The Better2Know Blog

There are lots of organisations and people urging you to have an HIV test to find out your HIV status (and we are no exception – after all, it is Better2Know), the suggestion being that you will either be HIV negative or HIV positive once you know, but there is a new status of HIV neutral that we came across on the twitter-sphere, and thought we would like to know more about it.

We have noticed an increase in the number of people asking for Herpes tests at Better2Know over the last few months, so we did a little digging to find out why.

Better2Know has three different HIV tests, and this blog post is to help you work out which is the best one for you:

Test 1: Laboratory test from 28 days after any incident you are worried about

This test is for anyone who is worried about HIV and wants the most accurate test available.  The test is done in our CPA accredited laboratory with the results available the same day that the sample is received in the lab.  You need to wait at least 28 days from any incident you are worried about.  The test looks for HIV 1 and HIV 2 antibodies as well as the p24 antigen which is an early indicator of HIV infection is why this test can be used from just 28 days (the traditional 90 day HIV tests do not look for this antigen).  This test is called a fourth generation HIV test.

This is the HIV test in our platinum and full screens.

Test 2: Rapid HIV Test from 26 days after any incident you are worried about

This test gives results while you wait.  It only needs a finger prick, so it suitable for anyone who is scared of needles, who doesn’t want to wait for the laboratory tests, or who needs their HIV results in a hurry.  Some countries and jobs need you to have an HIV test before issuing a visa or letting you start work, and this can mean that you want the fastest possible results.  Not all our clinics do rapid HIV testing, so please ring us to check. This test is also a fourth generation test and looks for the HIV 1 and HIV 2 antibodies as well as the p24 antigen.

Test 3: Early Detection from 10 days after any incident you are concerned about

This test is takes a sample of blood and then uses a technique called PCR (polymerised chain reaction) to increase any viruses found in the blood so that it can be detected.  This test looks for the actual virus itself rather than the markers of the virus (antibodies and antigens).  It is a very accurate test, and takes just three days from when the sample is received in the laboratory.

This is the HIV test in our Early Detection Screen and Early Platinum Screen.

If you are worried about HIV, please phone us to book your HIV test and answer any questions you might have.  Better2Know tests for HIV in all of its nationwide STD clinics.

I am sorry you have never had sex then.

We get calls from people, and when we ask them which tests they want to book for, they say “oh I don’t think I need HIV”.  Well to be honest, if you are phoning to book an STD test there is a very high chance you have had sex, and probably without a condom, and so there is a possibility you could have HIV and that if you do not know you could pass the virus on and infect other people.  Almost half of new infections in the UK come from people who do not know that they have the HIV virus.

Here are the top 10 places for having a Better2Know STD test in the UK in 2012:

We would like to wish all our blog readers and patients a very Happy New Year 2013.

It is really important if you have an STI to tell your current and former partners, to encourage them to get tested, and to avoid passing the infection around to others. But speaking up about a STI, especially to an ex, can be difficult.

A controversial website hit headlines in early December, claiming to offer students money to cover their University tuition fee, in exchange for sex.

Two thirds of over-65s polled think it’s important to have a romantic companion*

New research lifts the lid on ‘sexting’ attitudes and practices amongst teenagers.

HIV home testing kits were approved in the US in July 2012. The over-the-counter test involves the participant taking a swab from their upper and lower gums, and this provides quick results for HIV in 20 to 40 minutes in your own home. These are different from home sample collection kits where you provide a sample of blood or urine at home and then send this to a laboratory for analysis.

If unsafe sex in the city wasn’t enough detail about what happens at a GUM clinic, here is a blog about one of our friend’s experiences:

A new test for oral cancers caused by HPV has been revealed.  The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) has found an RNAscope test that can be done in most hospitals that looks for HPC in oropharyngeal cancers.

Cervical Screening is advised every three years for women aged 25 to 49, and then every five years until the age of 65.  This is usually provided at your GP’s surgery and is commonly known as a smear test, but if you are worried and want faster results, private providers like Better2Know can get you your results in just five days from when the sample is received in the laboratory.

We know that you will have questions about your STD test.  We like hearing from you, here are the answers to some frequent ones:

Q. Can my partner and I get tested together?

A. Yes you can, we can arrange a joint consultation for you and your partner.

Q. I need to be discreet, how can I get a test?

A. We do not need your real name for your booking, but it is a good idea to have something for the doctor to call you, everyone will know that Michael Mouses is not your real name when you are called!  All our clinics are private, so that you can have any reason you like for being there: sports injury, mole consultation, upset tummy. You can also pay us by cash into any Barclay’s Bank (see our terms and conditions) if you do not want to pay by card.  We do not show up on your statement as Better2Know –  call us to find what we do show up as, we do not want to write it here in case someone is searching the Internet for it!

