shipping and sales tax, for a total of around $57. For two tests, the cost is approximately $85, including shipping and taxes.

To order an INSTI® self-test kit, click here.

The kit can be delivered to the postal address of your choice.

The HIV self-test gives you the advantage of being able to decide if you want to do it alone at home or with a trusted friend.

You can also be accompanied by a community worker. He or she can guide you in performing the test and interpreting the results, and, if you want, can provide you with support after you’ve taken the test.

The accompaniment methods (online, by text message, on the phone or in person) may differ from one organization to the next.

To find someone to accompany you, use the postal code search tool to find the HIV community resources closest to you.

There are lots of good reasons to use the HIV self-test kit. The self-test…

• Is easy to use.
• Is safe.
• Ensures confidentiality.
• Gives you a result one minute after you perform the test.
• Is recognized as reliable as long as it is used 3 to 12 weeks after probable exposure to HIV. In other words, you must wait between 3 and 12 weeks after probable exposure to HIV before taking the test, in order to obtain a reliable result. Probable exposures include:
  • Anal, frontal and vaginal intercourse without a condom with an HIV-positive partner with a detectable HIV viral load or a partner of unknown HIV status.
  • Sharing drug injection equipment

While there are many benefits to the HIV self-test kit, issues remain:

• If free distribution is not possible, the cost of self-test kits makes them inaccessible to people with low incomes.
• In the case of both paid distribution by the manufacturer and free distribution by the CBRC, the self-test kit needs to be ordered online. This requires access to a computer, an Internet connection, a credit card and a delivery address.
• Although going to a community organization solves the above issue, not everyone is comfortable going to such an organization.

Criminalization

In addition, an important point to consider is that, in Canada, a person living with HIV must disclose his or her status to a sexual partner prior to sexual intercourse, otherwise he or she may be subject to a complaint and criminal prosecution. However, there should be no prosecution if the HIV viral load:

• is low (under 1,500 copies / ml of blood) and a condom is used during intercourse
• is below 200 copies / ml of blood, thanks to effective treatment and laboratory testing every 4 to 6 months (i.e. 2 to 3 times a year) (undetectable = untransmittable)

Soon, you’ll be able to choose between a blood self-test and an oral self-test. Oral self-tests are waiting for approval from the Canadian health authorities. This test, which is called OraQuick®, is done using saliva.