Yes, in studies, the OraQuick® HIV Self-Test detected 100 percent of people who were infected with HIV and 99.1 percent of people who were not infected with HIV.
Sensitivity and specificity
Sensitivity of a test is defined as the percentage of test results that will be positive when HIV is actually present. Specificity of a test is defined as the percentage of test results that will be negative when HIV is not present.
The OraQuick® HIV antibody test is very sensitive and specific, with sensitivity shown in clinical trials to be 100% (i.e., the percentage of results that will be positive when HIV is present) and specificity 99.1%. This means, however, that it fails to detect 0 instances of HIV out of every 1,000 instances of testing where HIV is present, and that 0 false negative results could be expected out of every 1,000 self-tests in individuals who have HIV.
When the test is done correctly, it will detect HIV antibodies 100% of the time once the body’s immune response has produced enough antibodies. However, a positive self-test result does not necessarily mean you have HIV, since it still needs to be confirmed by a follow-up blood test by a laboratory.
If you get a positive result, you will need to obtain a confirmatory test, you can book a FREE test at one of our Health Connect Jamaica partner labs. You can also call us using WhatsApp (876-308-0198) or at our Health Connect Jamaica office, 876-669-7349. You can also access our I’m Ready Jamaica app to make an appointment with a peer navigator who will be there to help you.
Window periods
A positive result can appear within 21-22 days after exposure to HIV, but could take up to 3 months to show. People should test frequently during the window period, which is 3 months from the time when HIV might have been acquired.
Following instructions carefully for the most accurate results
To ensure the maximum accuracy of the self-test, it’s very important for people who are self-testing to carefully read and follow all labelled instructions. Even when used according to the labelled instructions, as noted above, there will be a small number of false negative and false positive results. For more details, please watch the instructional video on using the test. If the self test is performed incorrectly, there is a risk of getting an invalid result. If this happens, visit our Post-test counselling: invalid result page to learn about what you can do if you receive an invalid result.
Be sure to visit our Before you take a test page for information that will help prepare you to take the test, and for more information. You can call us using WhatsApp (876-308-0198) (876-or at our Health Connect Jamaica office, 876-669-7349. You can also access our I’m Ready Jamaica app to make an appointment with a peer navigator