Q. Will my doctor find out?

A. Not from us.  It is up to you if you want to tell them.

Q. Do I have to declare this on my life insurance?

A. No.

Q. I can’t get to a clinic, can you come to me?

A. If you live inside the M25 then for an extra charge a nurse can come to your home or office.  They will not obviously be a Better2Know nurse, so you can just say you are having a blood test for anything you like.  Our Wimpole Street has a more flexible facility, where they only need an approximate time for your appointment, you won’t see a doctor there, but you can see one when you get your results if you like.

If you have any more questions about STD testing, please get in touch.

Better2Know has donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us in the last two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we have been blogging about ten interesting HIV facts, and here is the last one:

Fact 10: Every minute, 11 people are infected with HIV across the world; women are eight times more likely than men to contract HIV through sexual intercourse.

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 9: The HIV virus itself is a large one in the virus world, and it also has a unique structure that makes it easy to attack the bodies immune system and difficult to kill. HIV is a mutant supervirus, as it has a very fast replication system that helps it mutate faster. This makes it easier for the virus to become immune to antiretrovirals, which are they drugs used to keep the condition under control.

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 8: When it comes to finding the cure to HIV, cats are leading the way. Cats suffer from FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), for which there is already an effective vaccine.  This medicine could help develop the Human vaccine.  We think that the researcher on this project has a bit of soft spot for cats….

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 7: Over the last few years, some people have been found to be immune to HIV and have been able to fight off the virus. This immunity has been traced to a human immune cell called the CD8+T. These cells attack and inject poison into any HIV-infected cells they find. Now that scientists are aware of this, they hope to understand how this process works and create a usable HIV vaccine.

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 6: 95% of the world’s HIV positive people live in the world’s poorest countries, so there may be a correlation between poverty, lack of education, developing countries and the contraction of the disease.

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 5: HIV is not transmitted by any and all fluid contact. The fluid has to be produced by the body, and the virus dies very quickly when outside the body.  There is a lot of misinformation about how HIV is transmitted: HIV can be transmitted by blood, vaginal fluid, cum and from mother to child during pregnancy.  There is a low risk of it being passed on in saliva.

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 4: The Sub-Saharan region of Africa has the largest population of HIV infected people, and is the most common place to be infected with HIV II. The numbers of people who are HIV positive are estimated to be between 21.6 and 27.4 million people and  of them 2 to 3 million are children under the age of 15.  In many countries HIV is an epidemic with those who are HIV positive protected by anti-discrimination laws in the work place.

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 3: HIV and AIDS are not the same thing, but they are interrelated. HIV is the strand of virus that causes the disease and AIDS is the fourth and final stage of the disease that can lead to the patient’s death.  There are also 2 different types of HIV viruses: HIV I and HIV II. The former is more infectious, while the latter has a lower infection rate

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Better2Know will be donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test booked through us during the two weeks from 26 November to 9 December 2012.  We hope you will be raising awareness of HIV/ AIDS in whatever way suits you best.

For the first ten days of  December, we will be blogging about ten interesting HIV facts:

Fact 2: There is still no cure for HIV/ AIDS, but pharmaceutical companies are working hard to develop a cure and vaccines against the virus.  Currently it is thought over 100 different medicines are being worked on.  The most advanced drug is called Truvada.  The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

Better2Know can test for HIV at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.  Tests start from just ten days after any potential exposure.

Fact 1: AIDS first became widespread and known in the 1980s.  The Soviet Union (as it then was) immediately tried to use it in its propaganda campaign in the Cold War. The Soviets started a programme of mass misinformation and informed their citizens that the USA  had intentionally created the HIV virus to harm their enemies. Of course this is not the truth behind HIV/ AIDS, but to this day many people in the former Soviet states believe that the USA is the origin of HIV.

Fact 2: There is still no cure for HIV/ AIDS, but pharmaceutical companies are working hard to develop a cure and vaccines against the virus.

Fact 3: HIV and AIDS are not the same thing, but they are interrelated. HIV is the strand of virus that causes the disease and AIDS is the fourth and final stage of the disease that can lead to death. There are also 2 different types of HIV viruses: HIV I and HIV II. The former is more infectious, while the latter has a lower infection rate.

Fact 4: The Sub-Saharan region of Africa has the largest population of HIV infected people, and is the most common place to be infected with HIV II. The numbers of people who are HIV positive are estimated to be between 21.6 and 27.4 million people and of the 2 to 3 million are children under the age of 15.  In many countries, HIV is an epidemic with those who are HIV positive protected by anti-discrimination laws in the workplace.

Fact 5: HIV is not transmitted by any and all fluid contact. The fluid has to be produced by the body, and the virus dies very quickly when outside the body.  There is a lot of misinformation about how HIV is transmitted: HIV can be transmitted by blood, vaginal fluid, cum and from mother to child during pregnancy.  There is a low risk of it being passed on in saliva.

Fact 6: 95% of the world’s HIV positive people live in the world’s poorest countries, so there may be a correlation between poverty, lack of education, developing countries and the contraction of the disease.

Fact 7: Over the last few years, some people have been found to be immune to HIV and have been able to fight off the virus. This immunity has been traced to a human immune cell called the CD8+T. These cells attack and inject poison into any HIV-infected cells they find. Now that scientists are aware of this, they hope to understand how this process works and create a usable HIV vaccine.

Fact 8: When it comes to finding the cure to HIV, cats are leading the way. Cats suffer from FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), for which there is already an effective vaccine.  This medicine could help develop a vaccine for humans.

Fact 9: The HIV virus itself has a unique structure that makes it easy to attack the bodies immune system and difficult to kill. HIV is a mutant supervirus, as it has a very fast replication system that helps it mutate faster. This makes it easier for the virus to become immune to antiretrovirals, which are the drugs used to keep the condition under control.

Fact 10: Every minute, 11 people are infected with HIV across the world; women are eight times more likely than men to contract HIV through sexual intercourse.

As its World AIDS Day tomorrow, we thought we would ask you about what questions you had about HIV testing.  Here are some of the frequent ones:

Q. How Instant is an Instant or Rapid HIV test?

A. Instant HIV testing has come a long way.  Many of our clinics now use a test this is over 99% accurate from just 26 days after potential exposure.   This test takes 20 minutes to run, and usually you will be asked to wait in the reception room.  Other tests for which you have to wait at least 90 days can give a result in less than a minute.  This includes the Insti – which is a brand of HIV test – and yes other types are available, which is why we say we do a rapid HIV test.

Q. Can I do an HIV test in the post?

A. There are two types of home testing: tests where you get your HIV result at home are illegal in the UK.  However they are available over the counter in the US (since Spring 2012).  In the US they use a saliva test which is less accurate than a blood test.  Better2Know does not do this type of home testing as it is illegal.

Q. How soon can I have an HIV test?

A. From ten days after any potential exposure with our Early Detection Screen.  We also have the HIV-Duo test from 28 days after potential exposure, and rapid HIV testing starts from 26 days.

Q. How accurate is the HIV test?

A. There is no more accurate test on the market than those offered by Better2Know.  However, no biological test is 100% accurate.  Researchers don’t talk about accuracy of HIV tests: they look at two things: one that the test picks up any virus and tests positive, and then that the test picks up the HIV virus and identifies it. If you put these things together, from 10 days there is a 96% chance of the test finding anything and it is HIV and this increases to 99.8% at 28 days, and 99.9% at 90 days.  There is a chance that a test can be positive, but not for HIV – when this happens all our tests are automatically checked again using three different methods, so before you get an HIV positive result you know that it has tested positive four different ways.

If you have any other questions please phone Better2Know on the number above.  Better2Know is donating to the Terrence Higgins Trust for every HIV test we book from now until 9 December 2012.

World Aids Day takes place on 1st December and encourages people across the globe to unite and support the fight against HIV.

HIV is considered to be one of the most destructive diseases, with over 25 million people dying from the disease between 1981 and 2007. HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system which therefore weakens the body’s defence against fighting illnesses.

World Aids Day is a great opportunity to increase awareness, raise money, learn about the facts and show your support to help those 33.3 million people, worldwide, currently living with HIV.

Many fundraising events are taking place around the UK to help support those with HIV.

You can raise money and get involved by:

• Wearing a red ribbon – the universal symbol of awareness and support
• Selling Ribbons
• Holding a bake sale
• Throwing a Red Party
• Getting sponsored to wear a completely red outfit
• Hosting a red themed quiz night
• Participating in a sponsored run – A Red Run is taking place on the 25th November at 11am, in Victoria Park, London. You can do either a 5k or 10k run and it’s free to enter.

Better2Know can help you get tested for HIV and offer quick appointments with fast results, and from now until Sunday 9 December we will be making a donation to the Terrence Higgins Trust for each and every HIV test booked on its own or part of a screen.

This guest post was written by Jessica Delaney a communication student at Sheffield Hallam University.

A recent report has suggested that the rise in sexual transmitted infections amongst young adults could be connected to social media.

With increasing numbers of STDs and unplanned pregnancies, the use of condoms is still low in the UK.  Many people are embarrassed to talk about it (but seemingly ok to get naked),with excuses ranging from “it doesn’t feel the same” to ” do I look like I have and STD to you?”

Better2Know is proud to announce that it will be supporting the Terrence Higgins Trust for the two weeks around World AIDS Day 2012.